PathMates App
Mobile app that connects college students to travel together on public transit in a safer and smarter way.
Team
Individual
Date
Sep - Dec 2025
Scope
Product Design, User Research, Visual Design
Tools
Figma, FigJam
Highlights
Feeling Unsafe?
Users can use the Protection Tools Menu to quickly choose a support option fit for their situation.
Make New Friends
Choose someone based on mutual interest, coordinate to meet up with them, and add friend to travel again.
01 Context
Initial Observation
Attending San Jose State University, located in the downtown of a major city, I have seen first-hand just how unsafe public transportation can be.
Risk Factors
Those who are women, study at a college campus (think Cal, UCLA, USC, SJSU), and attend night classes are at especially high risk of being harassed on public transportation.
This sparked a vision: a platform designed to facilitate "transit-pooling," enabling students to commute together for enhanced safety and social connection.
02 Research
I conducted 7 user interviews to understand current thoughts, feelings, and experiences in regards to safety when commuting via transit. Here's what I found.
As a forming concept in my mind, I wasn't sure what to focus on in terms of scope.
Initial Scope
At first, my scope was large and consisted of four different spaces which made doing a competitive analysis difficult.
New Scope
After doing my exploratory user interviews, I was able to narrow down the scope and really focus on specific services.
With the new scope defined, I conducted a competitive analysis of key players.
03 Synthesis
To move beyond surface level pain points, I framed what users would really try to achieve using PathMates through Jobs to Be Done.
To humanize the data, I imagined what an ideal user who would benefit the most from using PathMates would look and act like.
The JTBD statements and persona became my North Star. I now had a clear profile of who I was designing for and what might make them feel safer.
04 Ideation & Exploration
With my research in mind, I focused on a core user flow that assumes the user has already set up their profile, gone on trips, and has an existing network.
With the flow built out, I created low-fidelity prototypes that I could use to test, gain feedback, conduct co-creation, and iterate upon.
And I really iterated and explored different UX and visual design solutions. See below how two core pages evolved from wireframes to hi-fi prototypes.
Making a user feel safe while traveling was a core problem, and a big part of that is being able to address different levels of concern.
Design Solution
Initially, I tested an SOS Button with an onboarding process. But through testing and feedback, I realized it was unruly and overcomplicated. Instead, I opted for a concise safety menu where users could easily see their options laid out.
05 Final Design
Travel Safer
Students feel unsafe, but rarely do they feel seriously unsafe. The Protection Tools Menu helps you pick the right option for your situation without escalating the situation more than necessary.
Make New Friends
Commute trips are long and boring. With PathMates, you can skim through profiles to gauge compatibility quickly. And you can find a travel buddy who helps you reclaim your social life amidst a busy college schedule.
For the full flow, imagine you're a student who got out of a night class and just wants to get home safely. You're feeling unsafe and want to travel with someone.
Full Prototype Flow
Want to see the prototype for yourself? Check it out here!