Making everyday navigation more accessible.
Introduction
Via is an accessibility-focused navigation app created for BU Forge's 2024 Catalyst Designathon. I worked with two other designers, helping with research, design, and prototyping. It's essentially a mobile experience that helps people better understand the accessibility and obstacles within a route and at destinations before and during a trip.
The project won 1st Place in the Accessibility Track.
The Challenge
Nearly 30 million adults in the U.S. experience difficulty walking or other mobility challenges. Yet many navigation products prioritize the fastest route without accounting for obstacles such as construction, inaccessible entrances, sidewalk conditions, or temporary hazards.
For people with mobility needs, these details can determine whether a route is usable at all.
The Solution
Via helps users evaluate routes and destinations based on accessibility before they travel.
The experience combines accessibility ratings, live hazard reporting, community updates, and accessible route planning to give users more context and confidence when navigating their surroundings.
Key Features
Rather than requiring users to discover accessibility issues after arriving, Via surfaces relevant information throughout the planning and navigation experience.
Easily check the accessibility rating of any location and read comments from others to ensure it meets your needs before you go.
Stay safe by viewing any hazards in your area and along your route. Keep your journey smooth and worry-free.
Encounter an unreported incident while traveling? No problem! Warn your community by reporting live incidents to keep everyone informed.
Have a go-to daily route? Save it as a favorite for quick access and stay updated on any changes or incidents along the way!
Research
We ran a Google Forms survey with 43 city and suburban residents in March 2024. Most relied heavily on mainstream navigation apps, but rated everyday accessibility only in the mid range.
Data has shown that...
77%
use Google Maps or Apple Maps always or often when getting around.
56%
said construction and other obstacles affect their routes at least moderately.
60%
do not consider local sidewalks well-maintained or equipped with ramps and tactile paving.
3.2 / 5
average rating for overall environmental accessibility among respondents.
Response breakdown
1 = rarely, 5 = very often
Roads, hills, alleys, etc.
1 = poor, 5 = excellent
Boarding, seating, and information
The survey responses showed a clear issue regarding daily accessibility. So much so that most respondents have noticed it in their daily travels. Although most of this data is surveyed on respondants without accessibility needs, the fact that those without accessibility needs are still noticing these issues suggests that these are not just a problem for those with mobility issues and that these issues can be a even larger inconvenience to those with mobility issues.
Themes from the survey
Synthesis of 43 Google Forms responses and follow-up review
These findings showed us that the problem wasn't simply finding a route. It was understanding whether that route would actually work for the person taking it.
Based off the data from the surveys we looked into some features that we thought could solve some of the pain points experienced by the users regarding accessibility and navigation.
As the concepts developed, we transformed those pain points into key features that users could use.
Rather than reinventing navigation, we built on interaction patterns already familiar from products like Google Maps and Apple Maps while making accessibility information a primary part of the experience.
Defining the Experience
We kept three mobility contexts—permanent, temporary, and situational—and tied each one to a specific path through Via. Switch personas to see the story and the highlighted flow.
Sarah · Wheelchair user · NYC teacher
“I need reliable routes to work without surprises from construction or blocked sidewalks.”
Daily commutes repeat the same streets. Sarah needs incident and route updates before she leaves, not after she is stuck.
Sarah's path through the app
Design Process
We locked name and type, then moved straight into sketches and wireframes on familiar map patterns without overpolishing any single screen too early.
Branding
Low fidelity
Mid fidelity
Mid-fidelity screens translated the core journey into a testable purple UI—onboarding through navigation, reporting, updates, and profile.
High fidelity
High-fidelity screens polished visual hierarchy, map details, and accessibility cues—the prototype we used for final presentation and usability walkthroughs.
Final Product
