Case Study
Designing transit for
everyone
in El Salvador
How accessibility thinking shaped a public transportation app for a country where none existed.
El Salvador had no transit apps. I designed Ruta SV, an accessible solution that puts riders first.
0
transit apps for El Salvador
Cash
only payment accepted
?
routes known only by asking strangers
My Role
Product Designer
End-to-end ownership from research through high-fidelity UI.
Research
4 user interviews, contextual observation, 28 survey responses
Analysis
Competitive analysis of transit apps in similar markets
Design
Complete design system, screen specifications, and user flows
Accessibility
WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, screen reader optimization
Who I Designed For
Three personas, three perspectives
María
Daily Commuter, 34
Takes multiple buses to work. Values speed and reliability. Frustrated by payment friction and transfer uncertainty.
Roberto
Occasional Traveler, 67
Uses transit for medical appointments. Limited smartphone experience. Needs simple, forgiving interface with large touch targets.
Ana
Accessibility Advocate, 28
Screen reader user. Tech-savvy but excluded by poorly designed apps. Needs full VoiceOver support and logical navigation order.
Design Principles
Three principles guided every decision
Accessibility
Design for constraints, benefit everyone
Local Context
Landmarks, language, mental models
Progressive Complexity
Simple start, depth when needed
The Complete Experience
One seamless journey.
Home
Route Detail
Search Results
Alerts
Purchase
My Tickets
QR Ticket
Live trip
Design System
Built for accessibility from the ground up
Salvadoran Blue palette
Primary colors drawn from the national flag. All combinations meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast requirements (4.5:1 minimum).
Aa
Headlines
Body text at 17sp
Captions at 13sp minimum
Universal scaling with Albert Sans
Albert Sans ensures high legibility and consistent scaling across all platforms, supporting dynamic type from 85% to 200%.
48dp minimum touch targets
Every interactive element exceeds accessibility guidelines. Consistent 12dp corner radius throughout.
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