Exploring User Experience: Evaluation of IRCTC Website And Application

By Sahil Rajpal

Introduction

IRCTC, short for the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, serves as a widely utilized online platform for ticket bookings in India. This platform has significantly streamlined the ticket booking process, saving users the hassle of visiting railway stations. The online reservation system allows users to check train availability, book tickets, and even cancel or modify bookings. IRCTC, provides operations in tourism, railway, and catering, plays a crucial role in the Indian community. Its website and mobile application offer users a convenient means to access of these services. I have assessed the IRCTC website and app using Nielsen's heuristics. I will uncover major issues that are based on Nilsen’s criteria that will provide the valuable insights to improve the user interface and overall usability. This analysis will enable us to identify the areas that need enhancement that will make IRCTC website and application more efficient and user-friendly. This blog post will highlight the issues of utmost severity that are violating heuristics and offer recommendations to address these problems.

Details of Software Used

IRCTC provides all the facilities of ticket booking on both mobile and website. These include cancellation of tickets, catering and food services, check PNR status and even one can book the retiring room as well as travel insurance which can be done through various online payment options.                          

Fig 1.Shows Homepage of IRCTC

 

Usability Issues & Improvements

I. Insufficient Details Provided!

Issue: Incomplete information for waitlisted categories poses challenges for new and regular users, requiring them to rely to third-party websites for access to complete booking. This reliance on external sources can result in confusion. Some of the short forms used by IRCTC include GNWL (General Waiting List), RLWL (Remote Location Waiting List), PQWL (Pooled Quota Waiting List), RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation), RLGN (Remote Location General Waiting List), RSWL (Roadside Station Waiting List), RQWL (Request Waiting List), and CKWL or Tatkal waiting list.

Fig 2. Depicts Insufficient Details

Heuristics Violated & Severity: According to Nielsen Heuristics, the incomplete information about waitlisted categories presented in short forms violates the principle of Help and Documentation. This heuristic emphasizes the importance of providing users with proper help that is task-focused and time-efficient. It will help new user’s as well as returning users.

This is the major problem which needs to be addressed as soon as possible so I will assign it mean score of 3 on Heuristics Severity scale as there is incomplete information for waitlisted categories which hampers the users and reduces their efficiency.

Suggested Improvements: IRCTC should provide help and documentation for various categories as this will make the task for ticket much more convenient for the user or link can be provided to access information about the short forms on new page. This method will make it easier for users to understand different waitlisted categories and improve their user experience of booking ticket which will also broaden the base for returning users who might prefer offline booking because of incomplete information.

II. Last Transaction Detail Lacks Consistency! (No Print and Email Option)

Issue: The absence of options to email or print a ticket when accessed from the last transaction on the homepage is major wastage of time. The user is required to take additional steps by navigating to the "Booking History" within the "My Account" section to send or print a ticket. This extra process diminishes user efficiency and introduces inconsistency in the system.

Fig 3. Lacks consistency in Last Transactions.

Heuristics Violated & Severity: According to Nielsen Heuristics, the heuristic which violated here is related to Maintain Consistency and Adhere to Standards. Consistency across each page is emphasized to minimize user frustration and confusion.

This is problem of high priority so I will assign it the mean score of 3 based on Heuristic Severity scale as there is inconsistency on last transaction detail which reduces the user experience.

Suggested Improvements: This issue can be addressed by integrating all the features available in the booked ticket history into the last transaction details. This new feature would establish a consistent user experience, enabling users to access essential functions without the requirement to switch to the "My Account" section.

III. Crucial Information is Positioned at the Bottom and Appears too Small.

Issue: The highlighted issue in the figure below refers to the small size of the text located at the bottom of the page, which can easily be overlooked by the user. Additionally, there is limited information provided for the text which restricts the user to interact with it effectively.

Fig 4 . Shows small text in bottom of page.

Heuristics Violated & Severity: According to Nielsen Heuristics, the violation pertains to the principles of User Control and Freedom, as well as Visibility of System Status. Users wants the information in a more prominent size and visible area. They should also have the freedom to interact with the text to access a more detailed version. The absence of additional link on text restricts user control and freedom.

This problem can be barrier for some users as it may lead to misinformation which results in poor user experience. Therefore, I will assign this problem the mean score of 4 based on Heuristic Severity scale as it could have adverse consequences if information is missed by potential users.

Suggested Improvements: To resolve this issue, make information readily available in easily accessible areas of the website. Increase the text size for improved readability and include hyperlinks within the content to provide additional information when needed.

IV. Complicated Layout and Navigation Problem.

Issue: The page currently has three navigation bars, causing confusion and making it difficult for users to interact. To streamline and improve user-friendliness, consider eliminating one of the bars, as both the upper and left bars can effectively handle functions like moving to the next or previous day and sorting trains. This change will result in a less cluttered design and a more straightforward user experience.

Fig 5. Shows Complex Layout

Heuristics Violated & Severity: According to Nielsen Heuristics, the violation pertains to the principles of Visibility of System status and Aesthetic and Minimalistic Design.

Three navigation panes on a single page can cause user confusion, leading to wasted time as users navigate between them. Therefore, I assign it a mean score of 3 based on Heuristic Severity Scale, indicating the urgency to address this issue promptly.

Suggested Improvements: Improving website user-friendliness involves simplifying choices for users. Consider removing one of the top second navigation bars, as it duplicates information from the upper and left navigation bars. This adjustment can enhance accessibility and reduce clutter on the website.

V. IRCTC Application Lacks the Option to Rebook Ticket from Failed Transactions!

Issue: The problem depicted in the figure below concerns the failed transactions history, where there is no option to rebook a ticket due to which, users are compelled to repeat all the steps from the beginning.

                                               

Fig 6. No option for rebook or delete.

Heuristics Violated & Severity: This violates the principle of User Control and Freedom, impacting user flexibility and the ability to navigate as the user desires. It restricts the freedom of user by not providing the option of booking again from failed transactions.

This is severe problem which require immediate attention as providing greater control to delete and rebook ticket enhances user efficiency and experience so I will give this problem the mean score of 4 based on Heuristic Severity Scale.

Suggested Improvements: Users should have the flexibility to either rebook or delete a ticket from their failed booking history. This empowers them to efficiently rebook a ticket with the same details or clear the history, contributing to a more user-friendly experience.

VI. IRCTC Application Home Page filled with different Colors and varying Text Width!

Issue: The issue in IRCTC mobile application home page is due to color usage as well as lack consistent color balance and because of varying text width of icons can be distracting which displays the homepage confusing and inconsistent.

                                                  

Fig 7. Shows varying text width and different colors.

Heuristics Violated & Severity: It violates Aesthetic and Minimalistic Design which make it more convenient for user to access the information and visually all icons should be easily accessible by the users.

Mobile responsiveness issues arise, especially on smaller screens, leading to cluttered icons that may cause users to click on the wrong ones unintentionally. This results in frustration, so I will rate this issue the mean score of 3 based on Heuristic Severity Scale.

Suggested Improvements: Balancing color choices with text is crucial for improving the visual appeal of the application and achieving a polished appearance.

Conclusions

The heuristic evaluation that I conducted highlighted critical issues that require immediate attention to enhance user engagement on the IRCTC website and application. Major problems, such as missing information and cluttered navigation, were identified. Implementing features like help, maintaining uniform text formatting, and using larger, noticeable text are crucial steps. Given that IRCTC is the official website for booking railway tickets in India, addressing these issues promptly is essential. Thorough usability investigations and user-centric solutions can prioritize and resolve the most critical issues, ultimately making the platform more user-friendly and effective.

Acknowledgements

Grammarly was used to correct grammar, ensuring accuracy and clarity in describing usability issues on the IRCTC website. The collaborative effort between the author and Grammarly aimed to enhance the overall quality of the content and address potential language-related concerns.

References

[1] 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/

[2] IRCTC website at https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search

[3] Heuristic Severity Scale, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-to-rate-the-severity-of-usability-problems/

[4] Improved English with the help of Grammarly, https://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check