Beyond Games

NavEire

Making repeat bus checks clearer when live information is unreliable.

2 min read

Role

Solo Designer · AI-assisted build

Status

Live

Tools

Design:: Figma
Build (AI-generated):: React, Node.js, SQLite, Git

View live app

Context

NavEire is a real-time public transport app for Ireland. I started it as a commuter: checking the same bus every day took more steps than it should, and I couldn't always tell whether the time on screen was still accurate. I kept it focused on quick daily checks rather than feature breadth.
How it was made: I designed the screens and flows in Figma and directed the implementation prompt by prompt. The code was AI-generated, so this is a design case, not evidence of engineering skill.

Problem

Checking the same few stops each day took more steps than it should.
The rider apps I used didn't give me a quick map view of live vehicles and departures.
Live times can go stale, and public feeds don't always agree on the same stop. The apps I used showed a single time with no sign of either.

Constraints

Designed solo, as a side project.
Had to stay inexpensive to run.
Public data feeds didn't always agree with each other on the same stops.

Design decisions

Returning commuter: starred stops and buses sit in a Star tab, so a repeat check doesn't start with a search. The tab can be closed when it isn't needed.
First use: instead of an empty list, a closable tab explains starring, so a new user knows how to get live data for the buses and stops they care about.
Unreliable information: every time is labelled as live, scheduled or cancelled, and when the live feed drops the app falls back to scheduled times. Where feeds disagree, the screen says so rather than quietly picking one, so the commuter can decide whether to leave now or allow extra time.
Trade-off: those labels add detail to a screen meant to be read at a glance. It works, but I would change it if a lighter treatment proved just as clear.

Outcome

Live progressive web app at naveire.ie, with a map view of live vehicles and departures.
A Star tab for the stops and buses a commuter checks every day, intended to make repeat checks quicker.
First-use guidance that explains starring, and a status label on every time: live, scheduled or cancelled.

Evidence and limitations

Tested informally, in real use, by me and a few friends.
Quicker repeat checks are the design intention, not a measured result.

External links

View live app

Context

NavEire is a real-time public transport app for Ireland. I started it as a commuter: checking the same bus every day took more steps than it should, and I couldn't always tell whether the time on screen was still accurate. I kept it focused on quick daily checks rather than feature breadth.

How it was made: I designed the screens and flows in Figma and directed the implementation prompt by prompt. The code was AI-generated, so this is a design case, not evidence of engineering skill.

Design decisions

Returning commuter: starred stops and buses sit in a Star tab, so a repeat check doesn't start with a search. The tab can be closed when it isn't needed.

First use: instead of an empty list, a closable tab explains starring, so a new user knows how to get live data for the buses and stops they care about.

Unreliable information: every time is labelled as live, scheduled or cancelled, and when the live feed drops the app falls back to scheduled times. Where feeds disagree, the screen says so rather than quietly picking one, so the commuter can decide whether to leave now or allow extra time.

Trade-off: those labels add detail to a screen meant to be read at a glance. It works, but I would change it if a lighter treatment proved just as clear.