First Rail Apps

FirstGroup operates five distinct train operating companies (TOCs), each with legacy tech stacks and disjointed user experiences. Developing five separate native apps was inefficient and costly. The business needed a unified framework to deploy features rapidly across all brands (iOS & Android) without sacrificing individual brand identity.

I worked as a UI Systems Designer, focusing on modularity and scalability.

• Built the Component Library: Designed a "Master" component set (Forms, Search, Booking Flows) that could be themed instantly for any of the 5 brands.
• Standardized Interaction Patterns and defined consistent behaviors for complex flows.
• Enabled Modular Development: Collaborated with engineers to implement a multiplatform approach for rapid feature rollout

Reduced Design Debt: New features could be rolled out to 5 apps in the time it previously took to update one.

• Consistent Experience: Achieved UI parity across the entire FirstGroup portfolio.
• Achieved 4.5★ rating across five apps, 35% revenue growth in a single year, 1+ million app downloads

When Avanti West Coast took over the West Coast Mainline (replacing Virgin Trains), they had a strict deadline to launch a new app that felt "premium" and distinct from day one. The challenge was to break away from the generic utility feel of standard rail apps and deliver a "slick," high-quality digital product that reflected the new fleet's modern branding.

• I served as the Lead UI Designer, tasked with pushing the visual fidelity.
• Designed for Speed & Impact: created high-fidelity interfaces under a compressed timeline to ensure the app was ready for the franchise launch.
• Elevated the Brand: Applied a "Consumer-First" visual style, that felt like modern travel app (e.g., Airbnb/Uber) rather than legacy rail design.
• Refined Micro-Interactions: Focused on smooth transitions during real-time journey updates to build user trust.

• 4.8 App Store Rating: one of the highest-rated rail apps in the UK market upon launch.
• 500k+ Active Users: successfully migrated a massive user base to the new platform with minimal friction.