Services
Research
Design Strategy
Visual Design
Prototype
Animation
Industry
Services / Public Sector Technology
Platform
Mobile App (iOS & Android)
Overview
The challenge of redesigning the RTO license application experience with one goal in mind to make it easier and more transparent for everyone involved. By speaking with real users and officers, visiting RTOs, and studying the existing systems, I found many small pain points that added up to big frustrations.
Using a user-centered approach, I designed a solution that guides applicants step-by-step and helps officers manage their work more efficiently. From booking slots to scanning tokens, every part of the process was rethought to reduce confusion and save time.
The result is a redesigned system that’s clear, practical, and works better for both citizens and RTO staff.
Problem Statement
“A system used by millions, yet difficult for most.”
Getting a driving license is an essential task, but the process is often frustrating for both applicants and RTO officers. Many users feel confused about the steps, face delays, or end up relying on agents, while officers struggle with heavy workloads and limited digital tool.
Key challenges
Unclear process and document requirements
Long queues and lack of status tracking
Manual tasks and inefficiencies for RTO staff
Low user confidence in using government platforms
Project Goals
The goal was to create a digital solution that makes the license application process easier, faster, and more transparent. The design needed to support both citizens and RTO officers, while reducing confusion and improving task management.
Project Focus Areas
Step-by-step guidance for first-time applicants.
Document upload, slot booking, and live tracking
A dashboard for officers to manage and verify applications
Reduce reliance on agents and promote digital self-service
Design Process
I wanted to understand the real-world problems citizens face at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and uncover opportunities where design could create meaningful impact.
Research
I spent time trying to understand the everyday reality of applying for a driving license in India. While the process might appear straight forward on paper just fill a form, book a slot, take the test but the actual experience, especially for first-time applicants, is often anything but simple.
My goal during this phase was to dig into both the emotional journey and the systemic pain points. To find out where people struggle, why agents are still preferred over official platforms, and what RTO officers go through behind the counters.
Secondary Research
To begin, I explored existing digital platforms like Parivahan and the mParivahan app, and studied policies, services, and workflows related to RTO functions. I also mapped the RTO service ecosystem to identify key stakeholders from driving schools and medical examiners to document verifiers, law enforcement, and government portals.
Primary Research
To deeply understand how people experience the RTO system, I conducted qualitative research through a series of in-person visits and conversations across multiple cities, including Ambala, Chandigarh, and Delhi.
To build on the secondary research, I conducted on-ground fieldwork by visiting multiple RTO offices. A total of 24 participants, including applicants and RTO staff, were interviewed using structured questionnaires. This helped gather diverse perspectives from both sides of the service. The data collected offered meaningful insights and added depth to our overall understanding of the RTO ecosystem.
Questionnaire
Have you interacted with your local RTO office for any services in the past?
How would you describe your overall experience at the RTO office?
Can you describe your experience with the agents at the RTO office?
How frequently do you visit the RTO office?
What is the primary purpose of your visits to the RTO office?
Have you encountered any problems with the RTO department? If yes, could you please specify?
How would you rate the overall service provided by the RTO, on a scale from 1 to 10?
Are you aware of the Sarathi Parivahan official RTO website?
How would you rate the Sarathi Parivahan website on a scale from 1 to 10?
Key Findings
Users
Most people visited the RTO for a driving license and were accompanied by an agent.
People felt lost and confused after reaching the RTO.
Lack of clear information about procedures, documents, and fees.
Outdated manual processes caused delays and inefficiencies.
Poor maintenance of basic facilities like cleanliness, seating, and signage.
RTO Staff
Overburdened workforce leads to slow service and increase errors.
Constant interruptions by confused visitors disrupt work.
Misinformation spreads and citizens often get cheated.
Poor data quality and lack of knowledge by applicants slow things down.
Define
After diving deep into user behavior through research, I began to identifying distinct patterns and recurring pain points. To humanize these findings and keep our design user-focused, I created personas that represent key user segments who frequently interact with the RTO system and vice versa.
User Personas (User)
User Personas (RTO Officer)
User Journey Map
Ideate
With clear insights from research and user needs, the ideation phase aimed at transforming key pain points into meaningful opportunities. We used structured brainstorming techniques like How Might We (HMW) and WIBNI to explore a wide range of possible solutions that prioritize clarity, independence, and ease of use.
How Might We
Make the application process easy to navigate for first-time users?
Reduce reliance on agents and improve self-service?
Make real-time RTO information accessible to applicants?
Reduce confusion about required documents and steps?
Enhance communication between users and RTO staff?
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Make the application process easy to navigate for first-time users?
Reduce reliance on agents and improve self-service?
Make real-time RTO information accessible to applicants?
Reduce confusion about required documents and steps?
Enhance communication between users and RTO staff?
Design
The brand was crafted to reflect clarity, progress, and public trust, balancing government authority with modern accessibility. I chose the Explorer archetype, as it represents independence, curiosity, and the confidence to move forward without relying on others.
After exploring a wide range of names, ranging from casual ((License-Pal, License-Wala) to visionary (Vaahan Vista) and functional (Samarth Seva) I finalized NDLS (National Driving License System) for its clarity, official tone, and scalability across India.
With insights from research, I began with low-fidelity wireframes to quickly map out key user flows, such as slot booking, form filling, and application tracking. These helped validate whether the proposed solutions addressed the confusion, delays, and lack of transparency users faced.
Each iteration was shaped by user feedback and data:
Confusion about steps Step-by-step guided journey
Long waiting times Real-time status updates
Lack of clarity Transparent fee breakdowns and document checks
From there, I refined the wireframes into high-fidelity mockups, focusing on clarity, accessibility, and scalability. The final designs balance a modern, intuitive interface with the authority and trust expected from government platforms.
Key Learnings
Visiting the RTOs helped me understand real user struggles like confusion, long waits and lack of clear guidance.
I learned that people rely on agents mainly because the process feels complicated, not because they cannot do it on their own.
Talking to RTO officers showed me how much workload they handle and how better tools can make their jobs easier.
The data collected gave me a clear direction and helped me make confident design decisions.
I realized how important trust and simplicity are when designing for public services.
