Despite the imperfections of the public transportation system in Jakarta, my hometown, I still consider it to be one of the best and most connected transportation systems compared to any city.
Especially when we take into account that Jakarta’s daily public transport in 2025, combining Transjakarta, KRL, MRT, and LRT, easily serves between 3.25 to 3.3 million seats with usage hovering around 2.3 to 2.6 million passengers daily in the city proper and its surrounding metropolitan area.
Daily.
I won’t delve too deeply into this subject, because I want to highlight a specific experience I’m having with topping up my payment card with Transjakarta. Upon arriving at the automatic terminal (which allows me to enter the station just by scanning my card on a standalone card reader), I’ve come to realize that my credit has depleted since the gate won’t move. Then I noticed a small screen next to the card reader that tells me that my credit has run out.
Next is where the magic happens.
Just a couple steps behind the gate, there’s an automated kiosk with a large display that allows me to ‘top-up’ my card on my own. There is clear instruction to insert my card into the card reader, tap on a button on the display to choose payment method, and then decide between paying with a paper bill or QRIS.
I wish more businesses and public services could make use of the delightful experience of paying with QRIS. I just need to select the payment amount, open my payment app (GoPay if you’d like to know), scan the QR code displayed on the screen, and that’s it!
Before I realized it, the entire transaction process from beginning to end was completed in just under a minute. And I feel like a genius doing it.
Then it hits me like a brick.
Design, especially user experience design, is all about chasing a feeling. It is designing an experience of using a product that brings you joy, simply because you’re being able to accomplish something with it. In my case, I find joy in being able to top-up my card in less than a minute. Also the sense of pride that comes from witnessing a stranger’s awe when he watches the whole ordeal take place in front of him.
People thrive on being liked. The key to creating a successful product is to design something that brings joy and pride to the people who use it. When our needs are met, we experience joy. And appearing smart while doing it is what makes us proud.
Joy and pride.