Bremer Strassenbahn AG (BSAG) is a public transportation company that helps people get around the city of Bremen, Germany. It has an extensive rail network covering Bremen and extending to the neighboring towns to its north, east, south and west. But BSAG didn’t just want to be at the cutting edge of rail transport, it also wanted to blaze new trails with its website. The Bremen-based i/i/d Institute of Integrated Design, a Steinbeis Transfer Center, developed a completely new website to spearhead the company’s communications, pulling together all travel information related to Bremen and making it compatible for display on mobile devices. Everything passengers need to know about trams and buses, timetables and road construction – not to mention the company, its employees, and its fleet – is presented on the attractive homepage.
BSAG currently employs a workforce of almost 2,000 and provides vocational training to 100 young people. Its 334 trams and buses travel more than 70,000km and stop at 1,400 stations as they transport the 300,000 people who use its services each day. The company’s website is visited by some 500,000 users each month; timetable information is its most popular function.
After more than ten years online, it was time to completely revamp the company’s old website and develop a new, contemporary approach. The company formed a working group, headed up and moderated by media expert Martin Ulrich. This group developed a detailed specification list to serve as a basis for requesting tenders. The i/i/d transfer center was selected for the project over two dozen well-known agencies. After the contract was awarded, i/i/d fleshed out and implemented its design for the BSAG homepage. The result is a well-structured, easy-to-navigate website that presents a vast amount of information in a logical, multilevel structure. Up-to-date information can easily be found at a glance (information on timetables, specific lines and delays), while a click on each item of information takes the user to the next level for more details. The site is color-coded to help users navigate through the main pages and subpages of the different categories, making it easier to find information quickly. The homepage is available in German and English, designed with accessibility in mind, and optimized for mobile access from all devices.
The images on the site appeal to users’ emotions – authentic photos of passengers in everyday situations that users can relate to, paired with statements such as “For exploring your world” or “For cost cutters and tree huggers.” The pictures reinforce BSAG’s image as a modern company serving all residents of Bremen. And visitors can also find out more about the BSAG employees who keep things running smoothly, day in and day out: Drivers, mechatronic technicians, and executives talk about their jobs at BSAG in short video portraits made by young filmmakers. An accessible company that shows how much it values its employees.
The new Bremer Strassenbahn AG website not only strengthens the BSAG brand, but also helps Bremen residents identify with their local transportation company, and its employees with their company. A strong team that keeps Bremen on the move!
Prof. Detlef Rahe
Steinbeis Transfer Center i/i/d Institute of Integrated Design (Bremen)
su0417@stw.de