The document discusses the creation of useful applications using open data, highlighting the experience of developing a streetcar tracking app in Toronto. It emphasizes the importance of curiosity and understanding user behavior in app development, along with the challenges and solutions encountered during the process. The app aims to enhance the transit experience by providing real-time streetcar arrival information to users.

1. MAKING USEFUL APPS
WITH OPEN DATA
Adam Schwabe

2. Amazing
MAKING USEFUL APPS
WITH OPEN DATA
Adam Schwabe

3. INSPIRATION & OBSERVATION
Never stop paying attention

4. “THERE ARE GREAT REWARDS IN GIVING IN TO
CURIOSITY ABOUT BEHAVIOR.”
— Jane Fulton Suri

17. WHERE THE HELL IS MY STREETCAR?

19. CREATING THE APP
Otherwise known as ‘the fun part’

20. SOLVE ONE PROBLEM

26. ROW
O C
ALL ORMAN
PER
F C
000
e
pag
,
day
dnes , s.ca
We ary o new
u
Jan .metr
ww
w orth
sw
TM
Newring.
sha
e, s my
ud re’
O
ONT
D e
h tcar?
w ee ome
tr
nt rs c his
sista ope
s
s
in.
As d evel ne say can
rita are O it
B s s o w ology tem as
at a hn sys ars
r th tion tec ssion’s streetc s ar
e
s fo ma i per these
app r mm slow lo e
re’s TC info nsit co iously eve t
n d o crea we’re
The th T a r atio es t , so
i n tr noto plic n e
ut w ter tha city’s
C
“Ap best o the TT anyon ance
o et e an e t
th s, no eneve to enr h
is b k all th
c
ars
eetc
s str app py wh thing ce.”
ac y’ be en
tr that
the cit y has
unit rt- hap s some perien focu
s
doe TTC ex RAD ROSS
et m a e
secr com ping sm ieve ar et- a rrowolve
no tech evelo le bel t-stre ry n to s
theSPOKESMAN
B
It’s low. to’s d p x a ve g hat
I
b e s t Toron mark e peo wn ne TTC
has n tryin t app t feed
t it tha
Bu ff the at som TC’s o a ir s ta
9 by n th ather o the f pen da abe, .
ko s th eT ps i s
quic ne app d of th dD
ec. 2 or e
r o
C ap rpose, . It’s al city’s id Sch treetca
TT pu
w r
a f lem ses the on,” sa ueen s er who
pho ets ahe ools. unche st app hen th op. and y prob at u i
t a
stre rrival adar, l the late users w their st gle icat eQ
ever w of th al appl r on th re deve pp, Wh of
lop ere
ca ocr-a ket R e is lls ive at
te rr in ,
a s re o actic la ftwa his a d
b
R Schwa uickly ill a kn pr gu so n
with you a a re ed e ki
m at q sw app e ll in a ho is new, a launch was th
Ada nes th reetcar ng the d wher tcar wi r- w s Ag car
27, me i t ,200
i
iPho t few st launch will fin t stree n the c
o g use e. ut 1
x Ja e Kin r, beca ight us as abo e or
nex Just by Radar the ne nd eve s th tca m th or
“ t a car- ride y Stree red he tober, i by “m ter. It
Ro cke when t stop abe. n ext- Is M ig u c
O essib le pu route
s
tap, tell you e close d Schw its own nsmit he f d in c com e to
nd at th n,” sai ched rs tra nd tool aunche nd is ac one or long th r them
a e n e a w L s a art ph s are a take fo
v o d
arri directi has lau lets ri lphone m kno wer ar
t e follo any sme the c oing to .
rect he TTC em tha via cel ting th
GES
IM A
ucts GET
TY s” er
les s wh ng it’ ar s g stop
y T st mber let .
/
ond
RFF
ntor
al sy tter l
SCA
ss he c
OLI
age e
rriv stop nu t mess are du p is be er post -
ed map how lo articu
a
mas .
a nd at a p SERVICE
ve
r x s p b n a
f lla thei ive a te ext car ys his a e num n any i ve
n in
S
te o sterda
y i arri TAR NEW
o
es n ke ye rece n the n abe sa need th to key d out RS
omak e w t
wh ut Sch u don’ r need n to f in TO
eye
ta
Ryan l stock B e yo o io ing. of
n
gela annua tops locat crop
e
e ca ngs
s
ecaueetcar s your are comurrent
clos
r An ’s b
ke epe n Zoo r on s c
p
Zoo Londo at st ation ext car an the
sa ct tany thi girl
ZSL m he n nt th
for n t
eep
the ere
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whe It’s diff
k udg
ma
s “
inet do g gettinhoGorl
Lla ade b by
and
f e re d
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ab
TM
ing
g
ey
e Bank
pag Onli
ne
RBC
n c ada.

27. ROW
O C
ALL ORMAN
PER
F C
000
e
pag
,
day
dnes , s.ca
We ary o new
u
Jan .metr
ww
w orth
sw
TM
Newring.
sha
e, s my
ud re’
O
ONT
D e
h tcar?
w ee ome
tr
nt rs c his
sista ope
s
s
in.
As d evel ne say can
rita are O it
B s s o w ology tem as
at a hn sys ars
r th tion tec ssion’s streetc s ar
e
s fo ma i per these
app r mm slow lo e
re’s TC info nsit co iously eve t
n d o crea we’re
The th T a r atio es t , so
i n tr noto plic n e
ut w ter tha city’s
C
“Ap best o the TT anyon ance
o et e an e t
th s, no eneve to enr h
is b k all th
c
ars
eetc
s str app py wh thing ce.”
ac y’ be en
tr that
the cit y has
unit rt- hap s some perien focu
s
doe TTC ex RAD ROSS
et m a e
secr com ping sm ieve ar et- a rrowolve
no tech evelo le bel t-stre ry n to s
theSPOKESMAN
B
It’s low. to’s d p x a ve g hat
I
b e s t Toron mark e peo wn ne TTC
has n tryin t app t feed
t it tha
Bu ff the at som TC’s o a ir s ta
9 by n th ather o the f pen da abe, .
ko s th eT ps i s
quic ne app d of th dD
ec. 2 or e
r o
C ap rpose, . It’s al city’s id Sch treetca
TT pu
w r
a f lem ses the on,” sa ueen s er who
pho ets ahe ools. unche st app hen th op. and y prob at u i
t a
stre rrival adar, l the late users w their st gle icat eQ
ever w of th al appl r on th re deve pp, Wh of
lop ere
ca ocr-a ket R e is lls ive at
te rr in ,
a s re o actic la ftwa his a d
b
R Schwa uickly ill a kn pr gu so n
with you a a re ed e ki
m at q sw app e ll in a ho is new, a launch was th
Ada nes th reetcar ng the d wher tcar wi r- w s Ag car
27, me i t ,200
i
iPho t few st launch will fin t stree n the c
o g use e. ut 1
x Ja e Kin r, beca ight us as abo e or
nex Just by Radar the ne nd eve s th tca m th or
“ t a car- ride y Stree red he tober, i by “m ter. It
Ro cke when t stop abe. n ext- Is M ig u c
O essib le pu route
s
tap, tell you e close d Schw its own nsmit he f d in c com e to
nd at th n,” sai ched rs tra nd tool aunche nd is ac one or long th r them
a e n e a w L s a art ph s are a take fo
v o d
arri directi has lau lets ri lphone m kno wer ar
t e follo any sme the c oing to .
rect he TTC em tha via cel ting th
GES
IM A
ucts GET
TY s” er
les s wh ng it’ ar s g stop
y T st mber let .
/
ond
RFF
ntor
al sy tter l
SCA
ss he c
OLI
age e
rriv stop nu t mess are du p is be er post -
ed map how lo articu
a
mas .
a nd at a p SERVICE
ve
r x s p b n a
f lla thei ive a te ext car ys his a e num n any i ve
n in
S
te o sterda
y i arri TAR NEW
o
es n ke ye rece n the n abe sa need th to key d out RS
omak e w t
wh ut Sch u don’ r need n to f in TO
eye
ta
Ryan l stock B e yo o io ing. of
n
gela annua tops locat crop
e
e ca ngs
s
ecaueetcar s your are comurrent
clos
r An ’s b
ke epe n Zoo r on s c
p
Zoo Londo at st ation ext car an the
sa ct tany thi girl
ZSL m he n nt th
for n t
eep
the ere
Du ma et.
whe It’s diff
k udg
ma
s “
inet do g gettinhoGorl
Lla ade b by
and
f e re d
is of
ab
TM
ing
g
ey
e Bank
pag Onli
ne
RBC
n c ada.

28. ROW
O C
ALL ORMAN
PER
F C
000
e
pag
,
day
dnes , s.ca
We ary o new
u
Jan .metr
ww
w orth
sw
TM
Newring.
sha
e, s my
ud re’
O
ONT
D e
h tcar?
w ee ome
tr
nt rs c his
sista ope
s
s
in.
As d evel ne say can
rita are O it
B s s o w ology tem as
at a hn sys ars
r th tion tec ssion’s streetc s ar
e
s fo ma i per these
app r mm slow lo e
re’s TC info nsit co iously eve t
n d o crea we’re
The th T a r atio es t , so
i n tr noto plic n e
ut w ter tha city’s
C
“Ap best o the TT anyon ance
o et e an e t
th s, no eneve to enr h
is b k all th
c
ars
eetc
s str app py wh thing ce.”
ac y’ be en
tr that
the cit y has
unit rt- hap s some perien focu
s
doe TTC ex RAD ROSS
et m a e
secr com ping sm ieve ar et- a rrowolve
no tech evelo le bel t-stre ry n to s
theSPOKESMAN
B
It’s low. to’s d p x a ve g hat
I
b e s t Toron mark e peo wn ne TTC
has n tryin t app t feed
t it tha
Bu ff the at som TC’s o a ir s ta
9 by n th ather o the f pen da abe, .
ko s th eT ps i s
quic ne app d of th dD
ec. 2 or e
r o
C ap rpose, . It’s al city’s id Sch treetca
TT pu
w r
a f lem ses the on,” sa ueen s er who
pho ets ahe ools. unche st app hen th op. and y prob at u i
t a
stre rrival adar, l the late users w their st gle icat eQ
ever w of th al appl r on th re deve pp, Wh of
lop ere
ca ocr-a ket R e is lls ive at
te rr in ,
a s re o actic la ftwa his a d
b
R Schwa uickly ill a kn pr gu so n
with you a a re ed e ki
m at q sw app e ll in a ho is new, a launch was th
Ada nes th reetcar ng the d wher tcar wi r- w s Ag car
27, me i t ,200
i
iPho t few st launch will fin t stree n the c
o g use e. ut 1
x Ja e Kin r, beca ight us as abo e or
nex Just by Radar the ne nd eve s th tca m th or
“ t a car- ride y Stree red he tober, i by “m ter. It
Ro cke when t stop abe. n ext- Is M ig u c
O essib le pu route
s
tap, tell you e close d Schw its own nsmit he f d in c com e to
nd at th n,” sai ched rs tra nd tool aunche nd is ac one or long th r them
a e n e a w L s a art ph s are a take fo
v o d
arri directi has lau lets ri lphone m kno wer ar
t e follo any sme the c oing to .
rect he TTC em tha via cel ting th
GES
IM A
ucts GET
TY s” er
les s wh ng it’ ar s g stop
y T st mber let .
/
ond
RFF
ntor
al sy tter l
SCA
ss he c
OLI
age e
rriv stop nu t mess are du p is be er post -
ed map how lo articu
a
mas .
a nd at a p SERVICE
ve
r x s p b n a
f lla thei ive a te ext car ys his a e num n any i ve
n in
S
te o sterda
y i arri TAR NEW
o
es n ke ye rece n the n abe sa need th to key d out RS
omak e w t
wh ut Sch u don’ r need n to f in TO
eye
ta
Ryan l stock B e yo o io ing. of
n
gela annua tops locat crop
e
e ca ngs
s
ecaueetcar s your are comurrent
clos
r An ’s b
ke epe n Zoo r on s c
p
Zoo Londo at st ation ext car an the
sa ct tany thi girl
ZSL m he n nt th
for n t
eep
the ere
Du ma et.
whe It’s diff
k udg
ma
s “
inet do g gettinhoGorl
Lla ade b by
and
f e re d
is of
ab
TM
ing
g
ey
e Bank
pag Onli
ne
RBC
n c ada.

29. “WE BOTH LET OUT A GIANT CHEER, LIKE WE
SAW THE FIRST SPACE SHUTTLE EVER BLAST
INTO ORBIT. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST
AMAZING MOMENTS OF MY LIFE.”
— John Downs

30. MAKING IT WORK
‘The tough part’

33. QUEEN STREET WEST AT STRACHAN AVENUE
STRACHAN

34. APR
6

35. “ACHIEVING PRODUCT/MARKET FIT REQUIRES
AT LEAST 40% OF USERS SAYING THEY
WOULD BE ‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’ WITHOUT
YOUR PRODUCT.”
— Sean Ellis

39. Rocket Radar
IMPROVES THE TRANSIT EXPERIENCE

40. 1
We screwed up.

41. 1 2
We screwed up. Suck it up.

42. VISUAL DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Jason Sao Bento Mohammad Kurabi
Jeremy Koch

43. Want more design bits?
TEEHANLAX.COM/BLOG/OPENDATA

44. Adam Schwabe
@ADAMSCHWABE
HELLO@ADAMSCHWABE.COM