Is life better when you share the ride?
Enhancing communication within the Uber app for newcomers
OVERVIEW
Background
This project aims to improve communication within the Uber app for newcomers through research-driven feature integration.
In this school project, we interviewed 14 individuals who were either traveling or new to San Francisco.
Based on our insights, we developed proposed solutions that could be seamlessly implemented. We shared our ideas with two professionals working at Uber and conducted usability testing to validate their effectiveness.
Team
My Role
2 Designers
1 Researcher
Research
Product design
Usability testing
8 weeks
Duration
SECONDARY RESEARCH INSIGHTS
Newcomers in San Francisco
10.7M people residing in California are immigrants.
1.4M of them live in San Francisco.
They make 34% of the city’s population.
Relative to U.S. born residents, a higher share (1.2x) of immigrants use car & bike-sharing services.
Esp. those who are in their first few years here.
Uber and Lyft made up of more than 150,000 intra-San Francisco trips per day in 2017.
They constitute 15% of all trips intra-city.
We mapped the entire experience of a journey to see the exact pain points they have while booking, during the ride and returning.
PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED
Through our primary and secondary research, we identified that newcomers using ride-sharing services in San Francisco encounter challenges due to their limited knowledge of the city, difficulty in communicating with drivers, and feelings of anxiety caused by unfamiliar surroundings. These conditions worsen challenges, and even minor issues result in a disempowering and frustrating experience for them.
Limited knowledge
Unfamiliarity of surroundings
Inability to communicate
OPPORTUNITY
How might we improve Uber's app experience for people in a new city?
SOLUTIONS
01
View Pick-up Spot
02
My Ride Mode
03
Heads Up - Notify
"
I go down and then book. I am sure the driver will not wait for me and cancel."
Leah - International Student
"
They often came to the opposite side of my hotel, and one day I forgot to wear my contact lenses, and I couldn't find the car."
Uihyun - Tourist, Developer
"
When I call them they don't understand me. And I can't explain where to come."
Yij Bae - Newcomer, Taekwondo instructor
01
View Pick-up Spot
Challenge
There is a need for enhanced navigation features to help riders and driver align, and reach the same pick-up point with ease. The current challenges faced by users, including unfamiliar surroundings and resulting anxiety, often lead to feelings of being lost and, in many cases, unexpected cancellations due to communication issues with the driver.
Approach
Improving guidance for people to their pick-up points, reducing anxiety from unfamiliar surroundings and language barriers. The same could also be shared with the drivers to minimize confusion.
TESTING AND ITERATIONS
Interactive map & guidance
The multiple layer options can be overwhelming especially when the driver's arrival is imminent.
Live street navigation - AR
User response was positive, but technically difficult to implement and costly to be effective.
Safely crossing the road to meet the driver
User response was positive, but it could be very risky and misleading, we can not promote jaywalking.
"
If I am in a different country and the driver speaks English, that’s a godsend."
Zaid - Tourist, ML Engineer
"
At night I feel very relaxed if the driver is female."
Serena - Newcomer, architect
"
I don’t go out at night... I keep a screwdriver in every bag, I hold on to it inside the car."
Leah - International student
02
My Ride Mode
Challenge
There is a need for a solution to specifically cater to the concerns of people in high stress situations like in new cities or at nighttime, offering reassurance and easing their worries.
Approach
Ensure a ride experience that aligns with each person's expectations of safety, providing a feeling of relief and comfort if and when required.
See who you are riding with.
Set your preferences to be met 'Always' or 'On availability' depending on their importance, to ensure your perfect ride is available on time.
Uber already has a long and confusing list of rides that people can choose. Most of our participants did not even know about options like Uber Assist, Pets, Comfort and others.
After talking to people, we realised that it might not be the best idea to add another type of ride to this already long list, rather it could be a mode where your preferences can be turned on or off.
My Uber - ride option
Why it did not work
INITIAL APPROACH
TESTING AND ITERATIONS
Will you pay and/or wait more to ensure any of these preferences while you are here?"
"
Language and rating were important for all users, while the car preferences were the lowest priority.
The ‘lock’ icon was clearer, but the dropdowns were confusing with the touch area not accessible.
Go to account settings and set your ideal preferences for MyUber. These will only be met if you choose this kind of ride, will not be applicable for others like UberX, XL etc.
"
You can't go back rightaway after the Giants game, have dinner, then call a cab in an hour."
Serena - Newcomer, architect
"
I spent about 40mins to book an Uber to go back from Pacific Beach to downtown"
Jiwon - International student
03
Heads Up Notification
Challenge
Most participants shared stories of facing difficulties when trying to book rides in busy or remote places. These areas often have unique road conditions, leading to wait times of 40-120 minutes and leaving them exposed to the cold winds of San Francisco.
Approach
By leveraging extensive data, we offer users advance notifications about potential situation in their upcoming trips, ensuring they have ample time to prepare and avoid unexpected surprises. Giving a heads up, we can invoke feelings of being cared for in people.
TESTING AND ITERATIONS
Before booking
Language and rating were important for all users, while the car preferences were the lowest priority.
While waiting
The ‘lock’ icon was clearer, but the dropdowns were confusing with the touch area not accessible.
During the ride
Go to account settings and set your ideal preferences for MyUber. These will only be met if you choose this kind of ride, will not be applicable for others like UberX, XL etc.
When should we notify people?
Our process began with the broad topic of urban mobility, and we narrowed down to ride-sharing in San Francisco. We conducted primary research on audiences we hypothesized as underserved ie people new to a city who need special considerations.
PROCESS
Research Deck
We discussed our research insights and solution ideas with industry professionals at Uber to learn from their insider knowledge and expertise. Despite maintaining an ambitious mindset that pushed the boundaries beyond current limitations at the company, their input and reasoning regarding certain decisions had a profound impact on our project. Their valuable perspectives significantly shaped our approach and enhanced the overall quality of our work.
FEEDBACK
We talked to the uber team!
Hiroshi Mendoza
Sr. Design Engineer, Uber
01
Do usability testing to figure out timing and preferences.
Talk to the 'Safety team' at Uber for the safety considerations.
02
MyUber idea works, perhaps not as another ride option.
03
Amy Bickerton
Design Manager - Safety, Privacy, Insurance at Uber
01
Pick-up spot is a real problem and our idea has landed similar to Uber's current R&D.
Consider how these services could be made accessible to people who are blind.
02
The language option could be taken even further, for e.g. in chat.
03
04
Don't direct the people to cross roads, but make the car arrive on the correct side of the road.
For business, would prefer showing the returning options after current booking.
05
Solutions need to work for everybody - the drivers, passengers and the company.
06
Usability testing and final class pesentation
Gallery
Working on this project was a deeply engaging experience as we immersed ourselves and embraced the mindset of designers and researchers within Uber's team. We passionately advocated for the users, placing their needs and experiences at the forefront of our work.
REFLECTION & NEXT STEPS
Where to, next?
To ensure sustainability, it is crucial to consider the interests of all stakeholders, including passengers, drivers, and the business itself. How can we provide exceptional services to passengers, create a positive work environment for drivers, and simultaneously fulfill the values and goals of the business?
To-scale models
We have considered newcomers but have not resolved the problems of all. For eg, how could we make ridesharing more accessible to people with hearing and visual impairments using assistive features? Research and testing is required in this area to ensure the platform can be accessed by all.
Usability testing and iterations
