Traffic jams are a common problem in many urban areas, causing frustration and wasting valuable time for commuters. The problem is mainly caused by people who drive alone, meaning there are almost as many cars as people driving to work/school. Long wait times, unpredictable delays, and the associated stress can also have negative impacts on mental health and quality of life.
Target Audience
People having on-site jobs across the city
College students
How Might We Questions
01
How might we create an app that helps reducing the number of cars on the street?
02
How might we encourage users to leave their cars at home while also incentivizing drivers to share their car with others?
User Research
43 User Surveys
14 Survey Questions
6 Interviews
43 User Surveys
14 Survey Questions
6 Interviews
93%
of people used at least once a car sharing platform and would do it again
70%
of people consider traffic jams a social responsibility
67%
of people consider car sharing moderately safe
84%
of people drive alone while going to work/college
93%
of people consider fuel prices the second problem of driving to work
81%
of people consider car sharing prices too high for using them on a daily basis
the results are based on 43 survey respondents and are aproximated to the closest whole number
Key Takeaways
01
People are already familiarized with car sharing apps and feel comfortable using those.
02
Safety measures should be a top priority.
03
One way to incentivize drivers to participate in carpooling is by sharing the cost of fuel with their passengers. By doing so, passengers can pay a lower fee compared to traditional ride-sharing options, while drivers can alleviate the burden of fuel costs.
04
Every user should have the ability to be both: driver or passenger with the same ease.
User Persona
User Stories
As a driver, I want to make money while driving, so I would feel productive while going to work.
As a passenger, I want to share a car with other people for a better price than other car sharing platforms, so I won't have to drive anymore.
Product
Solution
The proposed solution is to develop a carpooling mobile application that allows users to select either the role of a driver or a passenger. The application will facilitate ride-sharing by enabling drivers to pick up passengers along their planned route and drop them off at their desired destination. Passengers will be charged a fee equivalent to the cost of fuel, resulting in cost savings for both parties, as well as reduced traffic congestion due to fewer vehicles on the road, thus less time spent in traffic.
Visual Identity
Design
User Journey
User Flow
Wireframes
High Fidelity Design
First Contact
The user is required to create an account before being allowed to open the app for security reasons. Every user should add their ID/Passport and verify the email. There is a restriction for people under 18, and a guide for using the app is shown before confirming the registration.
Main Screen
The main screen was intended to be as simple as possible, but also nice and playful. The user has 3 screens to choose from: Chat, Search and Profile. The default screen is Search.
The main feature of the Search page is to add the details for the user's trip, independent from the role (passenger/driver).
Passenger View
The passengers are required to select a timeframe for their pick up time. They can adjust the timeframe as they wish. Based on that, more results may be shown. The number of the results updates live on the right top corner.
After selecting the timeframe, the user can view all the drivers that match the requirements and select one. The user can view all the details about the ride, the score of the driver and the price.
Driver View
The driver can select the departure time, the number of passengers allowed to book the ride and whether the passengers must have the same gender. A button for getting more information about the feature is shown next to the label.
Before posting a ride, the user should register as a driver. The registration pops-up when trying to post a ride.
Upcoming Trips
Each user, independent from the role, can view the Upcoming Trips in the Profile screen. The user can view all the details about the ride, can cancel it or contact the passenger/driver.
Ride
Drivers are able to access information about their rides and the passengers for the day on the main screen. They start a ride by clicking "Start & Share ETA." Once the button is pressed, the main screen switches from Search to Driving, allowing users to access driving-specific features.
Getting Paid
After finishing the first ride, a red dot appears over the profile icon and next to Payments and History on Profile screen. The user is informed to add bank details to receive the payments.
After finishing the ride, the driver can share more details about the ride by pressing the button "How was your ride?" on the Search screen.
Conclusion
Challenges
Project Challenges
In Romania, carpooling laws are still in a gray area, which creates challenges for designing a carpooling app. One of the main challenges is the lack of clear regulations on carpooling services. This can make it difficult for the app to ensure compliance with local laws, such as driver background checks, vehicle safety inspections, and liability insurance requirements.
Another challenge is the potential conflict with traditional taxi services. According to Romanian law, only licensed taxi drivers are allowed to transport passengers for a fee. If the app charges a fee to passengers, it could be seen as competing with licensed taxi services and therefore be subject to additional regulations or legal challenges.
Design Challenges
The biggest design challenge was to create a user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to navigate app for both drivers and passengers while not having an interactive map within the app, using third parties apps for sharing ETA and location such as: Maps or Waze.
Takeaways
01
User research is crucial: Conducting thorough research on the needs, preferences, and behaviors of potential users can help inform the design of the app and ensure that it meets their needs.
02
Focus on user experience: The app should be intuitive, easy to use, and provide a seamless user experience, from finding a ride to making payments and rating other users.
03
Emphasize the benefits: To encourage users to adopt the app, it's important to emphasize the benefits, such as reduced traffic congestion, cost savings, and environmental benefits.
04
Consider legal and regulatory issues: Carpooling laws and regulations can vary by country and region, so it's important to understand the legal considerations in the areas where the app will be used.
