Lead Product Designer
6 months (Sep 22-March 23)
Lead design team of 2, product strategy, research, IXD, visual design, usability test
Apart from cities with robust public transportation like New York, Chicago, and Boston, residents elsewhere face limited nighttime mobility options. The sprawling urban planning in most U.S. cities renders designated driver services impractical, while ride-share companies' exploitative pricing models compel those unwilling to pay exorbitant fares to risk DUI charges. Simultaneously, ride-share firms often forgo essential safety measures like in-vehicle journey recording. Consequently, there is a growing demand among young people for a modern, safe, and affordable nightlife transportation solution.
Individual nighttime travel may seek solitude, reflection or personal enjoyment. For couples, it accentuates romance, intimacy and shared moments. Group nighttime outings are often social affairs - celebrating, partying or engaging in collective activities. Each scenario demands a tailored travel experience to meet distinct needs and expectations.
During booking, passengers can view available vehicles, routes, and quotes - whether preferring a direct point-to-point ride or making multiple stops to pick up friends for a shared journey.
Access Trip Tracking Effortlessly
Easily monitor your journey via the pass screen
Get essential details for your next stop:
Bar name
Address
Arrival time
Track the progress of your entire night out in real time
Reimagine the night-going experience by seamlessly integrating consumption habits into existing transportation modes. This approach enhances cost-effectiveness and practicality for users while benefiting operators of established modes. It creates an economically sustainable solution without requiring new vehicles or infrastructure investments.
Beyond just transportation, Night wheel offers various themed travel routes, allowing passengers to explore the city's vibrant nightlife scene while enjoying a personalized experience. Passengers can reserve their preferred spots based on their preferences, ensuring a tailored and memorable night out.
To comply with local regulations prohibiting drivers from selling alcohol, Party Bus offers a convenient in-app ordering system. Users can access the ordering interface through their digital pass and select available delivery points along their route. This ensures swift and compliant order fulfillment, even while in motion.
Night goers have several options for safe transportation. They can designate a sober driver for a cost-effective choice, use ride-shares for convenience, or opt for a limo or party bus for luxury. Each option allows individuals to choose based on budget, group size, and preferences.
Pros:
- Safety
- Peace of Mind
- Economic Savings
- Flexibility
Cons:
- Limited Enjoyment
- Social Pressure
- Logistical Challenges
- Risk of Peer Pressure
Pros:
- Convenience
- Accessibility
- Cost Transparency
- Rating Systems
Cons:
- Surge Pricing
- Dependence on Internet Connection
- Safety Concerns
- Limited Service Areas
Pros:
- Luxury and Comfort
- Group Travel
- Arrival in Style
- Professional Drivers
Cons:
- Cost
- Availability
- Limited Stops
- Dependency on the Driver
By gathering insights directly from passengers who have experienced these options, we can identify common pain points, assess satisfaction levels, and understand specific needs and expectations. This consolidated feedback serves as valuable data for making informed decisions about which mode of transportation holds the most potential for improvement.
Preliminary Research : Persona
Striking the Balance: How Cost, Safety, and Comfort Impact
Passengers' Nighttime Travel Decisions
We conducted open-ended interviews with five participants who have prior experience with designated drivers, ride-share apps, and limo/party bus services.
From Passenger Preferences to Driver Insights: Unlocking the
Potential of Party Buses
Through the analysis of consumer perspectives on designated drivers, share rides, and party buses, it becomes evident that party buses hold the greatest potential for upgrades in the nighttime transportation sector. The unique blend of socialization, entertainment, and transportation offered by party buses presents a promising opportunity to revolutionize the nighttime travel experience.
To fully unlock this potential and design effective solutions, it is crucial to understand the perspectives of party bus drivers and owners.
Consolidating the Party Bus Owners/Drivers ：The existing
operational framework and revenue streams
User interviews revealed that while passengers enjoyed their party bus experiences, they voiced concerns about the intricacies of booking and the opacity of pricing, particularly in comparison to rides taken years prior. To fully comprehend the current party bus industry landscape, it is essential to investigate the operational challenges faced by owners and drivers, as well as to personally navigate the user journey of the reservation process.
To gain insights into the limitations of the current party bus operational model and the impact of societal changes on the industry, we conducted interviews with eight party bus operators from six different cities. Additionally, we went through the entire process of inquiry to reservation with two specific agencies.
Userflow
A streamlined booking process, transparent pricing, and diverse
travel options
We crafted a user journey based on the collected insights to analyze pain points and design opportunities within the current user experience. See the full case study here.
We recognize that the utmost concerns for consumers/riders are the transparency of trip expenses and the ease of booking a ride. Focusing on these two aspects in the workflow, we placed a strong emphasis on a transparent and simplified reservation process, along with versatile ride-request modes applicable to various scenarios and group sizes.
Value Proposition
Affordable, social party buses, offering an alternative to pricey
rideshares and reducing DUI risks
The Party Bus Share Ride App revolutionizes group travel by creating a mobile public space, prioritizing safety over individual trips. This shared environment not only offers an entertaining experience but also enhances security through collective responsibility. With streamlined reservations and mileage-based cost-splitting, the app ensures an accessible, safe, and enjoyable communal journey, making it the go-to choice for those seeking a balance of fun and peace of mind during their travels.
To identify the impact of the new workflow on users' nighttime travel experiences, I opted to construct a storyboard using the 'single trip' travel mode. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of user needs by observing the storyboard. It serves as a valuable tool for providing constructive feedback and insights that contribute to refining the solution.
. . .
DESIGN
Innovative Feature Design
Automated and Connected Operation: Board anytime, anywhere
Integration of party bus with automated and connected shuttle operations to establish a dynamic network based on party buses. Services are categorized into fixed and flexible pickup modes, each associated with different fare structures. Passengers can view trip estimates when booking, scan QR codes for boarding, and pay based on the actual distance traveled if it exceeds the planned distance upon QR code exit.
Information Architecture
Transforming Travel Dynamics: Instant Bookings, Custom Routes, and
Effortless Interactions
Our design revolves around seamless user experiences for various travel modes. Users can instantly book rides for both station-based and station-free options, enhancing flexibility. Additionally, the architecture supports distinctive pre-scheduled routes, ensuring a tailored and efficient travel experience. The interface prioritizes intuitive interactions, QR code-based boarding, and real-time tracking, contributing to a user-centric journey from reservation to arrival
Paper Wireframes were designed to envision a rough walkthrough of the main user flow. After reviewed the paper wireframes, any issues identified during this period will be addressed and improved upon when creating the digital wireframes. For instance, we realized we had not considered the change in status of a user's boarding pass before and after boarding, and we had omitted the confirmation screen for booking a party bus. we added relevant frames for the user flow in the digital wireframes when utilizing the 'nearby stop' feature.
In constructing the Key Path Scenario, we deliberately incorporated multiple destinations to simulate the complexity of involving second or more passengers with multiple stops. Recognizing the inherent challenges in such scenarios, this approach allowed me to identify potential points of friction or errors within the user journey. By navigating through these intricate paths, we gained valuable insights into the intricacies of coordinating multiple passengers and stops, enabling targeted enhancements to mitigate any potential issues and ensure a seamless user experience even in more complex travel scenarios.
After examining the Key Path Scenario, we discovered that the number of destinations is integral to the purpose of travel. Therefore, we believe it's more appropriate to categorize order types based on travel attributes. Users should confirm the order type and then decide on details such as the number of destinations and pick-up requirements. In the low-fi prototype, we redesigned the user flow for four order types: round trip, single trip, instant ride, and theme route.
After creating our prototype from digital wireframes, our team conducted user testing with five participants. We asked participants to run through different tasks in our prototype to gather enough feedback for our next set of design iterations.
To see the complete Usability Study and Analysis, view my Process Deck.
The user believes that "single trip" and "destination" are travel methods, while "special route" is an experience. These two should not be grouped together as it may cause confusion.
The user also pointed out that there are duplicates in language selection, such as "insta ride" and "pick me up" having the same function. Therefore, a redesign of travel method selection and service categorization has been done based on the above analysis.
The user suggests it would be more convenient to make station selection immediately after inputting each address to better understand the distance relationship between oneself and different destinations.
The user believes that the number of passengers and the number of stops are not directly related. Therefore, the function of sending temporary passes to friends should be removed, and instead, the initiator of the activity should be responsible for scanning the codes. This way, all the setting options will revolve around the travel method only.
The user pointed out that during user testing, they encountered the issue of not being able to return to the travel tracking interface at any time, which is a serious design flaw.
The travel tracking interface should be accessible from the "PASS" interface, as it provides important functionalities and services to assist with the current travel.
After updating the workflow, the high-fidelity prototype's usability focused on the compatibility between sub-functions and main features, as well as whether it enhanced the existing user experience. Our team conducted user testing with five participants, prompting them to perform various tasks in our prototype to collect sufficient feedback for our final design iteration.
To see the complete Usability Study and Analysis, view my Process Deck.
Further, simplify the options for the user flow and use more precise wording. In terms of visual design, change the originally hard-to-read white font, increase contrast, and harmonize font sizes.
Cancel the "Nearby Station" button, as there are already redundant options in the previous frame. Use an icon instead of the button option to further simplify the available choices on the interface and reduce the possibility of user confusion.
Redesign the food delivery interface with the same design language as the location tracking feature to maintain consistency in overall design, while offering a location-centered shopping experience.
Design System
Providing concise and clear task guidance posed a challenge.
Enhancing liveliness in AI assistant conversations presented a design hurdle.
Assisting users with no agricultural experience in raising task-related agricultural questions was challenging.
Simultaneously designing the product and its accompanying app required careful coordination.
Expand design and testing to include additional workflows like remote control and disease procedures.
Introduce more variety in device options to cater to diverse user needs.
Design a standard package for seeds and other consumables to enhance user convenience.
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