Vehigo

Designing a carpooling app catered towards the road trip lover

ROLE

Product Designer

DURATION

4 weeks

SKILLS

Product thinking

User research

Interaction design

Visual design

The problem

While ridesharing and carpooling apps exist, there's a gap in the market for those who want to travel longer distances.

Here's the story...

Have you ever been in the situation where you needed a ride to a place an hour or more away, but you don't have anyone to drive you? Paying for an Uber or Zipcar would be a bit too expensive.
Roadtrippers don't have a viable solution to their need. With ridesharing and gas prices on the rise, roadtrippers are left with very little affordable travel options. This is where a long-distance carpooling app can fill the void. A dedicated app could offer cost-sharing benefits for trips.

Discovery

The objective was to gain insights into why they road trip, how they plan their trips, and the benefits of roadtripping.

I conducted user interviews with four frequent roadtrippers.

"Gotta have good vibes. If you are in a car with someone, you are committed to being with them for a long period of time. There is no way to escape a conversation. There is no way to escape those people."

– Gabby

Affinity Mapping. Following the user interviews, I transcribed each session and organized the key points into sticky notes. Through affinity mapping, I identified the two most  mentioned aspects of roadtripping.

Socializing

Company can make or break a trip. While travel companions can add value to a trip, they can also cause stress and tension.

Flexibility

Convenience and the lack of rigidity are valued in road trips. Travelers have more control of when and where they go.

How might we...

Connect travelers who share similar interests to create a social and fun road trip experience

Ideation

Based on the initial research as well as the user interview, here are the goals I am helping users achieve:

1) Posting, searching, and managing trips easily and effectively 2) Connecting drivers and passengers who're going the direction 3) Creating fun and exciting adventure

From the driver's POV

I drew inspiration from pre-existing user experiences: dating and navigation applications. These user flows help drivers, who are looking to share their car, save on travel costs and enrich their road trip experience. A key feature of the driver's side is the ability to pick and choose who they get to ride with. They have full control of approving and denying which users they'll allow in their car.

A image of the user flow diagram from the driver's perspective. The user flow shows the driver posting a trip.A image of the user flow diagram from the driver's perspective. The user flow shows the viewing who has requested a seat on their trip.

From the passenger's POV

I utilized dating app-esque profiles to allow users to better know who they're driving with. This feature fosters familiarity and community amongst users. Users are more comfortable with getting in a car of someone they relatively know rather than a complete stranger.

A image of the user flow diagram from the passenger's perspective. The user flow shows the passenger viewing available trips and a requesting a seat.

Improving the experience

I conducted two rounds of usability tests with four participants in each round. First, to assess the user experience and identify any potential issues or challenges for each user flows. Second, to validate the changes I made and uncover any remaining usability issues in the product.

Improving the user flow

A image of how the designs of Vehigo could be improved. Users were confused why they had to enter their starting location first. “I’m more familiar with how the maps on my phone functions. I only need to search my destination and they automatically know where I am”An image of three screens showing how the map function works in Vehigo. The map feature functions more similarly to common map applications.

A more thorough trip planning process

An image showing how the Vehigo designs can be improved. “I want to know as much info as possible before moving forward.” “How about cost splits? I’d like to know if others are willing to.”An image of how the designs were improved. The trip preferences are reflecting in the screen viewed by potential passengers. Additional trip preference options for the driver to select.

Passenger approval tracking

An image of how the Vehigo designs can be improved. “I lost track of who I approved and declined.” “I need some sort of tracker of who’s in my car.” “What if I change my mind on someone? Am I just stuck with them.”An image of how the designs were improved. Placeholders to keep track of approved passengers. Edit option to remove any passengers as needed.

New screens

Users wanted to know what happens after approving all their passengers. I created messaging screens to address the users concerns.

Final designs

A GIF of the onboarding process when joining Vehigo.

Onboarding Process

A thorough process so that users can connect with each other based on similarities and interests

Posting a Trip

Drivers can post their upcoming trip, offer up their seat, and connect with other riders.

A GIF of posting a trip to Disneyland on Vehigo.
A GIF of searching a trip and requesting a seat.

Searching and Requesting a seat

Riders can view posted trips near them, connect with drivers, and request a seat in their car.

Prototype

Reflection

The concept of MVP was a key takeaway, emphasizing the importance of delivering a product with essential features that effectively address user needs. This project has been a fulfilling journey of growth and learning, enabling me to enhance my expertise in creating user-centered and impactful digital experiences.

Next steps

  • I'd like to continue developing the app and create new features with screens to go along.
  • Every product out there is continually evolving. Future usability tests would show the improvement my product has made.

Let's make something together!

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