Inception

While on the way to airport, I remembered that the terminal I was flying out of had terrible food options. As we drove past a salad shop, I wished there had been an easy way for me to ask to stop in.

Problem

I had heard of instances where people have asked their Uber drivers to stop and grab food on the way home. In the moment I mention above, it felt logistically confusing to make the request. Was there a way to implement a feature within the app to make this easier?

Proposed Solution

Create a feature in the Uber app that allows people to easily find places where they can get food along their route and add them as a stop.

Research

A Multipronged Methodology

Conducted a short qualitative survey (n=7) to confirm people’s interest in a feature to request a food stop and to solicit previous experiences with this
Studied Uber driver chat room conversations on the phenomenon of drive thru requests
2 interviews with Uber drivers - one through a mutual friend and one by going on learning ride

Survey Results

85% of users confirmed they have wanted to make a food pick up request but 83% of those users felt uncomfortable asking
43% of users said they ended up getting delivery in that instance
All users surveyed they could see themselves wanting to use a feature like this if it were reasonably priced

Understanding each key user

I created a matrix of the different entities I needed to keep in mind while designing a solution. This solution needed to have empathy for both users, drivers, and the business.

Ideate and Design

Mapping the user journey

Creating a visual representation of the anticipated flow helped me to consider each step and screen I would need to design.

How to handle a stop that takes too long

One important consideration for this solution is how to handle situations where someone gets to a food stop and the wait is taking too long.

If the passenger still wants to get food, I hypothesize it would be in the best interest of both the passenger and the driver if the passenger is dropped off and calls another Uber afterwards.

Can we make this straightforward to do?

My Uber “Ride and Learn”

For the above flow, I struggled to get a sense of how the multi-stop experience currently operates in the app. I realized the best way to figure out would be for me to go on a multi-stop ride myself.

‍I was able to talk to the driver and get a view of the driver’s screens as well. It was here I discovered that little was being communicated about the time spent at a stop and there was no indication of the price increase my driver mentioned occurred after 5 or so minutes on either of our screens.

With these insights in mind, I experimented with ways to show how much time was being spent on stops and when a price increase occurred.

User Testing

Participants & Goal

Conducted 4 usability tests in person and over Zoom with people both in their 20s and 50s, to make sure the design was easy to use and accessible across ages

People want price transparency

The feedback was consistent- people wanted more transparent pricing information.

1. How much would it cost to add a stop?

2. How much is the waiting fee?

This were completely understandable requests and while I tried in my original research to also get more insight, Uber’s pricing strategies are pretty opaque. In response to these requests, I added at least a potential range of prices for the addition of each additional stop.

Chatting with an Uber UX designer

I also sought out feedback from a UX designer currently working on Uber Eats through ADPList. I received positive feedback on the way my design felt integrated with their design system and some suggestions on how to rethink text heavy screens using progressive disclosure.

Validation from the Uber business

At the end of February, Uber did release a redesign of the app that combined Uber Eats and Uber capabilities in one app. This validates that Uber has a vested interest in deepening their integration between their two businesses and leveraging their unique offerings to differentiate themselves amongst other ride service apps.

“The redesigned Uber app has increased awareness and consideration to a wider array of products, which has driven growth to several lines of business”
- Jen You, Head of product for rides at Uber

Success Metrics

How I measured success with my constraints:

Created a solution that leveraged existing Uber screens to minimize necessary dev work
Tested that solution has executable workflows amongst different demographics
Presented work to current Uber designer to confirm Uber design pattern consistency and product offering feasibility

How I would measure success with more resources:

Launch feature to a subset of users (around college campuses for example)
Monitor frequency of use and hone in on user demographic
Understand customer and driver satisfaction via reviews and interviews