Seattle yellow cab
Reimagining payment procedure for cabs
What
Seattle Yellow Cab is a local business that offers ride-sharing taxis and wheel chair accessible vans.
Contributions
User Research, Comparative Analysis, User Interviews, Persona, Usability Testing
Project Type
Group project (3-person team)
Duration
2 weeks
The Challenge
Our team of three was provided with the task of redesigning Seattle Yellow Cab’s mobile application by adding a single new feature and refining some of the UI. Being responsible for user research, I had to identify factors that are currently hindering usability of the SYC app and suggest design concepts that would reduce these hindrances.
Research Goals
I started by listing the objectives of this research which included overall learning of the ride sharing system, when and how users engage with the business and potential possibilities to increase business engagement.
Research and Analysis
Raising Questions
According to survey data provided by Seattle Times Uber and Lyft are used 3.5 times more than taxis in Seattle. Our team wondered what is happening to the taxi industry? why are they loosing business to other ride share? what is the root of the problem?
Survey Data by Seattle Times
Comparative Analysis
I conducted comparative analysis to see what different ride share apps (both direct and indirect competitors) look like and compare to Seattle Yellow Cab. The green boxes on the very left highlight the features SYC app presently lacks but are offered but competitors and other local taxi services.
Field Observations
What I learned from booking a ride from the app, and talking to the driver was that, 99% of drivers do not take app bookings due to the fact that users can cancel the booking at anytime without a cancelation fee. Drivers are upset that there is no way to charge a cancellation fee and have wasted their time. Also the dispatch center doesn’t really deal with app bookings, the drivers only take calls.
Qualitative Interviews
After sending out a screener survey I scheduled and ran 7+ interviews including phone and in-person interviews with frequent and avid SYC users. Below is a sample of questions asked during the interview:
When was the last time you had taken a yellow cab? Elaborate on your experience? What did you use to get a hold of one?
Do you continue to use cabs in specific scenarios? If yes what are they?
What are some things you would expect when/while taking a taxi?
“ I don’t think they have anything close to an easy access for payment, you have to wait for it and then there’s a receipt, it’s just so inconvenient.”
Yellow Cab User
I recorded and synthesized over 80 interview notes to identify issues and reveal valuable insights. Through affinity mapping I was able to narrow it down to two major concerns as they were a strong mix of diverse user responses. These response topics expressed frustrations revolving around paying for the ride and the inability to determine the ride status.
Problem
Considering the time constraints we had, we agreed to add a feature mainly addressing the payment concerns and briefly touching the ride status aspect of it. The problem statement for the payment concerns is as follows: Cab riders find it difficult and time-consuming to learn about ride fares beforehand and pay for their ride. As a result they keep cabs as a last resort, leave poor reviews and in some cases end up not paying for their ride.
Ideation and Solution
Meet Monica!
Persona
After synthesizing research findings, I developed a persona to create an understanding of our core users. Monica often takes Lyft or Uber home. But, because Monica’s commute is longer than most, fare multipliers hugely increase the cost. Therefore, she won’t use the app during prime time price surges. She appreciates when she can pay for things with her phone to minimize the awkwardness of exchanging cash.
Scenario
Monica needs to get home from work, she decides to take a taxi to save on money. Not getting a ride fare estimate and not being able to pay without cash is making her frustrated.
How might we improve the current prices and payment system for the Seattle Yellow Cab?
Design Solutions
QR Code
In order to simplify the payment process the UX Designer of our team tested many solutions but went with a Quick Response code for scanning and paying for your cab ride. Once user scans the QR code on the cab meter tv he/she will be shown the total trip information and options to pay.
Scenario Take II
This is when our team’s added feature comes into play. Monica does not have any cash on her so she enters her credit card information into the Seattle Yellow Cab app. As the taxi reaches her destination she pulls out her phone to use the camera feature to scan the QR barcode on the taxi drivers meter TV and it charges her credit card directly.
Design Impact
I used 3 key metrics to determine if the medium fidelity prototypes created by our UX Designer were successful.
Time Saving
After interacting with our prototypes, 70% of participants believed it saves time in comparison to traditional cab paying system.
Intuitive
65% of participants found the payment process easy to follow as new comers.
Interact
When testing our final iteration of SYC, 5/5 participants interacted with our QR code paying prompt, on their own.
*The above metrics were calculated using scales like SUS and Likert Scale.
What I Learned💡
Problem prioritization. With time and resource constraints we had to decide on which would be the most impactful problem to approach, which feature would be the most value-adding to have.
Asking for specific feedback. I learned a lot while carrying out user research for the Seattle Yellow Cab app. I familiarized myself with the basics of usability testing but through practice, trial and error learned that it is particularly important to ask clarifying questions during usability testing. Questioning user about every little tap, scroll or swipe they choose or ( not make ) reveals valuable insights about the product under test.
Power of teamwork. I had an opportunity to work on this project alongside a UX designer and a Project Manager. Conducting multiple design studios and critique sessions with my team members taught me that collaboration is one of the things that makes design better and better.