Bike share Toronto
Enhancement of mobile application that provides urban micro-mobility solution for healthy & happy commuters of Toronto.
Overview
Problem statement
Current state
Goals
Research
Insights
Ideate
Wireframes
New Challenge
Final Designs
Outcome
Back to top
Timeline
2019 Oct -2020 Jan
Role
UX designer
Team
  • Product Manager
  • 5 Developers
  • 2 Business Development
Responsibilities
  • User research,
    User Flows,
    Rapid Prototyping, Usability testing,
Overview
  • Despite Bike share Toronto popularity, the app was plagued with usability issues including slow load times, frequent crashes, and a cluttered interface. Through rigorous user research, we identified key improvement areas such as app stability, ease of navigation, and the onboarding process.
    ‍
    In response, we implemented strategic changes to simplify the bike rental process, enhance app interface, and personalize the user experience. We also introduced a gamification system, featuring a points-based reward system and monthly challenges to boost user engagement and retention.
3.5M
total number of trips in 2020 alone by the public of Toronto.
11.7M km
total distance covered by the riders in the year of 2020.
5.8M lbs
total carbon footprint that has been reduced
100%
the electric fleet of bike have doubled since the previous year
How might we enhance the bike rental app's usability and resolve existing problems for a seamless user experience?
X

Outcome & Impact

56% increase in SUS scores
19% drop in app uninstall from new users
32% less time for renting a bike
Despite its success, the mobile app hindered users from experiencing the product.
Bike share Toronto was facing heavy criticism on it’s digital forefront. Mainly the mobile application, which acts like a gateway for all it’s users to unlock and ride the bike.
Navigating Progress: The Product Roadmap
For the Bike Share Toronto project, our roadmap prioritized resolving pressing issues like app stability and bike rental process first. Subsequent phases focused on enhancing user experience with real-time updates, simplified navigation, and gamification elements. This strategic approach ensured both immediate improvements and long-term user engagement.

Defining success through business goals and user needs

The goal is to redesign the Bike Share Toronto app into a user-friendly platform that not only improves the overall user experience but also integrates key functionalities, ultimately enhancing the overall efficiency and usability of the service.
🎯
😍
Improve user satisfaction
🏋🏻
Increase user task completion rate
🫅🏻
Improve user retention rate
📈
Improving user ratings on app store
Capturing the app’s existing issues faced by the user when they are trying to book a bike
By analyzing app reviews, we wanted to identify the most common issues users were facing and gain insights into areas for improvement.
We categorized collected reviews to identify key areas for improvement in Influsoft.
💥
27% Frequent Crashing & Lagging
😢
21 % Poor Flow & Bad Experience
⛔️
13% Onboarding Issues
Understanding the pain points and issues faced by users when interacting with physical product.
Direct interaction with users allowed us to ask follow-up questions and uncover underlying issues that may not be apparent from app reviews alone and gain a more nuanced perspective on their needs.
“The map feature is not very accurate and it's hard to find the bike stations I'm looking for.”
“Sometimes bikes were not in good condition and it was frustrating to not be able to resolve the issue through the app”
“When i’m in a hurry for work. I need to get a bike before they’re all taken”
“The app is functional, but it's not very exciting or engaging. I use it because I have to, not because I want to “
📝

Summarizing the data from user research to come up with key solutions

🚲
Streamlining the bike rental process
🔎
Make bike finding more accessible
📲
Functionality to report bike issues
⚙️
Simplify the app’s interface
🎭
Personalization

Eliminating potential friction in the user flow

1. Simplify Onboarding:
minimizes barriers to entry, allowing users to access the app quickly and easily.
2. Guest Account to Access the Map
to help users explore the app without committing, reducing friction for hesitant users.
3. Walkthrough Can Be Skipped:
‍saves time for those who don't need guidance.
4. Payment Information Not Needed Upfront
to build trust and credibility while reducing initial friction.

Refining wireframes though iterative user feedback

"The map feature is not very accurate and it's hard to find the bike stations I'm looking for."
"The app is okay, but I think it could benefit from some more  customization options."
" The app works fine but not very exciting. I use it because I have to, not because I want to."
"The app is not very user-friendly and I often have trouble finding the information I need "

How might we add gameplay elements into non-gaming setting to make the app more engaging ?

  • Incentivise Userto use the app more frequently through rewards such as free rides or points.
  • Friendly competition between usersthrough leaderboards that display who has completed the most rides etc
  • Discounts & referral bonuscan be incentivized to share the app to others through discounts and referral bonus.
  • AchievementsUsers can track their progress and receive badges based on their usage.
  • Dashboard Personalization: Users can personalize their experience through customizing their dashboard.
User Growth System (UGS) is essentially a form of gamification - the technique of adding gameplay elements into non-gaming settings to make products and services more engaging.
Points System
  • Distance
  • Frequency
  • Referrals
  • Special Events
Challenges
  • Exploration
  • Time based
  • Custom challenge
  • Environment impact
Leaderboards
  • City based
  • Monthly
  • Friends
  • Challenge-specific
After our preliminary findings, we reached a consensus and established some core principles to follow before processing any further or taking decisions.

Core Design
Decisions

  1. The User Growth System must be compatible with the Bike share Toronto process.
  2. User Growth System functions should make the entire experience more enjoyable.
  3. User Growth System functions should be visible when the user needs it, invisible when they don't.
  4. Any optimization should be based on user needs.

Key solution that made it to the final designs

Seamless Onboarding
The onboarding is simplified with new users having to fill just just name & number  booking their first ride.
Educating new users with visual tutorial of the app
Equipping the users with all the features of the app with a simple tutorial helps most users book a bike with ease.
Users are concerned about their safety
We get it , everyone is concerned about their safety before riding a public bike. So we got your back and make sure you read all safety measures.
Users care about current weather conditions
Show current weather conditions to better equip the users before their journey. Show any ongoing challenge to motivate the user to use the bike and help improve user app retention.
User can easily switch between normal and e-bikes
Reduce the time taken for the user to check a particular station has e-bike docked or not
Help the user decide which station they need to head towards
The users get more insights on the current availibty of the bikes at each station.
Users can easily access the map to see live direction to the dock
Show the distance to the nearest dock so that users do not have to open their map to look for directions.
Instant bike unlocking using camera app to scan the QR code
Reduce the time taken for the user to unlock their bike by in built QR code scanning within the app.
Alternate method of unlocking using number code
Help the user with accessibility issues unlock the bike using a manual but reliable method.
Users care about bike condition
They can know the current condition of the bike before starting their ride. Easy access to report any issues with the bike during the journey so that assistance can be provided immediately.
User can see the current ride time to know when to dock.
Users find it important to know their current ride time to take timely decision and avoid being charged extra.
Personalized dashboard
Users can personalize their experience through features such as customizing their dashboard, selecting preferred bike stations, and setting their default payment method
Users can compete with uses and their friends
Users can compete with each other through leaderboards that display who has completed the most rides/ most distance.
User receive Badges as personal achievement
Users can track their progress and receive badges based on their usage

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