Faster, easier way to use Uber

Goal

Design a fictional app called Uber Xprs (Express).

When you open the Uber Xprs app, you’d instantly have an Uber coming to you and automatically taking you to your most common destination.

Process

What’s the people problem to be solved?

My Uber trips are mostly commutes.

I go into the office in the morning and I head back home in the evening.

The current Uber app usually has the correct address predicted as my suggested destination when I open the app. Ideally, Uber could automatically order a cab for me to go where I want to go.

Is it worth solving?

Uber wins if you choose Uber as part of your daily life and you’re not using alternative transport options.

Uber could set a new standard of convenience in the industry by making an app that predicts the next trip and saves you multiple ‘taps’ to order your cab.

How will we know if we solved it?

Uber riders use Uber Xprs more than the default app.

Uber riders seldom immediately eject out of Uber Xprs and switch back to the default app.

Uber riders’ average trips increase.

What are the possible solutions?

1. Building a standalone app.
2. Building the ‘Xprs’ option into the default app as an optional setting (maybe after proof of concept with the standalone app).

What is the chosen solution?

Standalone app as a proof of concept, like how Instagram made Boomerang as a separate app, and then incorporated it into the default app.

What is the current user journey?

There are 5 steps.

1. Tap to open Uber app
2. Tap your predicted location
3. Tap to confirm your chosen Uber car type
4. Tap to confirm your pickup
5. Your Uber is on the way

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

What is the desired user journey?

From 5 steps to 2 steps.

1. Tap to open Uber Xprs app
2. Your Uber is on the way

• 

• 

Notable features

I designed the Uber Xprs app icon to be based on the Uber Eats logo.

• 

• 

• 

I used Uber’s font, Uber Move, and the yellow in Uber’s brand guide.

I made the app in ‘dark mode‘ to look different to the default Uber app.

I put the driver’s details at the top because connecting with your driver and getting into the cab is most important.

I put your destination location on a yellow background to emphasise it. The Uber Xprs app automatically sets your most likely destination and you can easily change your destination while waiting for the cab.

My lessons

I took away 3 lessons from the project.

1 — Take a service that exists and do it in half the time

Innovation towards convenience can be accomplished by removing steps and saving time.

The Uber Xprs app gets the job done in 2 steps instead of 5 steps and you have a cab on the way in half the time.

2 — Solve for a subset of users and you might make something that people love

Not everyone uses Uber to commute. But for those who do, Uber Xprs would be a no-brainer tool to make commuting seamless and might increase the average number of trips per month.

3 — Extra colours in your brand palette allow you to expand your offerings

Uber used their green colour for Uber Eats and they had a yellow colour which I chose to use for Uber Xprs. Your product offerings stand out if you have colours to associate with each of them.

Let me know what you think

You can see this post on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Comment, like and share over there.