UberEvent
New Feature for Uber App – Shared Rides for Events
Introducing a new feature for Uber that is aiming to reduce taxis’s rides costs and increase transparency.
The users recive upfront pricing and can split costs by sharing rides with others attending the same events.
This way makes shared rides more appealing by connecting passengers who share the same love for artists or sports.
The feature improves affordability, efficieny and traffic flow around event venues.
The Design Thinking proces
Empathize
From this research, we identified that price transparency, High cost of rides and the inability to share costs were the main issues for users .
Interviews
Here are a few samples of questions we have asked our interviewes:
Could you describe your last experience from a drive you have using taxi’s app?
Are there things you would have been happy that were diffrent in the taxi’s app you are using?
On which occassions you choose to use the taxi app?
Are there situations that it is less convinent to order a taxi through the app?
Key insights
High and Unpredictable Costs
A major concern among users is the expensive and inconsistent pricing of taxis and ride-hailing services, especially during peak hours . One user stated:
“I never know if my ride home will cost 50 or 150—it’s a gamble every time.”
Traffic & Parking Issues
Many avoid driving to crowded areas due to parking difficulties.
“Finding parking near a stadium is a nightmare.”
Lack of Cost Transparency
Riders struggle with unclear pricing, as final fares often exceed initial estimates due to demand or route changes.
“I wish the price was locked in.”
Limited Late-Night Alternatives
Public transport isn’t always available, leaving users with no choice but expensive rides. “After midnight, it’s either wait an hour for a bus or pay a fortune for an taxi.”
Convenience Over Cost
Despite high prices, users prefer taxis for their reliability and ease, avoiding the hassle of parking and schedules.
“At the end of the day, I just want to get home without thinking about buses.”
Define
Attending major events often means expensive and unpredictable transportation due to surge pricing, with ride-hailing costs rising by 79% in major cities. Events also cause heavy traffic and parking difficulties, leading to wasted time and increased carbon emissions, making the current system inefficient and unsustainable.
Problem statement
Lior Levi
Age: 32
Profession: Market Analyst
Location: Tel Aviv
Pain Points:
• Unclear pricing
• High ride costs
• Parking shortage in his living area
• Unreliable arrival times
• Public transportion is inconvenient mostly at night
Goals:
• Transparent and predictable pricing
• Affordable ride options
• Easy access to social events
• No parking hassles
• Reliable and efficient rides
How might we
Reduce the cost of taxi’s rides and provide cost transperncy for users
Ideation
Through team discussions and brainstorming, we explored various solutions to tackle the issue of high fares.
The idea of shared rides (carpooling) emerged as the most viable solution to reduce costs.
However, we identified two key challenges:
Social Comfort: How to make users feel comfortable sharing a ride with strangers?
Matching Riders: How to connect users traveling to the same destination at the same time?
Competitor Analysis
As part of our research, we analyzed shared ride features in ride-hailing apps to understand how they address similar challenges. This helped us identify best practices and areas for improvement in Uber's shared ride feature.
We examined apps like Yango, Bolt and Lyft gaining key insights:
Clear Pricing Matters – Users prefer upfront pricing, as seen in Gett Share and Yango.
Predefined Pickup Points – Apps like Yango and Bolt improve efficiency by using fixed pickup locations.
Solution Concept
We designed a new feature for shared rides to specific events, such as concerts or sports events.
By allowing users to share rides to events and providing upfront pricing, Uber can help users save money while enhancing their social experience.
This solution not only benefits users but also improves the business model for drivers, ensuring more predictable rides and higher earnings.
Prototype
Sketching
Allowed us to gain an intimate insight on what layouts will work before getting digital with it.
High fidelity wireframes
User Testing
We conducted several rounds of guerrilla testing, initially testing two different app flows.
Based on feedback, we refined the flow and made adjustments to certain components that were confusing for users:
Button Design for Feature Entry:
We tested three options for presenting the entry point to the new feature. The key was to make sure the button stood out without drastically altering Uber's familiar home screen.
Option A
as a Banner
Option B
as part of the suggestions options
Pickup Point Clarity:
One challenge we faced was effectively communicating to users that they would need to go to the pickup point, rather than the taxi coming to them. This required clear visual cues and explanations to avoid confusion.
Option A
The pick up points in a seperate screen
Option B
The pick up points in the same page with current locationand the final stop
Final screens
Home page
Select pickup point
Final reservation details
Alert notification before the event
Feature flow
The final design includes:
Predefined Pickup Points: Clearly marked with the diamond symbol for easy identification.
Price Clarity: Prices are shown upfront based on the shared ride model.
Simple Interaction: The feature is integrated seamlessly into Uber’s existing interface, ensuring users can easily access it without feeling overwhelmed.
How It Works:
Users can select from 3 predefined pickup points, chosen by an algorithm based on their location (determined through GPS).