WE-Cycle Redesign
What is WE-Cycle?
We Cycle is a non-profit bike-share program servicing Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. They offer unlimited free 30 minute bike rides. WE-Cycle addresses the problem that many people living in smaller mountain towns often face; final mile transportation. While these towns have a robust bus system, how do residents get from the bus stop to their final destination? They use WE-Cycle, of course!
Length of project: 2 weeks
Team: Allie Jacobs, Jill Thomas, Cory Vogel
Role: Designer and Researcher
Tools Used: Figma,Adobe Photoshop
User Pain Points
Users have to scroll through too much information to get to the bike unlocking portion of the mobile site
Users have to enter their credentials and location every time they visit the site
The current design is causing delays for users who rely on WE-Cycle to reach their destinations promptly.
Our Solution
Building a WE-Cycle app dedicated to the bike unlocking process. This will improve user experience by:
- increasing accessibility to the bikes
- saving users time from having to log in and enter their location; this information will be stored on the app
- Simplifying the bike rental process by showcasing only vital information
We will also redesign the desktop and mobile sites by applying basic design principals the site is currently lacking. The site will be dedicated to providing users with a more in-depth look at WE-Cycles’ mission and process
Designing Our Solution
We began by conducting user research through 10 user interviews and surveys. Our key user insights were:
- All users were familiar with ride share apps; most of them had used Lime or Bird scooters/bikes before
- Users found the Lime and Bird interfaces easy to use
- The majority of ride share users prioritize safety over other factors when using these services
We implemented these insights into our design by:
- Taking inspiration from competitors Lime and Bird, ensuring that the app feels familiar, making it user-friendly for all
- Elevating safety within the site's information architecture
- Making safety a priority within the app
We pulled from WE-Cycles current design to create the station map within the app. There were three different types of pins meant to signify the bike availability at each station (key on image B)
After our initial usability tests, we found a substantial issue with our design. When asked if they remembered what the pins meant, most users responded saying:
they didn’t remember
they thought the lightning bolts signified how charged the bikes were.
We set out to solve this problem through A/B testing to find the most effective design. The test versions are shown to the right. In test A, the pin key was presented when selecting a station, right before unlocking a bike. In test B, users were presented with a key upon opening the app.
We found users were more responsive to test B with all test B users being able to recall the 3 different pins at the end of the test compared to only some test A users. We iterated to include version B in our final prototype.
Solving for Issues With Our First Iteration
A
B
Our Final Designs
Streamlines the bike unlocking process by providing users with an interface dedicated to this purpose
Designed for simplicity
Tested multiple iterations to ensure user-friendliness
The App
App Walk Through
Re-organized the information architecture by implementing the z-pattern and prioritizing safety and donations
Added calls to action and QR codes to download the app
Removed the mobile bike unlock option
