PopCycle App

Problem

Although popular throughout Asia and Europe, the Electric Bike has yet to garner the same popularity in North America. With it’s steep hills and growing traffic, E-Bikes seemed ideal for San Francisco’s geography. Through extensive research, my team discovered the greatest challenge for Huckleberry Bicycles regarding the sale and popularity of Electric Bikes was that credible information regarding them was scarce and stigmas surrounding E-bikes discouraged people from pursuing an interest or even trying them.

LEARNING BY DOING

What better way to help people make informed decisions about alternate transportation then by letting them try it, committment-free & introducing them to an engaging and informative community?

Solution

My team and I designed an interactive mobile app that would deliver an Electric Bike on demand to our users wherever they are to try out and experience first-hand. The app features informational resources like tutorials, blog posts & reviews to help the user understand E-Bike technology. It also connects the user with other people on the app to facilitate fun & engaging events like group rides, where users can easily exchange information & connect via phone bumping technology to give the user a sense of community & support.

Development Process

Research: The Road to E-Bike Enlightenment

Research was essential to figure out the current climate of Electric Bike knowledge & use. We conducted a survey which helped us to understand the motivations behind why and how people are currently using E-Bikes, and use these insights to inform our strategy as to how we could peak interest & grow awareness of the benefits of Electric bicycles with non-users.

We conducted a contextual inquiry of the brick-and-mortar Huckleberry Bicycles shop in which we observed & interviewed employees & customers. The employee interview was helpful in gathering information regarding who the company currently believed their customer-base was & to gage the methods they were currently using to promote & sell Electric Bikes. Speaking with the customers was crucial in discovering what intrigued or drove them to try this new technology.

One woman in particular discovered E-Bikes as the main mode of transportation in Tel Aviv, Israel & after suffering a biking-related injury, was no longer able to commute via traditional bicycle as she had for years. The Electric Bike gave her the freedom & ability to once again bike to work, and was actually more time-efficient & fun.

We conducted comparative analysis of other popular Electric Bike shops as well as Biking apps, which is where we discovered how powerful DEMO-ing a technology could be to encourage interest & eventually purchase. Competitive analysis of current apps on the market helped to inform our design layout. 

We The People: Defining Personas

After synthesizing the data we compiled through our research & interviews, we were able to construct personas to help us focus on the people we were already designing for, and those that we hoped to engage through our designs.

Design Studio: 3 Minds are Better than 1

Through a collaborative Design Studio process, my team sketched a multitude of ideas which we used to come together on a cohesive design concept. These lo-fi sketches were then worked into mid-fi paper prototypes used to gain early perspective into the general user experience & flow. These early paper prototypes showed us that we were missing key buttons (purchase, hello!?) and gave us insights into app navigation.

From our sketches and early feedback, we were able to construct SketchApp wireframes which we put into InVision App as a clickable prototype.

Early Wireframes

Usability Testing: Not All Minds Think Alike

Usability testing of our app using InVision revealed first, that our design was a bit inconsistent throughout the screens, as one would have more flat design elements to it then the next had gradients and buttons popping out. We learned that our verbiage was confusing and unnatural to the user which helped us to define language that everyone would understand. Another takeaway was that the general feel of the wireframes were a bit “cartoony” with too much contrast throughout.

Medium Fidelity Wireframes

Results & Impact: E-Bikes on the Up & Up

Our app helps to build awareness of Electric Bikes, which is a fairly new technology, thus peaking interest & helping facilitate conversations about them. The demo-on-demand aspect, like test-driving a car, gives users a chance to try the product before buying, which greatly influences a person's inclination to purchase. The educational facet of the app is powerful as it helps to give the user knowledge regarding E-Bikes & cycling in general, which will hopefully give the user a sense of confidence & empowerment. Even more beneficial is the community-building aspect of the app. Finding like-minded people & those with similar interests is motivational, prompting the user to go out & try E-Bikes for themselves.