Hopon
Competition Project
Designed a smart city mobility app for optimized and sustainable commutes.
Note: This is an abridged version of the complete presentation. Check out the full version here.
Info
Team
Damini Jaiswal Devjanee Mondal
Type
Competition Project (UDGAM 2024) 1st Place Winner
Timeline
5 days
Focus Area
Product Design UX Research Product Strategy
TL;DR + HIghlights
Developed a mobility solution for smart cities that was viable, innovative and sustainable.
Secured 1st place at UDGAM 2024, competing against 250 teams from IITs and IIMs nationwide.
Problem statement
Design a smart city mobility app that integrates public transit, ride-sharing, e-scooters, and bike-sharing, offering optimized, sustainable commutes with event-specific planning, real-time updates, and convenient transportation options.
so how did we approach the brief?
Our initial research was split into three key segments :
Understanding Smart Cities and their challenges
We started by breaking down the brief to understand its overarching theme—smart cities—and identifying systemic-level challenges.
The future of mobility and emerging trends
We then explored future mobility trends and identified key innovations to capitalize on for long-term impact.
Understanding the current market
We gained a clear understanding of current market standards and limitations, which guided us in defining an MVP and identifying opportunities for innovation within existing market gaps.
UNDERSTANDING THE BRIEF
The future of our world
rapid urbanization and smart cities
Over half of the world's population now lives in cities, a trend fueled by industrialization and urban amenities. This rapid urbanization presents both opportunities and challenges, demanding sustainable and inclusive urban development.
58%
By 2050, 58% of the world’s population will be living in cities
85%
By 2100, 85% of the world’s population will be living in cities
But are the cities equipped enough?
The challenges
to smart cities
Population Growth
Traffic Congestion
Infrastructure Deficiency
Environmental Degradation
Economic Disparities
Public Health Concerns
Safety & Security
Waste Management
Lack of Connectivity
Governance Issues
Understanding the ecosystem
The Future Of Mobility
THE THREE MODELS
The future of mobility is poised for transformative advancements, evolving through three distinct models that promise to redefine how we navigate our world.
Clean and Shared
Shifting to EVs need better public transit and shared mobility in dense cities.
Private Autonomy
Self-driving EVs need infrastructure, and car ownership may increase in busy areas.
Seamless Mobility
Advanced mobility increases travel while reducing cars. Ideal for dense cities.
The emerging trends Towards smart mobility
By 2050
Cities that deploy smart-mobility applications have the potential to cut commuting times by 15 to 20 percent on average, with some people enjoying even larger reductions.
15 mins
Per day
Save the average commuter
20-30 mins
Per day
Save the average commuter in current developing cities
10-20%
Per day
Cut emissions by in a smarts city
Growth of transportation
Electric Scooter Sharing
Micro-Mobility Solutions
Integration of Mobility Services
Smart Parking Solutions
Autonomous Ride-Sharing
The possible modes of transport
The future of automobile
Public
Transit
Ride-Sharing Services
Car-Sharing Programs
Bike-Sharing Programs
Pedestrian Infrastructure
Electric
Scooters
Micro-Mobility Solutions
Aerial Transportation
Water-Based Transportation
Hyperloop
Personal
Vehicles
Autonomous Vehicles
Emergency Services
Flying
Taxis
Delivery and
Cargo
MaaS
Platforms
Competitive Analysis
Understanding the current market
THE SUMMARY
To understand how the current market is addressing the transportation service, we segmented our competitive analysis in two parts : Direct vs. Indirect
Indirect Competitors
Ride hailing service providers
Bird
Lime
Spin
Rapido
Direct Competitors
Multi modal integrated platforms
Citymapper
Transit
Moovit
Check out the full analysis ⟶
Note: This is an abridged version of the documentation. Feel free to check the full thing!
key insights
App Functionality and Usability Issues
Inability to add multiple stops to a pre-defined route limits user flexibility in journey planning
Users cannot compare different cab hailing apps within the same platform
Absence of information on public transit prices and upcoming transit times creates a knowledge gap
Challenges in finding suitable parking spaces create issues in ending rides for users
Lack of onboarding for first-time users results in a lack of understanding about the app's features and functionality
Navigation and Map Issues
Users need to switch between the app and maps for navigation, impacting the user experience
Map view lacks intuitiveness, making it difficult for users to understand their location and their driver's location
Booking and Personalization Limitations
Lack of recurring booking options hinders daily commuters from scheduling cabs for specific times
Users face limited options for personalization, including preferred routes, driver types, and vehicle options
OUR assumptions
From secondary research and understanding of smart city models
With IoT in smart cities, real-time data on crowd density, parking availability, and transit is easily accessible—like the smart parking system for e-cycles.
Real-time, precise tracking of all vehicles is readily available.
In the smart city ecosystem, ridesharing and pooling are poised to emerge as substantial and influential business models.
In the smart city vision, integration with ride-sharing apps like Uber is anticipated to offer real-time details on available cabs and their prices within our system.
Understanding our users
Stakeholder Mapping
THE SUMMARY
To understand how the current market is addressing the transportation service, we segmented our competitive analysis in two parts : Direct vs. Indirect
SMARTCity Residents
Delivery Services
Event Organizers
Emergency Transportation
Environmental Organizations
City Authorities and Urban Planners
Private Vehicles
Daily Commuters
Auto/ Rickshaws
Electric scooter providers
Ambulance
SOS
Police
Goods
Food
Courier / Logistics
Ride-sharing companies
Public transits
Occasional commuters
Transportation Service Providers
Visitors
Questionnaire
Personal interviews
For the user research three types of users were interviewed on call:
Daily Commuters
New visitors
(Travelling first time in a new place)
Occasional Commuters
On call interviews
15 respondents
THE ANALYSIS
Affinity mapping
Goals
To find the cheapest ride.
To book rides and check prices for the rides.
To get an ensured ride.
To get rides within the same range everyday to work.
To reach office at office timings.
To keep their personal contact information to themselves.
To get information on direction and routes.
Pains
Downloading multiple apps.
Continuous comparision between the apps to get the cheapest ride.
Booking way before just to a cab booked.
Everyday price surge during office hours.
Everyday struggle to book a cab - rush hour booking.
Difficulty in finding the exact location of the driver.
Don’t want to send live location on whatsapp.
Motivations
To save the money.
To reach office at correct time and start working.
To save money by planning a budget for travelling everyday to office.
To reach the destination as soon as possible.
To be safe from creepy cab drivers.
To get relied information from trusted sources so that the user is assured to how to reach a destination.
primary research
User Personas
THE SUMMARY
We created three kinds of personas based on our primary research to help us empathise with the user needs and also to prioritise the insights from the personal interviews.
Note: This is an abridged version of the documentation. Feel free to check the full thing!
key insights
App Functionality and Usability Issues
Difficulties during rush hours and uncertainties about backup options lead to higher cancellation rates
Challenges in accommodating varying numbers of travelers and prioritizing safety and security during journeys.
Frequent price surges during office hours and the need to use multiple apps for bookings add complexity to daily commuting.
Time-consuming route planning, especially when coordinating with multiple bus and subway schedules, poses challenges
Commuters face challenges in the initial and final parts of journeys, requiring additional efforts like walking or hailing a cab.
Limited adaptability to user preferences and challenges in integrating with local transport methods impact personalized commuting experiences.
Inability to add stops during journeys and a lack of information on nearby facilities like public washrooms limit user convenience
THE FUN STUFF
Ideation
The summary
We derived How Might We (HMW) questions from key insights obtained through competitive analysis and user research. Subsequently, we engaged in brainstorming sessions to ideate features based on these HMW questions.
HMW cater to daily commuters taking the same route?
HMW increase the flexibility in route planning?
HMW reduce stress during peak hours?
HMW enhance the safety and security of the passenger?
HMW ensure a smooth journey for commuters with personal vehicles?
HMW add local and traditional ways of travel to our app to provide a variety of transportation modes?
HMW reduce decision fatigue for users while booking across multiple apps?
HMW create a system that works well for different sizes of travel groups?
HMW make the first and last mile complexity more efficient?
Feature Finalization
Live public transit (buses/metros) status
Add stops
Search along the routes
Incentivize - Reward system
Warnings/ Alerts
SOS button
Ride match - To search other travelers nearby who are going along the same route or area.
Sync calendar
Informing nearby EV charging stations and parking spaces availability
Filter options: fastest, cheapest, step-free, convenience, Least walk, least transfers
Exploring events and destinations
Public transit card integration
Filter options based on the mood : Quiet, fast, scenic
Flexibility of setting the time to leave or arrive at the destination
Save routes
Save places
Range of vehicle options
Periodic promotions and loyalty programs
Filter options based on the mood : Quiet, fast, scenic
The structure
information Architecture
THE SUMMARY
To understand how the current market is addressing the transportation service, we segmented our competitive analysis in two parts : Direct vs. Indirect
Introducing
THe openning
Onboarding
THE SUMMARY
To understand how the current market is addressing the transportation service, we segmented our competitive analysis in two parts : Direct vs. Indirect
Scenario 1
Meet Santosh
Imagine Santosh, a resident of Chennai who needs to get to this friend’s place. He has travel preferences and would like to be recommended routes that cater to them.
His commute is not a daily occurrence but rather an occasional one, hence he manually searches and set his preferences for his route.
Scenario 2
Meet Vibhath
Imagine Vibhath, a daily commuter from Bangalore who goes from his home to office during rush hour. Even though he prefers cab rides, he has to resort to other inconvenient modes of transport and transfers as cabs are expensive during rush hour.
His main objective is to reduce the amount he spends on transportation while still availing cab services.
Scenario 3
Meet John
Introducing John, a new visitor in Guwahati, eager to unravel the city's charm, seek economical travel choices, and relish the journey.
Scenario 4
Meet Nikki
Imagine Nikki, a dedicated family person, embarking on her commute with her 8-member family. She wants to roam with her family in the weekend.
Her primary goal is to curate cherished moments by spending the entire day together, nurturing the close-knit bonds within her family.
Signing off : retrospective
Working under tight deadlines in an unfamiliar domain pushed us to grow in unexpected ways. We learned that speed doesn’t have to compromise quality; it’s possible to maintain high standards even under intense time pressure. Special thanks to my friends, Damini and Devjanee who were the other parts of the three musketeers in this project.
Hi there!
My portfolio is best viewed on a laptop 🖳 for now!
The tablet version is still in the workshop, but it’s coming soon—stay tuned!
Hi there!
My portfolio is best viewed on a laptop 🖳 for now!
The mobile version is still in the workshop, but it’s coming soon—stay tuned!