ILL | IOW 3.4 & 3.5 Design Social Innovation
Rumbo Transportation App
Rumbo Transportation App
Collaboration By:
An-Mari Hanekom
Julie Moreno Mancilla
Megan Pluke
Benita Steenberg
Kirsten Wessels
Brief Summary
Evaluate, ideate and design a digital social innovation (DSI) to create a market-fit mobile application, Rumbo, for Pretoria commuters using Where Is My Transport’s technology.
Deliverables
Phase 1
PHASE 2
- Documented Findings
- Style Guide
- UI Components
- Pitch Deck
- Digital Prototype
- Scenario
Project Strategy
As of 2016, 68% of South Africans rely on the taxi system as their main source of transportation. New customers who want to integrate into this complex taxi system may find it overwhelming due to not having sufficient knowledge of its nuances. Without help from more experienced customers, they may be unsuccessful in their pursuit. After a competitor analysis, a clear gap was found in the market for a reliable cost-effective taxi-oriented app.
Thus, introducing Rumbo. We aim for Rumbo to be the leading travel companion for taxi commuters in Pretoria, making navigating the taxi system easy and reliable.
The target market, being mainly lower-class South African's, with little to no app experience, heavily informed the design strategy. Which focuses on a simple, data-efficient, and easily navigated app that gets the our users from point A to B with no fuss.
Rumbo’s features include an Interactive Map that provides the user with important route info unique to each area and its nuances. Another is an in-app taxi calculator that simplifies receiving and splitting fares for the front-seat passengers, allowing for seamless cash transactions. And lastly, as data prices and low batteries are everyday struggles, Rumbo has a Data Saver and Low Battery Mode feature just for that.
Phase 1
Introducing the concept
Before beginning with the task of creating an app for the South African taxi industry, it is vital to understand the socio-political culture that it was born out of. This historical background informs and explains a lot of the nuances seen in both the industries problems and benefits that we witness today and aids in empathetic and informed way of problem solving.
For more information read here.
Introducing the problem
Interview script
Our Interview Script's number one aim is to create a comfortable and safe environment for our users to freely speak. This is created with a heavy emphasis on an empathetic nature and an eager openness to learn about an industry that we as creators have little to no first hand knowledge on.
The team had an additional opportunity to have a conversation with representatives from SA Taxi. With this, it was informative to ask some additional questions about the industry from the perspective those involved within the system.
For a closer read click here.
Interview findings
The participants interviewed for this process were aged between 18-55 years old, with a variety professions.
Summary of findings:
100% of participants grew up within the taxi system and are comfortable using the system within their hometown.
However those who moved away had trouble integrating into the new towns system.
However those who moved away had trouble integrating into the new towns system.
25% of participants prefer using other modes of transportation, due to reliability, safety and cost-efficiency.
100% of users noted that efficiency and convenience influence their choice of transport.
100% of participants noted that the taxi system works on a 'if you know, you know system'.
For more in depth findings click here.
Introducing our Archetypes
Our product was mainly targeted towards the novice, in other words, someone who has never travelled by taxi before
and is interested in educating themselves about the system.
and is interested in educating themselves about the system.
Looking at Competitors
Before assessing the competitors, an important aspect to consider was Rumbo's vision as well as the features they offer.
See more here.
Rumbo's Overview & Feature Analysis
When selecting our direct competitors, the physical modes of transport that directly compete with the taxi industry were explored as opposed to simply exploring the other transport apps that are available.
This was done in mind of our archetypes selected, paying close attention to where their transport needs could be met within their budget.
This approach allowed us to educate ourselves on the different options available through the lens of what is plausible for our customers and how their needs can be met within the existing system at hand as it is today. It can be seen below that Aftarobot forms as the closest competitor involving taxi transportation, however due to it being inactive, it is no longer a direct competitor. However, it still contains multiple features that could be deemed as helpful to our archetypes, as can be seen in the competitor analysis and competitor journey below.
This approach allowed us to educate ourselves on the different options available through the lens of what is plausible for our customers and how their needs can be met within the existing system at hand as it is today. It can be seen below that Aftarobot forms as the closest competitor involving taxi transportation, however due to it being inactive, it is no longer a direct competitor. However, it still contains multiple features that could be deemed as helpful to our archetypes, as can be seen in the competitor analysis and competitor journey below.
Aftarobot's Overview
Aftarobot's Feature Analysis
Aftarobot's Competitor Journey and Heuristic Evaluation
Aftarobot, named after the colloquial hail to stop a taxi was a failed attempt to create an app that implemented a e-hailing service within the taxi industry. We believe that it failed due to a lack of knowledge of the taxi industry itself, it’s political histories, the industries resistance to be formalised and the ignorance of trying to implement the option of a cashless system.
The app itself however, is an example of a successful design application. With this in mind it is imperative that we do a second heuristic analysis to understand effective app design and implement these ideas within the upcoming design solution.
See more here.
Summarising our Findings
Below is the summarised features and goals that we decided to incorporate in our new and improved Rumbo.
User Flow
The user flows above explore the following features:
- Map
- Taxi-Maths
- Community
- Low Data & Battery Saving Modes
For the link to the FigJam file, click here.
Phase Two
Low-Fidelity Prototype
For more iterations of the low-fidelity wireframes click here.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype 1:
Documented Findings
With this information in hand, we re-refined the user flow and created our final Mid-Fidelity Prototype.
For more user flows click here.
Final Mid-Fidelity Prototype:
Style Guide
Rumbo's Existing Assets
Localised Assets
Components
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Introducing the final product
Digital Prototype
Scenario
You and your friend work at the same company in Sandton City Centre you both have decided to ride a taxi together
from Hatfield:
- You learn that there is a new feature of Taxi Maths on the app, how would you find it?
- You are on a budget and are looking to take the cheapest route to work.
- As you are planning your route, you notice there is an accident. You decide to share the route with your friend Naledi so that she is aware that you guys need to leave a little earlier.
- As you are waiting for your taxi you realise you are unsure of what hand signal to use, how would you find information to learn more?
- While you plan your route you get an SMS that your data is running low. You don’t have WiFi nearby, what do you do?
You and your friend work at the same company in Sandton City Centre you both have decided to ride a taxi together
from Hatfield:
- You learn that there is a new feature of Taxi Maths on the app, how would you find it?
- You are on a budget and are looking to take the cheapest route to work.
- As you are planning your route, you notice there is an accident. You decide to share the route with your friend Naledi so that she is aware that you guys need to leave a little earlier.
- As you are waiting for your taxi you realise you are unsure of what hand signal to use, how would you find information to learn more?
- While you plan your route you get an SMS that your data is running low. You don’t have WiFi nearby, what do you do?
