Overview
Understanding the Problem
Moober aims to streamline carpool and Uber splitting coordination, providing a cost-effective and convenient alternative for travel while helping drivers offset gas expenses. By simplifying the process for both riders and drivers, Moober addresses the inefficiencies and high costs of current options, making shared travel more accessible and hassle-free for college students.
How it Started
During my freshman year, figuring out how to get home to San Jose from Davis proved to be a task when my main transportation method was (and still is) my bike. Using the Amtrak set me back $34 for a one-way trip, but I soon came across the UC Davis Facebook Rideshare group, where rides to the Bay Area averaged $15 for half the travel time.
Since then, most of my experiences with FB rideshare have been relatively smooth (aside from one driver who overcharged me). Some rides were chatty, others more laid-back—both of which I didn’t mind. What I did mind, though, was the tedious process of manually searching through posts to find a ride that matched my time, date, and location. Planning ahead was also tough, as many drivers only posted their rides a couple of days—or sometimes even the day before—they were set to leave.
As of December 2024, mooberdavis.com currently has 800+ active users.
My Contributions
User Research
Feature Set & Information Architecture
Wireframes
Design System & Branding
Marketing
Graphic Design
User Research
Is There an Existing Problem?
When brainstorming with my team about what student problems at UC Davis we wanted to solve, I proposed creating a more streamlined, user-friendly method for ridesharing. However, I needed confirm if others also had issues with the existing FB group and whether there was a widespread demand for more affordable and efficient travel among UC Davis students.
Surveys
Facebook Rideshare Group Survey
The UC Davis Facebook Rideshare Group is a community-driven platform where students can post ride requests and offers for carpooling to various destinations. It serves as an informal means for students to connect with others who have similar travel plans.
Here is what people had to say about it:
What about Everyone Else?
Because we wanted this platform to be valuable to a broader audience (non FB rideshare users), I conducted a travel survey to understand students' travel frequency, transportation methods, and challenges in planning trips home.
These surveys revealed key pain points for FB rideshare users and highlighted the need for a more convenient way for students to get to the airport. As a result, I ideated features that prioritize safety, reduce communication delays and added an Uber-splitting function for out-of-state and international students heading to the airport.
User Research
How will Moober Compete?
I explored existing transportation options, including popular rideshare services, public transit, and other carpooling platforms noted by students in the survey responses. By examining their strengths and weaknesses, I identified opportunities for improvement and differentiation.
User Research
Defining our Value Proposition Through an MVP
Before diving into design and development, we launched an MVP (minimal viable product) to further validate our value proposition and figure out other potential problems students face with arranging carpools.
During the weekend before spring break, we created a shareable Google spreadsheet for students to arrange rides.
It included two separate pages: one for arranging carpools and another for finding someone to split an Uber with to the airport. We shared the spreadsheet to student organizations, promoted it directly to students on campus, and posted it across various social media platforms and forums.
Takeaways
Throughout our MVP testing, I observed interaction patterns and interviewed with drivers and riders who used it.
Here's what I discovered:
Students were comfortable sharing social media handles and phone numbers. Despite initial safety concerns, we chose not to develop in-platform messaging for our initial launch.
Students confirmed rides without prior coordination, which led us to adjust our booking feature (see Mid-fidelity section).
We introduced ride requests for students unable to find compatible rides and recognized that acquiring drivers first was essential for user retention, informing our marketing strategy.
Many students viewed the ride spreadsheet but didn’t post or join, emphasizing the importance of ride compatibility and availability for user acquisition.
Mid-fidelity
Initial Wireframes
In the early stages of my design process, I developed initial mid-fidelity wireframes focusing on functionality and layout without major branding elements. My goal was to establish a clear structure and user flow, ensuring the core user experience was solid to minimize iterative changes with engineers before launch.
Pre-Handoff Revisions
Trip Preview Informational Hierarchy
Given that our user base is exclusively college students and that safety was identified as a major concern in our research, I decided to add the driver's name and profile to the ride preview card to increase transparency. Additionally, I also made several other UI changes to develop a more intuitive layout.
Booking System
Because communication latency was an recurring pain point for Facebook Rideshare users and our MVP users appreciated the ability to immediately reserve a seat, we decided to implement a seat reservation system instead of the original ride request system.
Contact UI
After receiving feedback that the contact information layout in my mid-fidelity designs wasn't accessible, I replaced the icons with a single text button that triggers a pop-up. This redesign enables users to easily access detailed phone numbers and usernames without being redirected and works efficiently on both mobile and desktop.
Final Solution
Design System
I opted for a minimal color palette, using only greyscale and a single primary color—purple—to evoke a reliable impression. To balance this, I incorporated a handwritten font and a playful cow car logo (in reference to UC Davis's cows) that adds a friendly, approachable touch, making the platform feel more welcoming and student-oriented
Key Features
Student Authentication
To access ride details and profiles, users must log in with their @ucdavis.edu email. This requirement ensures that our platform remains exclusive to UC Davis students, adding an additional layer of security.
Homepage
Our platform lets users toggle between carpools and Uber splitting feeds, search rides by location and date, and use a "To/From" toggle with Davis as the required location. Users can also post their own rides from this screen.
Trip Details
This screen displays pricing, date, destination, pickup and dropoff locations, and trunk space availability. Additionally, it also provides driver contact information and notes they may have. Users can view other passengers in the ride and reserve a seat.
Creating a Ride
Users can create a carpool or Uber split post by filling out the required fields. A confirmation screen then prompts drivers or coordinators to check for messages from riders.
User Profile
Profiles show first name, last initial, pronouns, and optionally, year and major. The ride history section helps establish platform credibility by showcasing user engagement.
Post Launch
Marketing Initiatives
As our site was being developed, I worked closely with our team’s product manager to create and execute a marketing strategy for post launch.
Populating our Platform with Drivers
A week before memorial weekend, I had the greatest idea ever to host a free car wash to incentivize drivers to use our platform. The purpose of the car wash was to populate our site with available rides before the upcoming long weekend. In the process of promoting our free car wash, we also pitched Moober to interested students to raise campus awareness.
Social Media Marketing
For additional marketing, I created an Instagram page to promote our platform and also effectively communicate with students about questions. Here are some of the graphics I designed:
By the end of the 2024 spring quarter at UC Davis, mooberdavis.com was able to achieve:
Challenges Faced
User acquisition: Attracting Facebook rideshare drivers to our platform was challenging with a smaller user base. It was also difficult to identify student drivers willing to participate in ridesharing within the broader student population.
Time and technical constraints: We aimed to launch just before Memorial Day weekend, anticipating students to be traveling home for the weekend. However, this also meant marketing an unfinished product and working under a strict time constraint.
Ride compatibility: Although some students were able find others to carpool or split an uber with, many rides posted were still left empty due to inflexibility of departure times.
Reflection
Working on Moober was an exciting and valuable learning experience. As a co-founder, I felt a deep sense of ownership and enjoyed collaborating with my team to bring it to life. This project marked my first time navigating the entire product development cycle, from ideation to launch. Seeing my designs used by real students at UC Davis was incredibly rewarding.
Next Steps
In the coming school year, my team and I plan to continue working on Moober. Some of our potential next steps include:
Usability testing to identify potential UI changes
Further marketplace research
Ideating features to incentivize drivers
Exploring the development of a mobile app
Lessons & Takeaways
Although I had previous experience working on cross-functional teams, Moober was my first major project as the sole product designer from its early stages. Here are some of my key lessons and takeaways:
Engaging with users for feedback
Prioritizing accessibility & responsive design
Communicating effectively with engineers on product development and design systems
Working within constraints, identifying compromises and prioritizing viable features