AltexSoft & Niftie: Designing Ride-Sharing App as Public Transportation Alternative

Driver-Commuter Interaction Model

Step 1: Business model analysis and user flow mapping

Main and new user flows

New user flow. A rider goes through brief onboarding and receives three free rides that can be redeemed after login to complete a booking. This allows travelers to get better acquainted with the service.

Main user flow. A rider can skip multiple steps and directly book a ride choosing from previous ones. Once free rides are used, a commuter can purchase ticket packages.

Step 2: Commuter application UI design

Redefined core application functions to expand market coverage

Because the old application is focused on events travel, route options are limited.  As Niftie aims to expand, our team had to rethink the ways passengers will be interacting with the app and introduce new features that include a wide variety of available routes for new commuters and a convenient workflow for existing ones.

Informative onboarding. To start using the app, commuters don’t have to register right after the splash screen. They can explore all available routes and are only required to sign up prior to booking.

Instant booking from favorite routes. Existing users can set favorite routes and book the ride bypassing all setup (routes and scheduling) stages instantly.

Setting intermediary pickup and drop-off points. The old Niftie app allowed travelers to ride only from the very start to the very end of the route. The new design offers multiple intermediary points to choose from.

Commuter app

Introduced flexible commute and payment options for white label product distribution

The project goal was to lay groundwork for further growth and white label distribution. We introduced two new features that bring flexibility to the app and make it more attractive for local organizations that may consider using it as a white label product.

Flexible pick up.  A flexible pickup feature allows commuters to request a pickup from points close to the main route locations, which is more convenient than requiring commuters to wait at predefined locations only.

Ticket packages. Getting discounts for purchasing multiple tickets at once is a common practice at transport organizations, so it was included in the app as an additional option.

Flexible commute possibilities

Step 3: Tablet application for drivers

Realized minimalist driver app flow

The app for drivers is expected to be used on tablets mounted in buses. As commuters must confirm their pickup by entering their pin, the driver app is to be used both by driver and customer. Drivers will use the app mainly for navigation and commuter tracking.

Our main goal in designing the flow in the driver app is to make it as clear, functional, and uncomplicated as possible. As a result, it has only four main actions.

Automation and self-service approach minimizing the driver effort

The goal of the driver app is to reduce the effort that drivers must put into manipulating the app. Basically, the only action the drivers must complete manually is logging in. The app is expected to automatically navigate a driver, while passengers must check themselves in, allowing drivers to focus on their main duty.

Personal driver accounts with routing and timing. Each driver has their own account. This is where they receive route info and navigate through each stop on the way.

Self-service commuter check-in. To streamline passenger check-in, the interface suggests commuters find their name among registered passengers, then check in with their pin code.

Driver app