UX
UI
Interaction Design
UX Research
Branding
Application Design
Roles
UX Designer
UI Designer
Interaction Designer
Visual Designer
UX Researcher
Duration
4 Weeks
Tools
Figma
Optimal Workshop
Maze
Team
2024 Q1 Capstone
Agenda
001 Project Overview
002 Research
003 Creating Structure
004 Feature Roadmap
005 Visual Design
006 Understanding the User Experience
007 Early Wireframes
008 Usability Testing
009 Hi-Fi Wireframes
010 Future Steps
011 Lessons Learned
Getting Closer to User-Centered Design
Hertz
Pros: Partnership with DoorDash and easy to rent from
Cons: No discounts to gig workers and not integrated to DoorDash
HyreCar
Pros: Designed for gig workers and discounts provided
Cons: No partnerships or integrations with DoorDash
Turo
Pros: A variety of vehicle options and easy pickup
Cons: Costs can vary wildly and no integration with DoorDash
Research
Overview
My research first centered around the competition landscape. By capitalizing on competitors' weaknesses and acknowledging their strengths, DoorDash can find the best way to implement and distinguish itself from competitors like Hertz and Turo. Over 5 user interviews were conducted that helped understand their unique pain points and what they’re hoping to resolve.
Findings
• Hertz has an unofficial partnership with DoorDash but it only points them to their site rather than anything integrated. Users rent a car as usual then manually tie it to their Dasher account.
• Only one competitor, HyreCar, is designed to provide cars for the gig economy but has no integration so apps like DoorDash.
Project Overview
The Story
DoorDash is the market leader in food delivery, with 66% of the market share. With the increasing rise in interest rates, low minimum wage, and rise in gas prices, the ability to own a car has become more difficult. Currently, to be a dasher, there are only a few options - use your own car, use a bike, or walk. This eliminates a core base of users that want to be able to earn an extra dollar but don’t have a car to be able to do so. Integrating a way to rent a car through DoorDash will employ more workers that are alienated currently.
The Problems
• DoorDash is missing untapped revenue from possible dashers without cars but want to participate in the gig economy
• Dashers that do choose to rent a car to dash find it so cumbersome and not cost efficient that 85% stop after the first rental and 95% after the second rental
The Solution
The goal of adding this feature is to increase revenue for DoorDash and to allow users with no transportation the ability to enter the Gig Economy with one of the best ways to earn money compared to services like Instacart and Uber.
Defining key motivations through user personas
Superficially it might seem that everyone is interested in the same thing: Saving time… but upon closer inspection, user research made it clear that there were divergent motivations.
Creating personas helped bring clarity to those divergences, which became important reference points as functions developed.
As I continued to conduct research and proceeded with design, I focused primarily on one persona because they represented the power user and a heavy emphasis of key functions: filling in knowledge gaps, facilitating the process of funding and permits, and the need to only use one platform.
Because I dash on foot, my schedule is weather dependent…I miss out on income
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I can only take small orders… I spend more time dashing and less with my family
Dashers make good money but I can't dash without a car - I live in a rural area
Heighten user empathy by exploring common tasks
By creating and exploring journey maps of the main persona and their typical tasks, I uncovered key emotional/procedural moments that this DoorDash feature needed to address. The stress someone might feel, for example, if someone needs to dash longer because they walk or bike. Or the sadness of not being able to provide for their family as effectively. To ensure this feature's success and stickiness, it would need to conquer some of these problems…and not to introduce new points of friction.
Creating Structure
SITE MAP PLACE HOLDER
The site map, which is backed by research and user interviews, depicts the three key task streams that the hi-fi prototype will focus on: 1. Selecting their restaurant location using real data from sites like Zillow, 2. Building their business plan, and 3. Securing funding from local or national banks. The framework the site map provides, along with the research collected so far, guided the decisions moving forward.
Feature Roadmap
Must-Have Features
Based on my competitive analysis and talking with potential users, the main features and functionality DoorDash needs to include are:
• A seamless way to rent a car with no need to deal with the actual rental agency
• Flexible rental periods with discounts available
• Income estimates to justify rental and set expectations
Establishing Visual Design
Visually articulating all of DoorDash's current brand with new UI elements - cards and imagery - meant testing these elements with users to ensure familiarity. The goal was to make these new elements blend with DoorDash's current visual design.
To achieve this, I used DoorDash's primary duotone color palette for the majority of screens while using its many accent colors sparingly for new elements.
Understanding the UX
Visualizing a User-Centric Experience
Quick sketching using the 8x8 method allows me to explore ways to incorporate new elements into DoorDash's simplistic flow without causing new points of friction. This helped me understand the user more, what they cared about, and what they're familiar with. This also helped me identify screen types that could serve multiple functions.
Early Wireframes
Gearing Up for User Testing
After sketching, low-fi prototypes were created to understand what’s going resonate and empower users. This step allowed me to garner valuable user feedback, initiate the design direction is correct, and make sure time is well spent. This ensured the final design would be user-centric and fit the DoorDash brand.
Usability Testing
Surfacing New Issues
The high-fidelity prototype brought test users closest to the real experience yet, and it revealed some key issues that needed to be addressed. While some users were able to complete the flows, UX heuristics needed to be improved. Reducing screens in favor of info buttons was common feedback I heard from most interviewees
Other issues included not enough customization and language that didn't feel in connection with DoorDash.
Testers were also able to verbalize a need they haven’t thought about before this iteration: Could this application also allow you to rent a car for multiple purposes - not just Dash.
High-Fi Wireframes
The Final Product
The hi-fi prototype includes revisions from user testing and personal changes that I feel makes this interface a beautiful and intuitive product.
The prototype includes all revisions based on user testing that make this new feature a usable and desirable way to rent a car to participate in the gig economy.
View Prototype
Future Steps
Issues to Address for Long-Term Development
• Users will have more rental options - i.e scooters and trucks - to keep up with expanding dashing options
• Users are able to select multiple payments plans like paying a fee on each order vs a fixed rental fee
Lessons Learned
Key Takeaways
• I went into this project assuming this site would only provide a single function: a way for people to rent a car directly through DoorDash. I learned quickly how feature heavy this would be after initial user testing - multiple payment plans, incentives, pickup and delivery options, and more.
• My original intent for the feature was to seamless way for users to rental a car directly through DoorDash without the need to deal with a rental agency then add the car manually to the DoorDash app. While testing, I realized users needed an option to have a car delivered, something Hertz does not offer.
• People have a different schedules so designing custom rental and payment options was key to address a core need - financial flexibility.
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