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Suggested Path

UX RESEARCH      2022

In Los Angeles, thousands of ride-share drivers are facing a big problem: the communication barrier with customers because of various factors. On the other hand, customers are also having trust issues with drivers because of the estrangement. These types of misunderstandings and conflicts between drivers and customers are still happening every day. In this UX research project, I will try to identify, analyze, and use UX tools to deliver a potential solution.
  • RESPONSBILITY
  • UX Research
  • Product strategy
  • Ethnographic Research
  • Iteration
  • TOOL
  • Figma
  • METHOD
  • Qualitative
  • Survey
  • Interview
  • Usability Test
PROBLEM

Although Uber has added messaging and calling functions between drivers and customers, it is still difficult to bridge the communication barrier between the two parties in the real world. Different cultural backgrounds and lingustic habits lead to various miscommunications.

I want to propose a real example to start this case study, the customer drops a Pin at the correct address and expects the driver to drop the meal at the house main entrance (Red star),but the Uber drivers always drop the food at side entrance of the house (Blue Star), because the blue-marked street is quite busy, the food being taken away by strangers many times, also this street is difficult to park. Even though the customer left a note telling the driver to park on the red-marked street and leave the food at the main door, this kind of thing still happened. Sometimes the customer tried to call the driver but the driver didn't pick up the phone, the customer is frustrated.

This form of conflict represents merely a single instance among a spectrum of potential challenges that rideshare services are poised to encounter. From the vantage point of the customer, myriad attempts may have been undertaken to leverage the multifarious functionalities embedded within the Uber App, yielding varying little success. Conversely, drivers approach the situation with the objective of impeccably executing the assigned ride in accordance with the prescribed route and stipulations stipulated by the application.

It becomes apparent that occasional breakdowns in communication arise, underscoring instances where Uber's designated communication mechanisms falter.

To address this problem, I decided to start by conducting in-depth interviews with Uber drivers as the target audience.

INTERVIEW & PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

To understand the work environment of Uber drivers and explore what design could be appropriate for them and their customers, I registered as an Uber driver in order to experience how the system works. At the same time, I had the opportunity to conduct interviews with 10 Uber drivers, including face-to-face interviews, Zoom meetings, and voice calls. I hope that by building this relationship, so I can work with them to find potential design solutions.

From the interview and participant observation with the Uber drivers, I noticed that:

Zoom meeting with participants

  • In the context of Los Angeles, some drivers with immigrant backgrounds might have linguistic barriers, which makes them psychologically fearful of answering the phone. The drivers will prioritize completing orders as soon as possible.

    “For me, the most painful moment while doing Uber is seeing the phone calls from customers. To be honest, my English is not that good. Sometimes I really can’t understand what they are saying, but I still have to do this to make money, I have family, it's too expensive to live in Los Angeles." -- Hong Liu

  • Everyone's definition might be different even when discussed the same thing, sometimes, even if the driver answers the phone call from customers, it is still difficult to understand the facts explained by the other party.

    “Once, a customer told me to turn left at a Blue gate. I searched the entire apartment for a long time but couldn't find it. I could hear her being upset tone on the phone. Finally, she found me and showed me the door, Oh God, I promise you it's really a Green gate.” -- Susan

  • Everyone has a different cognitive style and narrative style, which may lead to miscommunication in certain tense circumstances.

    “I really want to hang up the phone every time I hear customers tell me to go north then west and then bulabulabula... in my world there're only left and right. why do they make things so complicated and why can't they just drop the pin in the right location?” -- Jose

  • Uber drivers prominently depend on the utilization of the navigational functionality throughout the course of driving, especially the Uber App. The operational underpinning of said navigation functionality is fundamentally rooted in the cardinal spatial orientations(forward, backward, left, and right). Should clientele posit an alternative cognitive framework predicated upon the intercardinal points(east, west, north, south), the discernment and decision-making capacity of the driver stands susceptible to perturbation.
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

In this case study, the predominant methodological paradigm of anthropology and linguistics assumes a central role. Through the delineation and syntactic analysis of scenarios characterized by discord, we gain an enhanced comprehension of conflicts, thus facilitating the identification of prospective avenues for resolution.

In accordance with Charles Peirce's triadic framework of semiotics encompassing the divisions of Icon, Index, and Symbol, the attributes characterizing the category of Symbol offer explication concerning the occurrences in question: Combining the above cases, Language, color, name of one object etc. all belong to the category of Symbol, people according to different The cultural background knowledge structure has a different understanding of something (eg: the word CAT, American Flag, Virgin of Guadalupe)

Combining the various conflict cases described by the participants, when a conflict occurs, the Uber software provides a single communication mechanism: information and voice, and both are highly composed of Symbols in composition. This undoubtedly increases the probability of miscommunication.

Another type of conflict in the case occurs when a customer tries to force a change in the driver's current state. The driver hopes that the process of completing the order is to complete the order smoothly and continuously according to the instruction logic displayed on the App. When the customer disrupts this rhythm and tries to use the oral narrative method, all problems will follow.

DESIGN INSIGHT

Based on the above findings and case analysis, I came up with the following design insights:

  • A design within the Uber Maps architecture so that drivers don't need to interrupt/switch current states.
  • Try to introduce the concepts of Icon and Index into the communication mechanism to reduce the occurrence of miscommunication to a certain extent.
  • A real-time feature for easy tracking of progress.
SUGGESTED PATH DESIGN

Based on the design insights, I designed, developed, and built a prototype with the following key features to promote a new way of graphical communication between drivers and customers in order to reduce the occurrence of conflicts and misunderstandings

FEATURES

Suggested Path - Customer App
Customers can generate a suggested path when checking out. by marking the starting point of the suggested path, and then manually drawing the path between the starting point and the destination. This function can help drivers quickly and correctly find the ideal destination in apartment/ housing complexes.
Educational Incentive Mechanism
A brand new educational point system has now been created. The text message function is now used to inform users of the order's progress; at the same time, the educational video with environmental protection is attached. Users get a one-time reward point by clicking, and the statement with the nature of commitment can arouse the self-discipline of the user to reduce waste. With the existing point system and Feature function of Chipotle App itself, forming a circular mechanism becomes possible.

https://www.figma.com/proto/Y1SwzuwwPuYec5C3FmqIL0/Uber--Suggested-Paths?page-id=0%3A1&type=design&node-id=9-2&viewport=474%2C642%2C0.27&t=33PwpXAWLZkZAXNq-1&scaling=scale-down&starting-point-node-id=9%3A2&show-proto-sidebar=1&mode=design

USER EVALUATION

To understand the user experience and the influence of Suggested Path on divers and customers, I conducted a user study with 12 participants on the following two components:

Driver group (6 participants): I conducted a 15-20 minute usability test of the Figma prototype through a Zoom meeting, focusing on observing how they understand the new function and evaluate the design.

Customer group (6 participants): All the participants who have Uber eat and Uber ride experience were selected. The goal here is to obtain objective participant evaluation of functionality and design.

RESULTS

Regarding this design, the satisfaction rate of all participants is 91%, and the driver group gave a 100% satisfaction rate. Participants in the driver group generally hope that Uber will launch this design in the future.

“I really think this will be a game-changer. I've been disappointed with the Uber app for a long time. They haven't introduced such a convenient new feature like this in a long time." -- Jose

“...this is really useful! I bet it would make my life so much easier...” -- Kevin

SUMMARY

Aligned with the thematic tenets underpinning this course of study, a substantial portion of my temporal investment was allocated towards conducting interviews and procuring pertinent data. Regrettably, attributable to the inadvertent loss of certain design-related components, the present iteration of this case study stands bereft of comprehensive content. Noteworthy is the fact that this endeavor marks my inaugural endeavor wherein the contours of anthropological erudition converge with the realm of design. To navigate this juncture, I opted to imbue my research methodology with the ethnographic paradigm, thereby facilitating an exhaustive exploration of the participants' experiences. Additionally, I harnessed select theoretical constructs from the domain of anthropological linguistics to inform my analytical approach. All things considered, my overall sentiment toward this UX research undertaking is one of pronounced satisfaction.