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vol 001 uberfied process book
a study of uber and the local ridesharing culture of savannah
by katheryn allen alejandra chavarria nese gunduz david krongel stephen schwab
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a service that has been made so simple to use, works with just a click of a button.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRO
04 AFFINITY
9 - 11 Introduction
82 - 85 Affinity
12 - 13 Ethnography
86 - 93 Development
01 THE FRAME
94 - 101 Analysis
14 - 17 Frame
05 CONCEPTS
18 - 19 Plan
102 - 105 Concepts
02 SECONDARY RESEARCH
106 - 111 Ideation 112 - 139 Offerings
20 - 23 Secondary
06 CONCLUSIONS
24 - 37 Process
140 - 143 Conclusion
03 PRIMARY RESEARCH
07 THE EVENT
38 - 41 Primary
148 - 153 Uber-Fied
42 - 47 Planning
144 - 147 Event
48 - 65 Interviews
08 REFLECTION
66 - 75 Cultural Probe
154 - 159 Reflection
76 - 77 Shadowing 78 - 81 Survey
APPENDIX 160 - 161 References
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INTRO
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Who we are as individuals and members of society is anchored in the experience of our daily lives. Interactions between each other and the systems of our culture define our experience. In an effort to deepen our ethnographic understanding of these interactions, we have chosen to study the local culture of Uber in Savannah. In choosing our area of research, our group made a conscious decision to study the culture of a system which is disruptive, innovative and widespread. The phenomenon of Uber has presented with both adulation and resistance. The sharing (or access-to-ownership) economy is now a proven concept. It has become an integral part of our overall economy, although not without challenge. This report does not intend to offer solutions related to the difficulties of fitting seamlessly into the current economic system: Uber is quite adept at fitting in where they can on their own. The technology platform and service infrastructure in which Uber operates are both still novel. As such these systems are plastic and willing to respond to the calls of the user. In this course of research, our group has set out to find the voice of the user. In finding this voice we can grasp the overarching experience as an Uber user. We therefore can take an emic point of view when devising solutions to the problems facing our users. This process book will illuminate the basics of ethnography, as applied to our course of study. In it we shall review the tools and procedures used to find the voice of our user. We will demonstrate qualitative and quantitative metrics associated with the strength of our concepts. Finally, we will present the reader with our final design offerings as presented the second day of June, 2016 at The Grey restaurant in Savannah, GA. We look forward to sharing our process with you.
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ethnography
intro
HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN Adopt the Mindsets
Use the Tools
Understand the Process
Inspiration
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Ideation
Implementation
introduction
Trust the Process
Mindsets • Creative Confidence • Make it • Learn from Failure • Empathy
Create Real Impact
• Embrace Ambiguity • Optimism • Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
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section one uberfied
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01
THE FRAME
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In order to begin our research, the group starts out by developing a rapid mind map of the systems and concepts we associate with Uber. This mind map is used as a place to get all of our initial thoughts vocalized. It allows us to notice patterns of bias, assumptions and blind spots. From here we move forward into outlining our research. When first starting out, we are genuinely overwhelmed with the scope of the project. There is so much information available about Uber, and every day someone in the group finds some new innovation or piece of news which informs our direction. It takes us, as novice ethnographers, a few weeks to gain trust in the process, and even longer to become comfortable with it. Nevertheless, with a sturdy research plan and our willingness to remain flexible, we are able to extract the voice of our users from the mind of information before us.
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plan
section one
RESEARCH PLAN As with any significant undertaking, our group defines a research plan to help guide our efforts. As we learn, the process of ethnographic research is organic and iterative. While a written research plan is linear in nature, it nevertheless allows us to anchor our efforts in a timeline and keep us on track. When necessary, the research plan is shifted to suit our current state of understanding.
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the frame
Week
2
3
4
5
6
April
Date
5
7
8
9
10
May
7
12 14 19 21 26 28
3
June
5
10 12 17 19 24 26 31
2
Task: Secondary Research Present and use Ideo Tools to move forward Primary Research: interview, cultural probe, observation Midterm Presentation / affinity mapping Identify personas / realize offerings
Prototype solutions/ stakeholder alignment
Final Event / Presentation
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02
SECONDARY
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In this initial stage, our group sets out to establish a framework for our research. With a general idea of what we want to learn, we begin scouring tech magazines, online news outlets and social media sites. Through this preliminary process, we define the salient topics necessary to continue our research. Armed with a deeper understanding of our general research topic, our group prepares to dive directly into our local context. Our media scans shift from global to local. We started to disseminate the systems of transit and ridesharing immediately within Savannah. In addition, we develop an evolving stakeholder’s map. This helps us define the local culture of ridesharing in Savannah.
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process
section two
POPULAR MEDIA SCAN This tool is arguably the most potent. From the beginning of this process, we use popular media outlets to keep the group up to date on all things Uber. This constant and consistent scan of Uber news informs everything from our initial contextual framework to design opportunities and even our deliverable solutions. It helps us tie together loose concepts, to build arguments for or against a given feature, and inform the direction of our local research. As our scan of popular media deepens, we need the voice of the user to disseminate our story and provide research direction. The trends analysis tool allows us to cross index the globalized information gathered from our popular media scan with our local users and stakeholders. Using the voice of our users in social media platforms, we identify subtle themes and motifs which deepened our understanding of the local culture of Uber in Savannah.
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video interviews
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process
section two
INSIGHTS
FROM POP SCAN We learn important insights from our Popular Media Scan including the timeline of Uber. From this we begin to understand the phenomenon of the ridesharing industry, how it spreads and who it affects. We learn how Uber changes the way they acquire new customers, how they manage drivers and enter new markets. We also begin to map out their strategies for collaboration with local markets to deliver special offerings and locally unique features.
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secondary research
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process
section two
WINTER 2008 concept in born
01
OCTOBER 2010 changes from ubercab
02
MARCH 2009 - JUNE 2010 development in san francisco
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03
04
FEBRUARY 2011 11 million raised
JULY 2012 expansion in select cities and internationally
05
06
SUMMER 2012 uberx shifts strategy
secondary research
SUMMER 2013 lyft become competitive
07
08
JANUARY 2014 rash of bad press and regulation cases
WINTER 2015 uber invests in driverless cars
09
10
DECEMBER 2015 company valued at 65 billion
FEBRURARY 2016 re-brand
11
12
PRESENT TILL PRINT 464 cities worldwide
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process
section two
STAKEHOLDERS MAP The stakeholders map is an essential tool to our process. This map is a visual representation of those affected by the implementation of ridesharing systems. These subjects may include local businesses, international corporations, and individuals working and living within the local context. This visualization allows our group to maintain focus on those entities central to the local culture of ridesharing in Savannah. This also helps us with our first re-frame: recognizing the undeniable influence of one ridesharing company in particular. Due to this, we shift our focus from the local culture of ridesharing to the local culture of Uber in Savannah.
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co
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o la b
rato
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rs se
: d riv
er a n d ri d er
section two
rate o p or
process
STAKEHOLDERS MAP
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secondary research
fun
c ti o
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process
section two
10 TYPES OF INNOVATION Using our popular media scan we collect data about Uber and the rideshare industry. To help us organize our data we utilize the Ten Types of Innovation Framework. This method of industry surveying helps us categorize different innovations put forth by Uber. It helps us recognize where Uber’s innovative strengths and weaknesses lay, and thereby gives us a clear map of opportunity areas within the Uber framework. The areas of innovation we examine include finance, process, offering and delivery. Within this framework, each area of innovation is examined with unique questions designed to provide specific insights.
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process
section two
INSIGHTS FROM 10 TYPES
From the Ten Types Framework we learn about the core processes and the enabling processes used by Uber to deliver innovation. Unfortunately, the group encounters some difficulties fully fleshing out this framework: Uber is a private corporation and as such we struggle to find salient information surrounding the more important areas of the Ten Types. Business strategy, investment packages, and data collection are all obfuscated. Our group can only make inferences in some areas and must move forward.
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secondary research
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section three
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03
PRIMARY
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We have been able to establish our research topic and develop an understanding of the local systems involved in ridesharing. Our next step is to understand those central to our ethnographic study: People. Using techniques provided through IDEO and author Vijay Kumar’s Design Methods 101, we set about identifying the human elements of ride sharing. Techniques include cultural probes at local events, video diaries of local user experiences, and interviews with relevant professionals.
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planning
section three
NEXT STEPS Using the framework (Who, What Where, When and How), we refine our secondary research into a matrix of key questions. In addition, we make a detailed list of areas of inquiry, possible local and global contacts, and necessary sources to gain access to data and individuals.
QUESTIONS We choose to focus on nine core research questions. These questions establish our outline by identifying in detail the plan to obtain the information specific to each question and its relevance to the project scope.
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primary research
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planning
section three
What do I need to know?
Why do I need to know this?
What kind of data will answer this question?
Where can I find the data?
What does Uber mean to people?
The company is human-centered
Emotional
Uber rides, SCAD Buildings, Park
What are expectations when using Uber?
To understand and improve upon Uber experience
Emotional
Uber reviews, Blogs, Testimonials
What is the future of transportation in Savannah?
To understand how Uber will impact the city
Emotional, Financial, Socioeconomic, Statistical
Transit authority, Competitors, Social Service Providers
Why do people use Uber?
To understand why Uber is different
Emotional, Financial, Socioeconomic, Statistical, Logistics
Testimonials, Reviews Heavy and Average Users, Drivers
What do people do while using Uber?
To understand and improve upon Uber experience
Emotional
Uber riders, Instagram, Twitter
What are the social and cultural functions of Uber?
To understand the corporate mindset
Emotional, Socioeconomic
Uber Corporate, Drivers, Riders
Is there a framework used into expanding to new cities?
To understand how the business functions
Statistical, Emotional, Structural, Supply and Demand
Uber Corporate, Popular Media
What is missing from Uber in Savannah?
To understand the local ride-sharing
Statistical,Structural, Supply and Demand
SCAD Buildings, Reviews
How do people feel about Uber?
The company is human-centered
Emotional
Uber riders, Reviews Instagram, Twitter
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primary research
What types of research methods will I use?
Who do I contact for access?
How will I share the information?
Timeline
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
Weeks 4-7
Interviews, Cultural Probes, Shadowing, Media Scan
Savannah locals, Interviews (see the list)
Photos, Videos, Infographics, Voice Records
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planning
section three
CHANGE OF LANGUAGE Starting out, we began with the local culture of ridesharing in Savannah. As we move forward, it is apparent from our innovation mapping, stakeholders map and popular media scan that Uber is the dominant force in the ridesharing market in Savannah. We are confident in the emerging opportunity areas. However, we begin to face challenges contacting stakeholders operating at the corporate levels of Uber. Their participation in our research interviews is paramount. Without them, we cannot learn about the intricate details of the structures, functions and underlying philosophy of our subject. In order to surmount this challenge we change our strategy. This change is subtle yet powerful. Up to this point, we had specifically mentioned the “local culture of Uber in Savannah,” as our research subject when reaching out to contacts for interviews. In order to put our stakeholders at ease, we change the language to the “local culture of ride sharing in Savannah.” This change, while subtle, yields powerful results. We are able to secure willing, informative participants at the corporate level.
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primary research
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interviews
section three
INTERVIEWS With our intent and context defined, we are able to move into specific inquiries about the local implication of Uber in Savannah. Our group is able to secure audio interviews with multiple employees of Uber Corporate, local Uber drivers, as well as businesses and individuals being affected by Uber’s inception in Savannah. These include transit workers, students, and hospitality professionals.
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interviews
section three
INTERVIEWEES AVID UBER RIDERS
UBER DRIVERS
Name: John Storey Relevance: Avid Uber rider Location: Savannah
Name: Bud Rosser Relevance: Uber driver and creator of secret Facebook group for Uber drivers Location: Savannah
Name: Diana Echeguren Relevance: Avid Uber rider Location: Savannah
OTHER Name: Jennifer Schwarz Relevance: Andaz Hotel Concierge Location: Savannah
Name: Rebecca Byrd Relevance: Uber driver Location: Savannah Name: John Clarke Relevance: Uber driver Location: Savannah Name: Jeffrey Terziyan Relevance: Uber driver Location: Los Angeles
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primary research
COMPETITORS
UBER CORPORATE
Name: Mick Mausert Relevance: Taxi driver Location: Savannah
Name: Can Duruk Relevance: Software Engineer at Uber Location: San Francisco
Name: Elsie Elliott Relevance: Personal driver Location: Savannah Name: Matt Hewitt Relevance: General Manager Pedicabs Location: Savannah Name: Chris Medford Relevance: Royal Bike Taxi Location: Savannah Name: Brandon Patey Relevance: Part Time Pedicab Driver Location: Savannah Name: Jim Eckstaedt Relevance: CFO Frias Transportation Location: Las Vegas
Name: Gonzalo Gelso Relevance: Former marketing rep for Uber in Isla Vista, CA Location: Savannah Name: Baris Izmirli Relevance: Logistics and Operations Manager Location: Istanbul Name: Max Wenneker Relevance: GM of Operations at Uber Location: MD/DC/VA area
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“ interviews
when we go into a new city, we know what to do, we know what to expect; every city has a local approach
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interviews
section three
“the one sentence answer is a technology that enables the connection can be Uber” “Uber is a customer obsessed company” “every city has into a new city, we know what to do, we know what to expect” “just h has affected and taken a lot of the local business in Savannah” “I wish U “ ... the local people here in Savannah enjoy having their own personal U of embarrassed it” “an Uber kiosk creates something you don’t have to are my main Uber rider, not locals” “I cultivate relationships with stude international” “if I don’t want them to speak to me I’ll will just say hello they know I am reliable and safe and a female” “if we need a cab at sev about relationships” “I continue to drive because of the relationships tha know ahead of time who is coming to get you” “having that human inte I like talking to people” “you can choose who I pick and drop off” “a lot and trust worthy” “Uber is best set up for the part time driver” “What off whenever you want, you don’t have to work on a fixed schedule” “fu or as little as you want or as little as you want” “I joined Uber to make e “drivers always come up with a way to better the system” “TLCs say th have generated the idea that this is an acceptable action (accepting ride I get in the car, I click and then we go..So it’s still Uber - you can’t reall trust you, they will” “authenticity is an issue... you would think a compa confidence as possible in terms of integrity of your drivers” “she didn’t rely on the gps” “I don’t like alcohol to enter my car- I prefer not to driv technology” “you want to go from point A to point B quickly and efficie [Uber] are a private company, we have access to a lot of sensitive data delivery platform”
primary research
n of riders who need a ride and drivers who can give a ride” “everybody s a local approach” “we’ve reduced this to a science, an art” “when we go having a reliable taxi service out there is negatively affecting us... ” “Uber Uber respected the smaller community and understood the local culture” Uber driver; or a premier driver in the city” “I think the city- they’ve kind o think of, you just know it’s there. A driver is there” “tourists and students ents and their families”“80% of my passengers are SCAD students and o and then just be on my phone”“i always communicate with hotels ... ven in the morning, I know they will be there and can trust them. It’s all at are being built” “Uber reliability is comforting ... it feels more secure to eraction is fun, maybe you don’t always have the best experiences...but of people take representation into their own hands. It’s efficient, quick, t’s really nice about Uber is the scheduling, you can turn the app on and ully half of the drivers don’t work except on weekend” “you make as much extra money” “people drive Uber and make money wherever they go” hey don’t authorize outside of app arrangements but riders and drivers es outside of the app)” “my friend Curtis, he’ll be waiting down there, ly reserve in advance but you can tell the driver to be there and if they any providing transportation to the public would want to provide as much know anything, she was really depending on the gps...some of them really ve drunk people” “driverless cars are the future.. we will adapt and adopt ently in a pleasant environment that doesn’t intrude on your privacy” “we a that we cannot share” “Uber is moving from a ride-sharing platform to a
video interviews
section three
UBER DIARIES By videotaping our stakeholders, we have the opportunity to scrutinize the audio and video for common themes. In a series of video shorts referred to as “The Uber Diaries,” we prompt stakeholders to tell us a favorite story about an experience involving Uber. The “Diaries,” are recorded during two events. The first run takes place at the Foam Core competition at Gulfstream Center for Design. The second run is during an Art March at Sulphur Studios. The data extracted from these “Diaries,” help us to define core experiential themes shared by users.
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primary research
visualize data/ photo documentation
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video interviews
section three
THE DIARY INSIGHTS The videos present us with core themes of safety, convenience and experience. Some participants share stories of being made to feel unsafe by the driver of their Uber, either through unsafe driving or unwanted speech. Some tell us about their troubles with misguided navigation systems and fumbled pick-ups. Others share stories about their positive and unexpected experiences with Uber: for example, one participant recalls his first Uber experience, wherein the driver pulls up to him in a brand new Tesla, wearing a tuxedo.
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primary research
25%
feel negative
75%
feel positive about Uber
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“ video interviews
I felt super uncomfortable and I rated him pretty poorly because I didn’t want any other girl to feel as uncomfortable
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primary research
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interviews
section three
“I take Uber’s pretty frequently” “the more you rid prickle of fear after all these stories of Uber driver and I rated him pretty poorly because I didn’t wan “[thought to herself] that’s awkward I’m not going to them so it’s not that awkward“ “you never kn on the phone as this Uber got lost over and over a background checks on these people” “we always because it’s the safest way home” “I was severe had to pay the $50 add on “ “I love Uber, it’s alwa “everytime I get into an Uber it’s like tune city, fuc ride” “it’s a good service in terms of access” “I us have a bike so..” “What i like about it is that there interact and talk with them and hear about their d one charged us double or triple what it should hav location” “it’s always a fun time” “..it didn’t really b after that...I continued to use it; it wasn’t a deterre spoke and spoke” “my Uber driver was drunk, w and walk the rest of the way”
primary research
de the more you get more used to it” “I got an instant rs being like, rapists” “ I felt super uncomfortable nt any other girl to feel as uncomfortable” to pursue this conversation” “I always try to talk now with these Uber drivers” “we were watching again in Savannah” “wow, they really should do s use Uber when we’re getting home from the bars ely intoxicated and threw up in the backseat, I ays cheaper than cabs and there in half the time” ck yeah!” “it was $5 for a limo” “it was an interesting se it every time I need to get somewhere far, I only e’s always someone to talk to” “ i get to actually day” “ each person we’ve had driving us is different, ve been because he drove around looking for the bother me, but there was weird tension in the car ent, but yeah it happened” “he just spoke and we didn’t feel really safe so we stopped the Uber
cultural probe
section three
CULTURAL PROBE Our group needed to find a way to gauge emotive responses elicited by locals in regards to Uber. Cultural probes provide us with insights into the emotions felt by the users of Uber. Through abstract, open-ended prompts we invite locals to interact with our research process. This interaction provides raw, emotion based data in the voice of the user.
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cultural probe
section three
IF UBER WAS... In order to capture this voice for analysis, we passively interact with our stakeholders through Cultural Probes. By asking an emotion based question, and having participants answer in the form of color coded sticky notes, we track themes across a wide section of our local stakeholders. For our first iteration, the probe asks our stakeholders what it would mean “If Uber was your Significant Other?� We place the probe in Forsyth Park during the Chalk Art Festival. As such, we get a multitude of data points from young children. In addition, the wording of our probe needs adjustment.
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cultural probe
section three
UBER EQUALS... For our second iteration we position the probe at Starlandia, an art supplies store, during an Art March. The probe prompts stakeholders with the simple question “Uber = ?� While we still dealt with participants beyond the scope of our stakeholders, the data points collected are far more concise than those from the first round.
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primary research
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cultural probe
section three
CULTURAL PROBE INSIGHTS Our cultural probes give us unique insights to the local culture of Uber in Savannah by setting up our probe poster boards at popular local events. We find that anyone who has experienced Uber tends to have a strong emotional response to our probe. Participants include riders, drivers, competitors and collaborators. With nearly 200 responses, the probes prove to be a powerful force in directing our affinity map and our overall results. Apart from a few obstacles, our probes provide us with the ability to create a key word and category analysis.
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primary research
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cultural probe
section three
Always There
Reliable
Sexy
Love Best Cool
Social
Safe
MyDrunk
Quick
Expensive Fast
Talk
Convenient
Celebrity
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Key Words
primary research
negative words
food
positive words
pop culture
relational
Distribution of Responses
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shadowing
section three
BECOMING AN UBER DRIVER To provide a deeper understanding of our context, it was important to shadow participants. To that end, we observe a fellow student go through the process of becoming an Uber driver. This provided insights into the design of Uber’s current platform, including features and pitfalls of the overall process. Till the date of print, we are still waiting to hear a response from Uber.
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survey
section three
IN THE MINDSET OF A USER As we begin to arrive at informed, feasible solutions, our group must again refer back to the voice of the user. Through online survey submitted to local riders and drivers, we refine our understanding of the needs and desires of the user. The first round of surveys is a short questionnaire regarding common concerns of local rideshare stakeholders. The participants answer questions regarding their personal experiences with safety, convenience and value of Uber.
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primary research
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survey
section three
INSIGHTS FROM SURVEY The first survey allows us to define the major opportunity areas. We learn which of our concepts have the most traction with locals, users and non users of Uber. We use this information to re-frame the choices we have made up to this point regarding the direction of our final conceptual offerings. We receive a total of 97 responses and select one question to visualize.
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primary research
We survey locals, users and non users: If you could change anything about Uber what would it be?
options for fare during trip ... including tipping sometimes drivers try too hard to make small talk. I just want to sit there in silence and look out the window ... but I also don’t want to seem rude
add a selective female driver option for passengers
surge pricing
safety
the rating system I wanted to write a review, I wanted to go more in depth
better estimate on fees
be able to book in advance ... schedule ahead ... or rather a reservation
make Uber cheaper!
make the cars more apparent for the riderindicate they are my Uber car. Its hard to tell if I am getting into the ‘right car’ or not
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section four uberfied
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04
AFFINITY
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Affinity mapping is a culmination of our secondary and primary research. It is the bridge from raw data to synthesized results. What at first seems a random and muddy process becomes clearer as we rise through the conceptual echelons. The end game of this tool is to decipher the codes of our stakeholders. In order to speak from the perspective of our stakeholders, we must first pull together all of our data collected about the individuals and systems of Uber. Affinity mapping allows us to do so.
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development
section four
STAGE ONE In this first stage we sit down as a group and write out our nearly 800 individual datum on to yellow sticky notes. Everything we have learned about Uber is systematically organized into a sea of uniformly colored data points. With everything written down, we go through multiple rounds of affinitizing. When affinitizing, the group silently organizes similar data points into groups. At first, we struggle to find a rhythm. As we move through the second round of yellow affinitizing we begin to trust the process a bit more. We become more specific with groupings. In the end, we have just shy of 60 total groupings, from the original 800 sticky notes.
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development
section four
STAGE TWO During the blue stage of affinitizing, we assign headers to our yellow groupings using blue notes. The blue notes are still written in the voice of the user. We do not make an effort to define concepts at this point. We are only attempting to define similar groupings experienced by our stakeholders.
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development
section four
STAGE THREE The pink notes further distill our data into abstracts describing overarching themes. This is where the process begins to become arduous - it is difficult to organize so many different categories of data into cohesive groups without force-fitting. After much deliberation, we are able to refine the results of our data into the voice of the user into 50 groups.
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analysis
section four
TWO BY TWO AXIS Our users have spoken to us through multiple forums. The high-level concepts encompassing the voice of the user are placed on a graph: One axis depicts the ease of implementation, the opposing axis represents the perceived cost of implementation. Through this, we refine our selection of conceptual solutions. Again, we return these concepts to the user in the form of a survey. We are able to determine which are most relevant to our subjects, and move forward with the development of our solutions.
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analysis
section four
High Cost
PreBooking
Call Center
Uber Kiosk
Uber Uber Move Delivery SCAD
Hard to Implement
Subscription
Customize Profile
Easy to Implement
Students Drive Students
MultiRate faceted before ride ratings ends
Tip Change Through payment App in ride
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Low Cost
Uber Classic Cars
Silence Button Color Indicator
affinity
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analysis
section four
FINAL SURVEY RESULTS In our final online survey, we take the opportunity to have the users of Uber help us define our final offerings offered in this book. From our initial list of 50 usable ideas, we narrow it down to 18. Of those 18 results, we ask our audience to rank 10 possible Uber “add ons� in order of 1 being most desired and 10 being least. The bar graph on the right visualizes the results we receive.
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Color Car Indicator Uber Utilities Multi Facited Rating System Alcohol Delivery Silence Button Profile Customization SCAD Subscription Change Payment in Trip Rate Before Trip Ends Beauty Delivery Service
7.26 6.89
6.14 5.93 5.82 5.50
4.81 4.59 4.29 4.15 uberfied
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section four
HOW MIGHT WE The use of “how might we� questions is an important creative tool. We frame our insights as questions. For example, we find that pre-booking is a viable concept. In order to help us ideate we pose the following question: How might we implement pre-booking to the benefit of both riders and drivers? This phrasing helps us think critically and iteratively about the concept. It helps spur conversation and facilitates creative thinking. We do this for all ten major concepts presented during our event at The Grey.
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How might we enable riders to pre-book rides? How might we enable people to use UBER without smartphones? How might we help people move large items if they don’t have a truck? How might we help SCAD students travel more safely? How might we enable riders to recognize the car easily? How might we make the ratings more reliable and accurate? How might we implement a local representative team for Savannah? How might we enable people to access alcohol and tobacco easily? How might we enable people to access beauty services easily? How might we make the trip less awkward for the rider who does not want to chat? How might we improve the payment methods? How might we match riders with drivers of their sex and language preferences?
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05
CONCEPTS
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After weeks of news articles, interviews, and sticky notes, we arrive at our final conceptual offerings. We have been able to, through great deliberation, cast aside our biases and assumptions. We are finally able to speak the language of the user. We have gained a deep understanding of the structures of Uber, the corporate philosophy and the direction of the company. We clearly understand the demands of the riders and drivers, and we have found solidarity between these two groups.
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CORE THEMES The core themes which arise seem to arc across all levels of our research. Uber means convenience, safety, experience and value to so many of it’s users. These themes are present in every stage of our research. They help us define our final conceptual offerings for our users.
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INITIAL IDEATION In order to find the good ideas, we must first vocalize, visualize and discard the bad ones. To do this, we do what designers do best: we iterate. As a group, we brainstorm and map almost any idea that comes to mind. Most of the conceptual offerings are based in direct quotes of our users. Others require a stretch of the imagination, but can be justified with multiple data points throughout our research base.
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SECOND IDEATION In our second round of ideation, we use the results of our final survey along with feedback from our colleagues to distill our list of possibilities down to those with the greatest impact. From here we begin to develop our ultimate presentation of the concepts, taking care to reach back into the data to fully justify our decisions.
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NO.1
RATE DURING TRIP Currently the Uber app is set up for users to rate one another after the trip ends. We find that riders are able to exit the trip without rating the driver and may not reopen their app till hours or days later, yet still are prompted to rate the driver from the last trip they took. Many times the rider won’t remember the trip, and by default, they give the driver five stars. This leads to inaccurate input. Thus is why we are happy to introduce “Rate During Trip.” The rider is notified a minute before the trip ends. By tapping “Rate This Ride”, we can ensure the user is presently in the accurate mindset when rating, thereby improving the rating system accuracy.
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NO.2
RATING RE-IMAGINED It is no surprise that we find Uber’s rating system needing to be improved, but our research points us in the direction to find a more meaningful way to rate the user and to find a way to cultivate peer to peer authenticity and transparency. We propose to solve this problem by introducing “Rating Re-Imagined,” a multifaceted rating system that helps change the way riders rate their driver and the way drivers receive feedback. Our rating system eliminates the five stars and replaces it with the question, “How was your ride?”. The rider is able to type or tag unique, positive or negative feedback based on the ride, car and experience. We also include a driver feedback performance report at the end of each week encouraging driver to improve their riders experience and role as a driver.
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NO.3 MATCH U “I wish I could select my driver based on ...” is a reoccurring theme in our research. Our solution to this insight is MATCH U, a personality predictive data service that matches rider and driver based on algorithms; harmonizing rides based on user preferences. To set user preferences, we design a feature that is located in the user’s profile settings. When “driver preferences” is tapped, the user selects their preference based on age, sex and language. Riders can manage their settings and select when to apply the preferences. We imagine MATCH U may not always be an option due to demand and surge pricing, but if given the opportunity to have a preference, we feel Uber should listen to the voice of its’ users and include driver preferences in app.
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NO.4 SILENCE BUTTON Many riders experience uncomfortable situations due to driver behavior or conversation. Riders expressed “simply not being into small talk,” yet they often choose not to complain or voice their discomfort. They do not feel comfortable enough to speak up. Therefore, we are introducing the Silence Button. This is an in app feature that may be activated prior to or during a ride, which notifies the driver on the rider’s preference to talk or not talk. As pictured in the interface, it is as simple as a tap of a button in the upper right hand corner of the screen. The driver is notified immediately if the rider chooses to select a chat-free ride. The circle becomes shaded blue with an “X” through the center; representing a chat-free ride. The beauty of this feature is the creation of transparency without having to vocally communicate the desire or feeling uncomfortable.
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NO.5 PRE Our research suggests that many Uber users share a common interest in reliability and comfort. To achieve this feeling, we find riders and drivers working outside the app with one another to achieve what Uber was not providing; pre scheduled rides. Users can now rest their mind because we are introducing pre-booking. To schedule a pre-booked ride, we design a feature that is added into the users profile settings. When “pre-book a ride� is tapped, the user selects their departure time, location, destination and if they want the ride to be recurring. Both riders and drivers can see and manage their existing pre-booked schedules. When a driver accepts the trip, the rider is notified and asked to confirm the ride. We imagine PRE to cost more than an UberX ride and users will receive an estimated amount for the trip. Due to this, riders will not have to fight surge pricing or scramble to get a ride when it really matters; yet divers will make extra than the standard ride rate!
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NO.6 UBER UTILITY This insight is sparked from a conversation with a local community member at Art March Savannah. He shares with us the need for an on demand service that could transport heavy and large items. We are astonished to see how many Uber users agree and thus, we are happy to share with you Uber Utility! This option is just like UberX or UberXL except it helps people who don’t have the means to transport large items. For example, we recognize a huge opportunity area after each quarter completes or begins, when SCAD students’ are moving. In addition, it gives people with larger vehicles an opportunity to be a part of Uber. Similar to requesting an UberX, riders select their pick up and destination locations. Next, the app prompts the user to add if they need assistance moving items to and from the truck, and the type of items they are moving. Riders wait for a driver to accept the trip and as simple as that, the rider is on their way! Go ahead and move those big items Savannah! It’s easier than ever before.
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NO.7 HEADS UP The next few insights require our readers to suspend their disbelief as they use technology that isn’t actually realized yet, but we believe it could exist in the future. Through the Uber diaries, we gain insight on riders encountering drivers whom are drunk, leaving riders in an unsafe and uncomfortable situation. In addition, we learn from our interview with Frias CEO Jim Eckstaedt the distinct difference of safety screenings for Uber and taxi drivers. Which leads us to a proposed solution, Fit to Drive Testing. Each Uber driver is required to pass a Fit to Drive Test before they are able to get behind the wheel and pick up riders. These tests are administered by a biometric scanning system in the driver’s car that can track and monitor their physiological status using a heads up display. The systems will test their sobriety, alertness, and focus. The image on the right illustrates the sobriety test. The driver must follow the red dot on the heads up display and the system will rate them. If the driver fails, the car will not start. This new feature aims to improve the safety on the road for Uber riders, drivers, and everyone in the community.
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NO.8
CITY PLANNER Uber collects a vast amount of information from its users. We gain insight from an interview with an Uber corporate software engineer who confirms their access to sensitive data. As a group, we additionally listen to a podcast and learn that Uber broadly knows where users live, where they work and everything between those two locations. We are suggesting that with all the information Uber collects, they could be a Google Maps, Yelp, Zillow and Uber all rolled into one to give users an exciting and truly informative experience. This could also be a way to inform other businesses about trends in their areas.
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NO.9 SENSE MY RIDE Our field research shows us that riders are frustrated and have a hard to time identifying the car to get into both day and night. We also find that often drivers do not clearly display the Uber logo in their front window. When all the cars look the same on a busy street, we ask ourselves how we could improve upon the existing car descriptors in app to better the experience for the rider. Therefore, we propose the new feature, Sense My Ride. Imagine the rider has requested an Uber and it is headed in their direction. The rider will get a notification saying it is close. When this appears, the rider taps “Find Your Driver’s Car” and points the phone in the direction of the street. The surrounding environment darkens except for the driver’s car, which glows green. This feature finds inspiration from virtual reality techniques and eliminates confusion for the user.
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FUTURE INSIGHTS As a group, we are successful in innovating solutions for riders and drivers which address our core themes of experience, value and convenience. In the theme of safety, however, we are lacking. In the next round of research, it would be ideal to focus on the ways Uber could be safer, for both riders and drivers. In addition, because of the way Uber innovates with business partners, it would be useful to keep a watchful eye on the way Uber continues to redefine the way data is collected, and why it is useful to businesses far beyond the reach of ridesharing services. Other areas of interest remain the implementation of in app tipping, and the continuing development of customer profile preferences.
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06
CONCLUSION
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Uber is a system. It is a cultural phenomenon. It is an economic innovation. It is helping to shift the patterns of our daily lives on a global scale. In an attempt to practice the basic principles of ethnography, our group has chosen to find the voice of the Uber user. In finding this voice we can grasp the overarching experience as an Uber user. We therefore can speak in the language of the user, for the user. This book intended to illuminate the basics of ethnography, as applied to our course of study. In it we shall reviewed the tools and procedures used to find the voice of our user. We will demonstrated qualitative and quantitative metrics associated with the strength of our concepts. Finally, we will presented the reader with our conceptual offerings as presented the second day of June, 2016 at The Grey restaurant in Savannah, GA.
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07
THE EVENT
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In order to present our conceptual offerings to our stakeholders, we need an event that involves informance, atmosphere and of course, great food. We use The Grey in Savannah, GA as our venue for a few reasons, not the least of which being it matches the color palette of our presentation. The Grey is the former Greyhound bus station, turned high end restaurant in downtown Savannah. We found the themes of transportation and thriving city centers to align seamlessly with our research subject. After becoming fluent in Uber over the past nine weeks, we find it only fitting to tittle our event “Uber-fied�.
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UBER-FIED We present our findings in a set of informances performed before our stakeholders in a private dining loft overlooking the main floor of The Grey. It gives us the privacy to help our stakeholders feel an air of exclusivity. It also lets us deliver our speeches and informances without disturbing the entire dining room of The Grey. People are greeted at the front of the restaurant and directed towards the back room, where they are again greeted, handed programs and shown up the stairs. After twenty minutes of appetizers and small talk, our group formally introduce ourselves and our project. With this introduction out of the way, we continue with appetizers and drinks, engaging our stakeholders with conversations about their experiences with Uber. We then reconvene and introduce our conceptual offerings through a series of informances. This structure of presentation allows us to break up our event into digestible sections. It also allows us to keep a captive audience, entertaining our guests with food and stories, building anticipation for the reveal of our concepts. After our concepts are presented, we open the floor to questions and comments. During this time drivers and riders begin an open conversation about the concepts we present and the implications of each. By the end of the night, we have stakeholders who are excited about the opportunity areas surrounding the Uber platform, and a professor that was very proud of our accomplishment.
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event
INTRO
TOOLS
REVEAL CONCEPTS
-Welcome guests -Introduce ourselves -Frame the project -Create mad hype -Endorse the Grey
-Uber diaries (1) -Interviews -Probes -Uber diaries (2) -Emerging opportunity areas
*[Order not yet decided]*
5:30
5:50
5:55
6:05
6:15
6:25
6:43
7:00
-Welcome guests -Make introductions -Play music -Guide people upstairs -Hand out ‘program’
-Make introductions -Play music -Chat and be good hosts -Answer any initial questions
-Play music -Chat and be good hosts -Answer any questions
-Play music -Go to stations -Answer questions -Expain in more depth
HOST(1)
HOST(2)
HOST(3)
HOST(4)
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THURSDAY I 5:30PM - 7PM
section seven
UBER-FIED
WELCOME! On behalf of our team, we want to thank you for joining us this evening as we reveal our quarter long project surrounding the local ride sharing culture of Savannah! To our interviewees, fellow classmates, professor and families, we could not tell you enough how much we appreciate your support and willingness to contribute. Enjoy, participate and get uber-fied!
the local culture of ride sharing in savannah
UBER-LIB
TIMELINE WELCOME! 5:30PM - 5:50PM INTRODUCTION 5:50PM - 5:55PM MIX 5:55PM - 6:05PM DISCOVERING INSIGHTS 6:05PM - 6:15PM MINGLE 6:15PM - 6:25PM THE REVEAL 6:25PM - 6:45PM Q+A 6:45PM - 7:00PM THANK YOU!
One day I had to go to to grab a noun . Thankfully, Savannah has uber and noun
I could a ride within verb number minutes. When my driver arrived, they were adjective and the car was adjective
. Halfway through the
trip, the car suddenly came to a stop! Smack dab in the middle of the road was a noun
. Wow that
was a close call! My driver is definitely getting a adjective rating. I won’t ever
this uber story! adjective
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08
REFLECTION
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This was a journey for our group. It was a trek into unknown territory for all of us. The failures we encountered were as common (if not more so) than our successes. We often went through multiple iterations before designing an appropriate cultural probe, or executing an insightful interview. The group, being unfamiliar with feeling unsure, faced our own personal academic hurdles at every turn. This takes a toll on a team: the stresses of coordinating multiple people in an area of complete inexperience brings about feelings of inadequacy, confusion and displeasure. However, it is the embrace of ambiguity and an unyielding belief in the power of optimism which brought our group through to the end of this process. To be honest, we did our job better than we gave ourselves credit for at the time. So well, in fact, that within two weeks of our final presentation Lyft and Uber both released features on their platforms which directly paralleled the concepts we were workshopping. At first, we were disappointed that we didn’t beat them to the punch. However it slowly began to sink in that as a group, with no prior contextual research experience, we were able to reach the exact same conclusions that the Uber and Lyft teams reached. That is a great accomplishment, and one which will serve as a reminder of the power and beauty of this ethnographic process.
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APPENDIX Byrd, Rebecca. “Uber Driver.” Telephone interview.
Izmirli, Baris. “Logistics and Operations Manager.” Telephone interview.
“Uber Global.” Uber Global Newsroom. N.p., n.d. Web.
Chokkattu, Julian, and Jordan Crook. “A Brief History Of Uber.” TechCrunch. Tech Crunch, 14 Aug. 2014. Web.
Kumar, Vijay. 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2013. Print.
Wenneker, Max. “General Manager of Operations at Uber.” Telephone interview.
Mausert, Mick. “Taxi Driver.” Personal interview.
*all personal interviewees and participants in the Uber diaries were asked to sign consent release forms.
Clarke, John. “Uber Driver.” Telephone interview. Duruk, Cam. “Software Engineer at Uber.” Telephone interview. Echeguren, Diana. “Uber Rider.” Personal interview. Eckstaedt, Jim. “CFO Frias Transportation.” Telephone interview. Elliott, Elsie. “Personal Driver.” Telephone interview. Gelso, Gonzalo. “Marketing Rep for Uber.” Personal interview. Hewitt, Matt. “General Manager Pedicab.” Personal interview. Honda. Honda Car Photograph. N.d. N.p. IDEO. “The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design.” N.p., 2015. Web.
“Noun Project.” Noun Project. N.p., n.d. Web. Patey, Brandon. “Part Time Pedicab Driver.” Personal interview. Rosser, Bud. “Uber Driver.” Personal interview. “Royal Bike Taxi.” Personal interview. Schwarz, Jennifer. “Local Savannah Concierge.” Telephone interview. Storey, John. “Uber Rider.” Personal interview. Terziyan, Jeffrey. “Uber Driver.” Telephone interview. Travis. “Uber-fied.” Definition. Silicon Valley Dictionary, n.d. Web. Uber, and Apple. Apple Phone and Uber Interface. N.d. N.p.
*all photos and logos used in the popular media scan image and stakeholders map are taken from each respective company website
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As a team, we want to thank you for allowing us to share our process. To our interviewees, fellow classmates, professor and families, we appreciate your support and willingness to contribute as we became fluent in Uber.
Methods of Contextual Research IDUS-711-01 Professor Kwela Hermann
YOU’VE ARRIVED