In 2021, I joined a national design contest sponsored by DiDi Global Inc, China's top ride-hailing firm. I designed a gamified user experience for Qingju Bikes, leading user research and prototype development. Our creative approach was highly praised by Didi's design and engineering team and we won excellent rewards as well as internship opportunities at DiDi Global Inc.
-- Boost Brand Awareness:
Utilize social media and targeted marketing to attract new users and highlight Green Orange Bike's unique features.
-- Increase User Retention:
Introduce loyalty rewards and personalized content.
-- Boost Conversion Rates:
Provide incentives and simplify the user experience for new users to become regulars.
-- What's a User Growth System?
The User Growth System combines user operation rules and tools to increase user dependence and stickiness. It typically includes systems like class, credit, mission, medal, game, and membership, each contributing to a user's journey from entry to growth and eventual exit.
-- What's The Hooked Model?
The Hooked Model is a four-phase framework aimed at developing products or services that foster habitual use by customers, leading to voluntary and frequent engagement.
-- Gamification Design
According by Yu-kai Chou in his Octalysis framework, there are mainly 8 core drives motivate through elements like meaning, accomplishment, creativity, ownership, social influence, scarcity, curiosity, and avoidance of loss.
We analyzed over five competitors, including Meituan Bicycle and Mobike, along with notable products in the adult system such as Douban and NetEYun. Additionally, we examined products closely related to our planned features, like trajectory and Amap.
Insights:
-- User Demographics：Predominantly low-income young adults in big cities, either studying or recent graduates.
-- Challenging Onboarding: The use of jargon familiar only to industry insiders decreases user-friendliness.
-- Strategy of Data Visualization: To address these pain points, we plan to implement a data visualization strategy. This approach aims to reduce cognitive load for users by presenting information in the most intuitive way possible.
Insights:
-- Commuting Trends: Bikes are primarily used for commuting, travel, and short trips.
-- Price Sensitivity: Greater concern about cost among frequent riders.
-- Feature Preferences: Disinterest in features unrelated to cycling.
Based on our user interview analyses, we've identified three key user categories: 1. Potential Users – those who are exploring our services, 2. Frequent Users – regular users of our platform, and 3. Expert Users – highly experienced with our features and functionalities.
Insights:
-- Expert Users: How might we maintain the loyalty of our deeply committed users to our product?
-- Frequent Users: How might we transform our experienced users into deeply engaged, loyal users?
-- Potential Users: How might we motivate potential users to increase their usage of Qingju Bike?
Based on user interviews and questionnaire results, we identified seven significant user variables, with frequency and scenario being the key ones. By analyzing frequency and scenario, we derived two types of user personas.
After summarizing the behaviors and characteristics of all users, we naturally identified two distinct user groups: one comprises working professionals primarily seeking convenient commuting options, and the other consists of students who are in pursuit of novel and interesting experiences.
We analyzed the two personas by segmenting their journey into stages: pre-ride, during the ride, and post-ride. We then categorized the pain points identified at each stage. Some of these issues can be resolved at the business strategy level, while others are within the scope of what our designers can help solve.
Following the generation and categorization of numerous ideas through divergent thinking, we have decided to refine and further develop these ideas within the following six themes.
Decision:
1. Enhance the existing user growth system.
2. Implement a bicycle reservation system.
3. Create engaging visualizations of user cycling data.
4. Incorporate elements of public welfare.
5. Introduce social elements.
6. Support users in sharing their interesting experiences
Our team of four members voted on all the ideas, primarily considering the following five aspects:
a. Innovation: Refers to the novelty of the ideas compared to similar features in competitor products.
b. Time: Indicates the feasibility of completing the design within a limited timeframe.
c. Contribution: Refers to the extent to which the ideas contribute to optimizing the growth system.
d. Alignment: Pertains to the degree of alignment with current business objectives (increasing usage frequency of experience users, enhancing user loyalty).
e. User: Relates to the degree of relevance in solving user pain points.
Decision:
We have decided to combine the ideas with the highest votes: numbers 2, 3, 7, and 12. Our approach will first：
-- Streamlining Growth: We refine the existing user growth system, making it more efficient.
-- Gamification Strategy: Next, we employ gamified elements to deepen user engagement with the system.
-- City Card Collection: Users gather city cards as a playful trigger within their cycling journey.
-- Data Visualization: We record and transform cycling tracks into compelling visual data narratives.
-- Sharing Unique Reports: Post-ride, users can create and share novel, engaging ride reports.
Concept Explanation :
Stage I: The Novice Collects (Potential Users)
a. Users discover cards by chance, sparking curiosity. b. Users begin collecting with enthusiasm, eager for more.
Stage II: The Explorer Expands (Potential Users--> Experienced Users)
a. Users Seek out new locations for card drops, honing navigational skills. b. Maps expand as the journey grows, reflecting a deeper engagement.
Stage III: The Expert Contributes (Experienced Users--> Expert Users)
a. Users review and share routes in the community plaza, gaining influence. b. Users curate and enhance collections, setting standards for others. c. Users attain expert status, shaping the experience for the collective.
-- Stage 1:
-- Discover a Dropped Card
-- Develop a Passion for Collecting
-- Transform into a Potential User
-- Stage 2:
-- Discover Interesting City Events
-- Develop a Passion for Collecting
-- Evolve into an Experienced User
-- Stage 3:
-- Find a Dropped Card
-- Cultivate a Collecting Habit
-- Grow into an Expert User
-- Gamification: Enhancing User Experience
Gamification taps into intrinsic motivations, subtly encouraging users to engage with our product. This approach makes the discovery process more enjoyable, almost game-like, enhancing the overall user experience.
-- Time Management in Design
Time constraints are critical in design outcomes. When faced with deadlines, like in a competition leading only to the concept phase, careful time planning is essential. It ensures that concepts are thoroughly developed within the available timeframe.
-- The Importance of Usability
As designers, it's easy to assume we've covered all bases. Yet, real-world user interactions often deviate from our predictions. No matter how comprehensive our design seems, usability testing remains crucial to ensure the product meets actual user needs and behaviors.
-- Improvements on Event Discovery Page
Through usability testing, we found that users struggle to grasp the purpose of the event discovery page. Their confusion in navigating this page indicates a need for further refinement to enhance user experience.
-- Commitment to Additional Usability Testing
Due to the project's deadline, our time for usability testing was constrained. Moving forward, once we develop a higher-fidelity prototype, we plan to conduct more thorough tests to refine user interactions and overall functionality.
