RoadRescue is a capstone project that was created within the 12 weeks bootcamp at BrainStation. RoadRescue’s goal is to offer instant roadside assistance, as well as to help drivers maintain their cars to prevent further car problems. During this project, I explored an end-to-end UX design process, including idea generation, research, and designing the mobile app interface and branding.
Almost all drivers will have to deal with car problems at some point. Nowadays, stranded drivers must wait for an average of 45-50 minutes before they receive the help that they need. In my research, I plan to gain greater insight into why drivers are waiting for so long and explore ways to improve the overall waiting experience.
To improve the roadside assistance experience for stranded drivers, I took on the challenge of coming up with a solution. My solution was to provide a seamless online booking system that allows users to request help at their exact location. In addition, the solution will provide real-time tracking and a realistic estimated arrival time to make the user feel like they are not forgotten. With this and other minor features, roadside assistance will be more convenient for users.
To begin the project, I conducted some secondary research to see how current drivers experience roadside assistance when they run into car trouble. It was interesting to read that some drivers might feel they can handle the issue themselves and save time by learning how to fix minor issues like changing a tire or jump-starting their car battery. In addition, vehicles with onboard telematics, such as OnStar, have an average wait time of 34 minutes, while vehicles without having to wait 45-50 minutes. So this is a disadvantage for older cars and cars without OnStar or similar services. The findings from this study set me in a clear direction and started to dive deeper into the primary research on stranded drivers.
To obtain insight into roadside assistance experiences from past users, I conducted four indiviual interviews. After conducting the interviews, I was able to identify some general pain points, motivations, and behaviors. Utilizing an affinity map, I derived four main themes and insights after organizing my notes based on my findings.
Not knowing what’s wrong with car
Be able to see where help is in real time
Having the correct tools for self-help
Had to called AAA to get help, would of liked to do it on app
Unsure of the waiting time
Better way to request help instead of calling and risk being on hold
Knowledge on how to change flat tire, start car battery
Anxious and afraid bc didn’t know what to do
No clear communication
Having reduced wait times
Being able to help others on the road
Tried to help myself and see what the problem was
Not feeling safe
Better way to request help instead of calling and risk being on hold
Almost all drivers will have to deal with car problems at some point. Nowadays, stranded drivers must wait for an average of 45-50 minutes before they receive the help that they need. In my research, I plan to gain greater insight into why drivers are waiting for so long and explore ways to improve the overall waiting experience.
I created a task flow diagram after selecting my chosen epic, “Seamless booking process”, while also taking the user’s current journey into account.
In the next step, I created a digital wireframe based on my solutions sketches. I was able to get some good ideas flowing from the wireframes, which essentially provided structure for the apps.
With Brad Frost’s Atomic Design methodology, I developed a design system that communicated the appropriate usage of app components. By defining a cohesive language throughout the app, I was able to maintain visual consistency.
Taking the 60:30:10 rule into account, I began incorporating colour when I moved out of greyscale and into High fidelity. I finalized the design and created the UI library based on the atomic design structure, based on feedback from my usability testing.
As part of my usability testing process, I conducted two rounds of usability tests on ten individuals. I observed how the users interacted with the app by asking them to complete five tasks. This helped me understand where improvements could be made. I then made iterations after each testing session to improve the user experience. Although there were no major usability issues, observing the users and hearing feedback in real time gave me a few insights to make the app even better.
When users landed on the home page, they were confused because there were too many options and no clear direction. In order for users to know what direction they should take, I made the main CTA button larger than the rest. I also restricted the “Self Help Tips” section to a carousel to free up some space.
The pricing for each service has been added based on feedback from users so they know how much a service will cost if they don’t have insurance coverage.
Usability testing helped me gain a better understanding of precisely what users are looking for when requesting roadside assistance online. The initial prototypes I have created will serve as a starting point for improving the product based on the concerns the users raised for a better roadside assistance experience.
Even though this project has not yet been launched, user testing of the final product showed that getting assistance and finding information was easy. Another interesting observation I captured from the usability testing was that the self-help section received positive feedback. Users were able to find resources to learn how to perform small tasks themselves like changing a tire or recharging their batteries. As a result, they could save time by not having to call roadside assistance the next time they encountered such an issue and take care of it themselves. In comparison to what stranded drivers currently have to endure, this is already a positive reaction.
Usability testing helped me gain a better understanding of precisely what users are looking for when requesting roadside assistance online. The initial prototypes I have created will serve as a starting point for improving the product based on the concerns the users raised for a better roadside assistance experience.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this project or if you just want to chat 🙂