An app for cyclists offering safe routes of travel and rewards points for their courteous and safe riding.
September - December 2017
Research, conceptualization, and UI design.
Illustrator, Invision, Figma, Framer, After Effects
Project built for the design thinking course at George Brown College in the digital experience design program. Project done in collaboration with Vrinda Patel.
1st Place Award in Design Thinking Course
There is a lack of awareness of road rules for cyclists as opposed to drivers. This creates tensions between both cyclists and drivers when it comes to sharing the road and feeling safe in Toronto.
We used the design thinking process to put the users at the center of the project. Due to time constraints weren't able to test the prototype.
Field Research
In observing the road on and around cyclist lanes in the city, we noticed that many cyclists in general did not obey lights or signs.
Interviews
During our interviews, a driver expressed that cyclists should respect the same rules of the road as vehicles and that cyclists have a lack of awareness and enforcement when it comes to road laws and safety, understanding signs, right of way, and yielding.
Many people expressed that the city doesn't have enough separated bike lanes and that this is a cause of worry to their safety when cycling or driving and poses a stronger need to adhere to the rules of the road.
How might we promote safe and respectful space sharing among all road users on and around cyclist lanes?
100 Ideas Method
We brainstormed as many ideas as possible in 15 minutes related to the two emerged themes from our research: safety and respect.
User Value / Technical Complexity Matrix
We placed these ideas on a graph represented by the axis of user value and technical complexity to come up with a solution that is desirable and feasible.
Synthesis
Eliminating the ideas that didn't have enough user value or were too technically complex, we started grouping similar ideas together to create concepts. We voted on what we thought was the best idea to solve this problem.
An app for cyclists offering safe routes of travel and rewards points for their courteous and safe riding.
Understanding the steps the user would have to take within the app to move through it and how the features would appear visually.
Branding
The logo created represents a bike chain. The brand name, Soteria, is the ancient Greek goddess of safety, salvation, deliverance, and preservation from harm.
Interface
Initially we worked in Figma for creating the user interface but moved to Framer to have functional input fields for future user testing.
Initial Sign up / Profile Creation
Area for the user to log in or sign up and ability to enter information on cycling and add wearable devices to user's profile.
Itinerary
The app creates trip itinerary options based on the users’ selected options.
Map
Ability to manually edit journey at any time during their trip by holding and editing points on the map.
Rewards and Points
At the end of the user’s trip, they receive a journey review that highlights their riding efficiency, safety, and courtesy; and rewards them points and achievements.
Wearables
The app pairs with a smart watch and sends users alerts through vibration patterns; this allows them to interact with the service without taking away their attention from the road. They get their journey review at the end of their trip.
User testing
Launching an unmoderated user test for the prototype would give us a better idea on how users interact with the features on the app and any problems that may occur before launching this product.
Third-party integrations
The ability to connect with Google Maps would make it more feasible instead of creating maps natively through Soteria.
Project Outcome
By introducing this app to cyclists in Toronto, it would enable them to have a safer relationship with other road users while prioritizing their safety, comfort and needs.
