Building an On-Demand App

BUILDING AN ON-DEMAND APP19 December 2016

© 2016 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Confidential & Proprietary

● The Market for On Demand Economy○ Characteristics of Successful on Demand Apps ○ The UBER Success Story ○ Failure Cases For On-Demand Apps○ Simple Advice

● Designing the Customer Experience ○ Mobile App UX Guidelines○ Design Thinking Process○ User Types (Customer / Provider)○ Wireframing/Prototyping○ User Testing

Agenda


● Building a Usable and Scalable App○ On Demand App Features○ Engineering Architecture of the On Demand App○ Developing the Mobile App

○ Open source packages, off the shelf (Needa)○ MVP, build options (react native, native, ionic/angular)

● Challenges and Optimization● References

Outline:


Introduction:

What is an on-demand app?

Which on-demand apps exist in Riyadh?


Introduction:

What are the most important aspects that make you engaged with an

on-demand application and induce positive feelings while using the app?


Introduction:

What are the things that frustrate you while using an on-demand app

and form negative feelings while using the app?


Introduction:

● Building an on-demand services requires:○ Creativity○ A passion for technology○ A love for efficiency○ Impeccable operations & logistics

● Successful on-demand services make people’s lives easier, are loved by users, and can widen employment opportunities in a stagnant industry.


Characteristics of Successful On-Demand Apps:

1.The price points for the level of convenience promised are extremely attractive.

● Successful on-demand services sit in a sweet spot where they charge more than

the cheapest option, which is often free, but less than the dominant suppliers in

the marketplace.

● The relative affordability of on-demand services also puts things that once

seemed luxurious within reach, creating an additional delight factor for users.



2. Technology is integral to providing transparency and a seamless customer

experience.

● On-demand services need reliable, world-class technology to facilitate timely

scheduling or ordering.

● Technology also makes it easy for users to access price information, customer

reviews, and communicate with employees before and during the service.


Washio, an on-demand laundry and dry cleaning startup that picks up your dirty clothes and returns them clean and folded, provides a service that most associate with fancy hotel stays.

Example:

http://www.getwashio.com/



3. Flexibility will need to be a cornerstone of your business.

● Many successful on-demand services thrive because they offer flexibility in markets that traditionally require a commitment from the user.

● Users can push a button to get help immediately through TaskRabbit that provides shoppers, cleaners, and administrative Taskers who only show up when needed.

https://www.taskrabbit.com/

Example:made with by UXBERT


Example:Needa made with by UXBERT


4. Make sure the app is both useful and intuitive. ● If it is NOT useful: No practical value for user and no one has any reason to use it.● If it is useful but NOT intuitive: people won’t bother learning how to use it and they will

go to use competitor apps.



Users install your app because they need to solve a pressing problem. Thus, the app has a sharply defined “sense of purpose.” Think about what it is your users will be trying to accomplish and focus on their key goals/remove all obstacles from their way.



User-Centered Design Process

● In order for mobile apps to be useful and intuitive, they should be user-centric.● The User-centered design (UCD) process outlines the phases throughout a design

and development life-cycle all while focusing on gaining a deep understanding of who will be using the product.

Why?● It is the only design methodology that puts users at the heart of the design process. It

is therefore ideally suited to developing products or web sites that must be simple and straightforward to use.


The principles and activities that underlie user-centred design:

1. The design is based upon an explicit understanding of users, tasks and environments.

2. Users are involved throughout design and development.3. Real users. Strangers. Not your mother, colleague or partner. 4. The design is driven and refined by user-centred evaluation.5. The process is iterative, based on user validation and feedback. 6. The design addresses the whole user experience journeys. 7. The design team includes multidisciplinary skills and perspectives.

User-Centered Design Process


The fascinating story about what happens when a business puts people first!!

● Uber is a San Francisco startup that’s busy disrupting the global taxi industry.

● Uber is in over 60 countries and 400 cities worldwide and growing month by month.

● The cofounder and CEO is Travis Kalanick.

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-travis-kalanick-bio-2014-1

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-travis-kalanick-bio-2014-1


● On a snowy Paris evening in 2008, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp had trouble hailing a cab. So they came up with a simple idea—tap a button, get a ride.

● The app represents a flexible new way to earn money for women and men who drive with UBER . For cities, It helps strengthen local economies, improves access to transportation, and makes streets safer. When you make transportation as reliable as running water, everyone benefits. Especially when it’s snowing outside, or boiling!



Uber’s top 3 customer experience principles that make the customer conversation dream a reality:

1. Remove friction – make your value proposition and transactions simple

2. Be transparent – eliminate surprises and show me real people

3. Prove you’re trustworthy – build a self-governing system that works in the real world


UBER Innovation INNOVATION



Instead of getting a ride somewhere, Someone will bring you puppies to play with for 15 minutes! Their “snuggle fee” costs $15-30 and it goes straight to a local shelter/organization.

UBER PUPPIES

https://www.google.com.sa/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjNnJeei_HQAhVFnBoKHfBlD9YQFgggMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uber.com%2Finfo%2Fsg-uberpuppies%2F&usg=AFQjCNH_4R1ucp4LVyUGWdYvdO4DCwFrxA


Uber users in Lagos were able to request on-demand sweetness via the Uber app and have a Cupcake delivered for FREE at the tap of a button.

UBER Cupcakes

https://www.google.com.sa/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiejsjAi_HQAhXJOBoKHc-aB60QFggxMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.uber.com%2Fegypt%2Ftag%2Fcupcakes%2F&usg=AFQjCNHJWoawGOXxhTCO2rmlOxRsYV8JAQ

https://www.google.com.sa/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjNnJeei_HQAhVFnBoKHfBlD9YQFgggMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uber.com%2Finfo%2Fsg-uberpuppies%2F&usg=AFQjCNH_4R1ucp4LVyUGWdYvdO4DCwFrxA


● “There’s no traffic 1,000 feet in the air”● How it worked:

○ The flight went to Van Nuys Airport.

○ It touched down at Indio BLADE Desert Lounge in under an hour where people enjoyed cocktails before an UberSUV took them to the festival, just minutes away.

UberCHOPPER


Concept: A home-cleaning marketplace company who provide cleaning services by using independent contractors.

Fatal problem 1: Customers only used the initial promotional offer.

Fatal problem 2: Expansion to other markets happen too fast.

Fatal problem 3: Not allowed to train the independent contractors.

Result: Shut down

Failure Cases For On-Demand Services apps


Concept: It provided an on demand career platform for HR managers and prospective employees.

Fatal Problem 1: Timing of launch was wrong.

Fatal Problem 2: Domain knowledge missing

Result: Acquired by Talent Technology

Failure Cases For On-Demand Services apps


● Look at the things you do on a day-to-day basis. In what areas can a little bit of technology and organization save a lot of headache?

● What markets have been stagnant for years?

● On-demand services are successful because they disrupt markets that haven’t seen innovation for years, such as laundry, home cleaning, and parking.

● Since on-demand services are so reliant on technology, mastering digital marketing will be crucial to gaining new customers.

Simple Advices

http://thinkapps.com/blog/post-launch/scaling-advice-homejoy-vp-growth/

http://zirx.com/

UX principles to be considered when designing mobile apps


● To keep your users engaged, you have to keep the interface at a minimum, displaying only essential content and functionalities.

● Secondary content should be available through a menu. Menu lists, either short or long, should have progressive disclosure and simple terminology so as not to confuse your users.

● To reduce cluttering, use icons instead of text wherever possible. So prioritize content and remember that notifications for new content should appear without interrupting primary content!

Content Prioritization


● A simple rule of thumb: one primary action per screen.

● UBER does not overwhelm the user with information: it automatically detects user's location then the user just need to select a pickup location.

Content Prioritization


● Learnability of your design is key for its success. Users should intuitively be able to navigate through your app via clear pathways and be able to complete all primary tasks without requiring any explanations.

● User journeys should be logical and self-sufficient enough so that a task is accomplished within a single app. The users should always know where they are without wondering how they got there, or what they are to do next.

Make Navigation Intuitive


In Apple Music for example, you can set-up a playlist on your Mac and it will instantly be available on your iPhone.

Create an effortless Experience Across different devices (Desktop, Laptop, Tablet, Mobile)

http://www.apple.com/music/


● Interface elements need to be big enough for users to hit them easily.

● But how big can you make them with only a small amount of screen space?

Touchscreen Target Sizes


● Apple’s iPhone Human Interface Guidelines suggest a minimum target size of 44 pixels

wide x 44 pixels tall.

● In the Windows Phone UI Design and Interaction Guide, Microsoft suggests a touch

target size of 9mm/34px with a minimum touch target size of 7mm/26px.

Suggested Measurements

44 px

44 px


● The key to mobile typography is readability. If users can’t read your content, your design doesn’t work.

● To access the same amount of information from a desktop, smartphones require a higher interaction cost because of screen size. Content should be accommodated for smaller screens while maintaining all the necessary information.

● A rule of thumb for mobile: text should be at least 11

points so it’s legible at a typical viewing distance

without zooming.

Make Interface Elements Clearly Visible


People use their phones everywhere. So you have to ensure that your design is legible in almost any setting. It’s important to have sufficient contrast between content and background so it it legible even outside in the sunlight.

Make Interface Elements Clearly Visible


● Research done on how people hold and interact with their mobile phones found that 49% of people rely on one thumb.

● Hand positions should be kept in mind while placing controls on a mobile design.

● Common features should be placed in easily

accessible regions, while actions such as delete buttons should be placed in areas harder to reach to avoid errors.

Hand Position Controls


Apple has several accessibility features such as double tapping the home button to drag the entire screen lower for easier reach.

Example:


● Typing on small devices can be annoying and unfortunately there’s no direct solution to it in most cases.

● This problem can be solved by minimizing the need to enter data.

● That can be achieved by:○ Shortening forms, and removing unnecessary fields○ Using ‘remember me’ options for future use○ providing autocomplete, recent search history ○ Using location detection to reduce data entry requirements and accelerate the

experience.

Minimize Data Input


● Test early. Test often.

● The key to any successful product is to continuously test and optimize. With each round of testing, you uncover new ways to improve your design to meet your users needs. The earlier you discover your problems, the easier and cheaper it is to fix them.

Test Your Design

Successful On-Demand App:

made with by UXBERT


● The Design Thinking process: it defines the problem first and then implements the solutions, always with the needs of the user demographic at the core of concept development.

● This process focuses on needfinding, understanding, creating, thinking, and doing.

● At the core of this process is a bias towards action and creation: by creating and testing something, you can continue to learn and improve upon your initial ideas.

Design Thinking


Design Thinking

EMPATHIZE: Work to fully understand the experience of the user for whom you are designing. Do this through observation, interaction, and immersing yourself in their experiences.

DEFINE: Process and synthesize the findings from your empathy work in order to form a user point of view that you will address with your design.


Design Thinking

IDEATE: Explore a wide variety of possible solutions through generating a large quantity of diverse possible solutions, allowing you to step beyond the obvious and explore a range of ideas.

PROTOTYPE: Transform your ideas into a physical form so that you can experience and interact with them and, in the process, learn and develop more empathy.


Design Thinking

TEST: Try out high-resolution products and use observations and feedback to refine prototypes, learn more about the user, and refine your original point of view.

BUILDING A USABLE AND SCALABLE APP


BUILDING A USABLE AND SCALABLE APP

1. Hiring Mobile Development Team2. Off-the-shelf solutions like www.Needa.io3. Development Mobile App Native vs Hybrid Solutions


On-Demand App Features


Engineering Architecture: UBER’s Tech Stack (BirdEye View)

Resource: https://eng.uber.com/mezzanine-migration/


UBER’s Trip Flow

Resource: https://eng.uber.com/rescued-by-octopus/


UBER’s Tech Stack

Resource: https://eng.uber.com/ureplicator/


The Lean Approach: Using BaaS (Backend-as-a-Service)


Taking Lean Approach: Using BaaS (Backend-as-a-Service)


Developing the Mobile App








● Chris Mears from The UX Review gave us this piece of advice on designing for mobile:

"One of the main use cases for mobile is killing time. But that doesn't mean you should waste that of your users. Make sure you understand the main tasks they want to accomplish on your app through research and make those the focus of the interface."

● The apps that stand out in the market are those that deliver great UX.

Conclusion

http://theuxreview.co.uk/


● Can you think of an on-demand app that is needed by the Saudi Community and how this app can survive and grow?

The best idea will join the UXBERT Startup Seed Program to build, design and test their prototype for free.

Challenge


● We are looking for entrepreneurs to join our startup seed program. We give you up to 25k SAR to get your MVP built to test your idea in the market.

UXBERT Startup Program


● http://thinkapps.com/blog/development/on-demand-services-how-to-build/● http://nextjuggernaut.com/blog/11-uber-for-x-startups-that-failed-are-you-making-the-same-mis

takes/● http://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-secret-behind-ubers-success-is-surprisingly-simple-201

6-6● http://filteredmedia.com.au/secret-behind-ubers-success/● https://ubereats.com/● https://newsroom.uber.com/nigeria/lagos-we-are-bringing-you-cupcakes/● https://newsroom.uber.com/us-california/soar-to-coachella-with-uberchopper/● https://uxplanet.org/mobile-ux-design-key-principles-dee1a632f9e6#.s7tyi43sp● https://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-centered-design.html● http://www.userfocus.co.uk/consultancy/ucd.html● http://dschool.stanford.edu/redesigningtheater/the-design-thinking-process/● https://eng.uber.com/rescued-by-octopus/● https://eng.uber.com/tech-stack-part-one/● https://eng.uber.com/ureplicator/● http://code.hireart.com/2016/02/24/react-native-ios-app/

References

http://thinkapps.com/blog/development/on-demand-services-how-to-build/

http://thinkapps.com/blog/development/on-demand-services-how-to-build/

http://nextjuggernaut.com/blog/11-uber-for-x-startups-that-failed-are-you-making-the-same-mistakes/



http://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-secret-behind-ubers-success-is-surprisingly-simple-2016-6



https://ubereats.com/

https://ubereats.com/

https://newsroom.uber.com/nigeria/lagos-we-are-bringing-you-cupcakes/

https://newsroom.uber.com/nigeria/lagos-we-are-bringing-you-cupcakes/

https://newsroom.uber.com/us-california/soar-to-coachella-with-uberchopper/

https://newsroom.uber.com/us-california/soar-to-coachella-with-uberchopper/

https://uxplanet.org/mobile-ux-design-key-principles-dee1a632f9e6#.s7tyi43sp

https://uxplanet.org/mobile-ux-design-key-principles-dee1a632f9e6#.s7tyi43sp

https://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-centered-design.html

https://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-centered-design.html

http://www.userfocus.co.uk/consultancy/ucd.html

http://www.userfocus.co.uk/consultancy/ucd.html

http://dschool.stanford.edu/redesigningtheater/the-design-thinking-process/

http://dschool.stanford.edu/redesigningtheater/the-design-thinking-process/

https://eng.uber.com/rescued-by-octopus/

https://eng.uber.com/rescued-by-octopus/

https://eng.uber.com/tech-stack-part-one/

https://eng.uber.com/tech-stack-part-one/

https://eng.uber.com/ureplicator/

https://eng.uber.com/ureplicator/