YUAN ZENG
GoShare Service Design
This project was done when I was doing my master program at NTUST in Taiwan. My role in this project is as the UX designer. This whole project lasts for six months. With the development of science and technology, the concept of sharing economy has become an emerging business model. Nowadays, sharing scooters have become a part of our daily transportation option. We hope to design a complete user-entered service process and proposes the future adjustable and innovative development direction of GoShare.
Overview
In June 2019, Gogoro Taiwan launched an electric scooter sharing service named GoShare. Users need to download GoShare APP to find a nearby electric scooter and start using it. With no fixed parking station, users only need to park in a public parking space to return it. If users encounter a power shortage during driving, they can go GoStation (battery exchange station) battery exchange. The product was first launched only in Taoyuan and later Taipei. (2019)
Design Process
The design process starts from observation. At first, we tried to understand the usage of the service, the competitive analysis and the service flow of this product. In the user research process, we sort out the customer segment, and to have imaginative customers in mind. We also need to do the field research and user interviews to conclude the pain points at each user journey. In the findings stage, we have a clear direction in mind to propose our how-might-we and the problem that we are going to solve in this service.
Thereafter, we moved on to design the storyboard and wireframe of the service. The last step was to assess our hypothesis and made conclusion.
Observation
The sharing e-scooters business in Taiwan
By the end of 2019, there were three sharing electric scooter service companies in Taiwan, namely Wemo, iRent, and GoShare. In terms of pricing, the three brands charge the customers with NTD per minute. Wemo offers more choices in leasing solutions, who has advantages for long-term use. On the contrary, GoShare's leasing choice is relatively diversified but with a famous marketing reputation because of the mother company. In terms of the number of scooters invested, compared to the other two major brands, GoShare has the least number of scooters.
Literature Review
1. The sharing electric scooter business model is suitable for users with a monthly riding mileage of less than 100km (for commuting and traveling).
The current GoShare pricing is a fixed price, which is 15 NTD for the first 6 minutes and 2.5 NTD per minute thereafter. If the monthly riding mileage is 100km, 200km, 400km, 600km, 800km, and the average turnover is 8-11 times. Through the sensitivity analysis of the mathematical model, it can be known that the existing pricing is changed to 2.25 NTD/ minute will make both the net value of users riding 100km per month and the net present value of the entire metropolitan area greater than zero. It means that the sharing electric scooter business model is suitable for users with a monthly riding mileage of less than 100km (for commuting and traveling).
2. Second, the sharing economy can is to create the added value of sharing idle assets.
In other words, the application of the flexible price mechanism to the sharing economy will be more in line with economic logic. It is suggested that the product providers should consider adopting the business model of off-peak flexible pricing mechanism. Although return during the off-peak hours is low, it can increase consumers’ willingness to rent a scooter and further to expand the market share; However, in peak hours, relatively high rental fees can ear the company extra profits, and the "depreciation expenses" of the sunk costs can be recovered, which can create a win-win situation with consumers.
3. Third, a successful sharing economy relies on a strong member economy.
In terms of the sharing scooter business model, the manufacturers can turn to be the service operators in a B2B model and directly control the source of customers. Although the charging rate is the same for different kinds of users, differentiated services can be served to improve brand characteristics. For example, if the rental price per unit time is higher, additional services can be provided to users at that rate; or consumers who rent at a specific time period, such as 7 to 9 am , the user can enjoy traffic notifications during peak hours, provide routes that are not congested, or get discounts on meals at some breakfast shops, etc.
source: Machinery Industry Technology and Industry Information Special-Zeng Yuqian
Taiwan Energy Journal-Xu Zhiyi, You Chenting
The Riding Journey
After understand the competitor and the market, I immersed ourself in using this service. This is the general customer journey before riding, during riding and after riding. We listed out the process a user may experience in each journey.
The riding journey includes:
1. Registration: user registers as a member, you have to authorize your driving license.
2. Reservation: user searches for nearby motorbike
3. Ready to go: user learns how to operate the motorbike with simple animation
4. Start riding: user wears the helmet and start riding
5. Changing batter: user can change motorbike battery in the middle of riding at nearby power station.
6. Continue using: user stops by a store for buying some drink.
7. Returning: user returns the motorbike in the peak hour
8. Done using: user is done riding
9. Customer service: users contacts the customer support for help.
10. Using again: user has good using experience and he is willing to use the product again.
What is the picture of our target users?
We divided the users from their economic status (well-fixed or thrifty) and traveling types (commuting or traveling). Also, by putting down the description of each customer type, the customers are separated into four types, pretty bourgeoisie, budget tightened travelers, rich Yapi and relaxing travelers.
In the current service, the target group is in the first dimension. However, we hope that once we satisfy the first dimension, we can extend the service scope to target the forth dimension.
Field research and users interview
To understand the riding experience, we visited the field to do a decent customer interview and field research. After collecting the user info we drafted out the persona concluded the following journey of riding and the pain points at each riding stage.
Findings
User Journey and their pain points
After the semi-interview and data we found from the users, we listed out the overall using journey and the main pain points users suffered at each stage.
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Before riding - enhance the reputation and usage accessibility
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Users usually have to verify their driving license, and it's easy to fail.
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When reserving a scooter, there's usually no scooter nearby or the scooter is being parked in the private area.
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The leasing package is limited.
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First time users usually suffer from the insufficient instruction animation and don't know how to use it.
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During riding - optimize the riding experience
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The pressure of being charged by time
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During the ride, the battery needs to be changed
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No standby mode, the fear of the scooter being rented out
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Hard to find the parking space
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After riding - to make first time users our friend instead of just a one-time user
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Forget to return the scooter
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Long customer service waiting time
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Meet damaged scooter again
There are many pain points being mentioned in the interviews. However, we cannot solve all of them at once. Therefore, we just listed the services that are urgently needed to be optimized.
How-might-we
To have a concise design direction, our team conclude our hmw as How might we provide city commuters an easy-to-use and comfortable riding experience?
The design strategy can be divided into three categories, optimizing current service, enhancing using convenience, and to extend the service to tourist industry.
We are going to bring up solutions to the pain points mentioned above and optimize the current service.
Besides, we want to make the public transportation card can be used on renting the scooter.
Also, we want to extend the current service to tourism industry.
Design
We've been through the storyboard designing process and later we come up with the solutions wireframe
The optimization of current service
The following are the ideas we proposed to optimize the current service.
Before Riding - Target more customers and protect users' right
Giving clearer using instruction
When GoShare first launched, it has been complained that they don't have sufficient instruction in the APP. With a step-by-step riding instruction, this can help the first time user to user the service successfully.
Also, we build up FAQ within the APP, the user doesn't have to contact the customer or chatbot.
Before riding - Target more customers and protect users' right
Nearby scooters push notification
To solve the problem of finding no scooters when needed, a nearby scooters push notification shows up in time based on your using habits.
Before riding - Target more customers and protect users' right
Issue report and clear private and public space distinction
To solve the problem of reserved scooter has been parked in private space, we want to give clear marks on private and public parking space. Users can also report improper use of the scooter ( improper parking) and help other users can enjoy satisfied renting experience.
During Riding - Comfortable riding experience
Integrated navigation system
Once the scooter runs out of battery, users can go to the power station to change a new battery. However, GoShare app has no integrated map for the power station and navigation function. We want to build up the navigation function in GoShare APP, therefore the users can navigate themselves to the power station in the APP instead of google map.
During the ride - Comfortable riding experience
Environment friendly image
The pressure of being charged during the ride is torturing the users. We want to design a riding interface with environmental friendly image or message, that the users might feel more comfortable when seeing them reducing the CO2 emission to the environment.
After Riding - Prolong the using habit
Full-screen returning reminder
To solve the problem of "scooter not successfully returned and being charged", we want to build a reminder to return the scooter. Once the system detects the scooter has not been returned and not using, this notification will be shown.
After Riding - Prolong the using habit
Set up GoShare station
To solve the problem of too many dirty helmet and insufficient parking space, we want to set some GoShare stations in some area. There, users can get sanitized helmet and learn how to rent the scooter, changing battery and find parking space.
After Riding - Prolong the using habit
After riding feedback form
To protect the users after the ride and satisfied riding experience sustainability, we want to set up a feedback from after the user finish each ride. They can upload the image where they park the scooter, to protect themselves from someone moved the scooter to an illegal parking space after the users leave the scooter. Also, GoShare can know how's this scooter's condition going.
After Riding - Prolong the using habits
Standby mode
Offering stand-by pricing package to prolong the using habits. If the users want to stop by a shop for a short time, this standby pricing allows user to preserve the scooter with different pricing.
Enhance the using convenience
The following ideas are to enhance the using convenience. These concepts are to extend our current service scope to the fourth dimension.
Convenience, target more group
Rent with your physical card
To reach more users who doesn't want to use their phone all the time or who's phone is going to run out of battery, users can rent the scooter with their public transportation card. On one hand, we lower the entry battery. On the other hand, users don't have to operate the app every time.
Cross industry collaboration
Collaboration with business or academic organizations
To get more users for GoShare, we want to collaborate with some business or academic organization and offer our business members with promotion code or discount.
Enhance travel experience
The following ideas are to extend our service to tourism industry. These concepts are to gain more cross industry collaboration.
Cross industry collaboration
Multiple pricing package
Users can rent the scooter in accordance with their ideal traveling plan. We want to offer multiple traveling package : one-day, multiple days, or to cooperate with some activities.
Cross industry collaboration
Collaborate with tourism industry
We want to collaborate with hotels and they can offer their customers GoShare when moving in the tourist city.
We can also listing the renting package on travel experience service platform ex. KKday or Klook.
In this way, we can reach more users and extend our service to the fourth dimension of our customer segment map.
Cross industry collaboration - Public transportation
Airport or high speed rail service station
We want to set up GoShare station at the airport or high speed rail stations. There, passengers can not only know we have this new service now, but they can verify their driving license there and start to use GoShare service.
Assessment
After we proposed all the solutions to GoShare's new service, we composed a questionnaire about how those solutions change the customer journey. To prioritize the urgent pain points to improve, here we tried Kano model to evaluate the questionnaire results to sort out the data. Here is the analysis info about the questionnaire.
KANO Model Evaluation :
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Questionnaire amount: 90/ Valid amont: 51 / Age range: 18-25
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> 60% use the service before / >70% use at least once a week.
Conclusion
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The solution we offered to the customers can meet their expectation when using the APP.
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However, the priority of service optimization is to start from the first dimension. Besides, "the reminder of nearby scooters" and "issue report" functions would be the most urgent demand from the questionnaire results.
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The customers care about the service pricing but they are not satisfied with it. They pay a relatively expensive price for time-saving and convenient service.
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If multiple pricing packages could be added in the next service update, this would relatively improve customers' satisfaction.
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In order to consolidate GoShare service and brand in all the sharing scooter brands, cooperation with business and academic organizations can bring GoShare more customers and exposure.