Thinking Outside the App

Fortunately, Gett, a marketplace for taxi drivers and passengers, has rectified this problem. The uncomfortable silence between driver and passenger is minimized by a simple pop-up that appears after a ‘match’. The pop-up displays the driver's preferred conversation topics, from sports teams to astronomy. Gett even notifies passengers when it’s their driver’s birthday week, prompting an easy icebreaker.

Gett didn’t just ask “How can we create the best user experience for a taxi marketplace app?” They asked, "How can we foster comfortable, genuine connection in taxi cabs?”

They thought outside the app. Apps cater to various stages of the user journey, which partially takes place in the physical realm. In UX design, we need to be mindful of the bigger picture – perfecting not only the in-app experience, but attending to the user journey as it unfolds in reality.

A comprehensive experience should travel with the user beyond the screen – and this can be achieved by mapping the transition points between the app and the real world.

Another transportation app, Lyft, identified that riders tended to be prone to distractions while waiting for their lift. We’ve all been there: stuck in a conversation, still debating what to wear (guilty as charged), or scrambling to throw last-minute items into our bag. It can be difficult to find the balance between obsessively checking our car’s arrival time every five seconds, and hearing the horn honk out front while we’re still mid-outfit change. 

Lyft resolved this unpleasant dilemma with a single buzz. The rider’s phone vibrates once the driver is approaching. And if you’re far away from your phone? No problem – the vibration will be loud enough for you to hear. 

Solving a pain point at the end of the user flow is exceptionally effective for increasing user satisfaction. According to the peak-end rule, we typically judge experiences based on how they felt at their peak and at their end.  

Grocery delivery startup Avo understood the peak-end rule: After a user makes their grocery order, Avo divides the selected items into different bags based on typical kitchen storage. When users receive their delivery, their food is already divided into categories like dairy, fruit, and bread (what can I say? I love carbs). This helps users save time not just on the Avo app, but when they’re unloading their groceries – long after the app experience has run its course.

One of the key principles of Thaler and Sunstein’s Nudge theory is to be mindful of users’ expected errors.¹ As product managers, we’re responsible for identifying and addressing these errors in our product design – including those outside the app. Take Uber: they went the extra mile (pun intended) for users facing new technology during their rideshare. If you’ve ever been in a Tesla, you know the embarrassment of failing to open their artfully-designed car door for the first time. Uber provides detailed instructions for riders before their fancy car shows up, saving them the embarrassment and thereby creating a better overall user experience.

When sculpting a new feature, it's imperative to envision the physical scenarios in which our users will engage with our application. Pondering questions like ‘outdoors or indoors?’ and ‘day or night?’ and ’solitude or crowds?’ becomes paramount. These differences will significantly influence the final product's design and functionality.

Take Duolingo, the illustrious language learning app that fervently encourages daily practice. To ensure the users commitment to the app, Duolingo caters to an array of user circumstances. The platform’s designers recognized that learners might seize fleeting moments – be it during a doctor's waiting room interlude or a homeward bus ride – to engage in language exercises.

However, these instances aren’t always conducive to vocal practice. This savvy insight led to the integration of "Can't listen now" and "Can't speak now" options, empowering users to circumvent speaking or hearing exercises when circumstances don't align.