How might we design a sustainable and equitable Bird loyalty program for students at SMC?
My role: UX Researcher, Product Designer
Collaborators: Bird
Stakeholder Meeting
After meeting with Bird, there were a few big takeaways:
1. There is a huge lack of education on safety
2. 'Loyalty' can mean many different things
3. Constraints: This program will not live inside the app; E-scooters are not allowed on SMC campus
Research Phase
Five weeks were devoted to an extensive amount of research which included 5 + customer interviews, 3 domain expert interviews, and secondary research in a specific touchpoint area of Bird-- mine was Education
Card Sort
"What do you prioritize most when choosing a product?"
Top Research Insights:
1. Many students walk the 'last mile' from their bus or metro stop to school
2. Students want someone to show them how to ride a scooter before they get on for the first time; they feel unsafe
3. Students are generally aware of scooter safety measures, but don't feel motivated to follow them
System Mapping
Customer Journey
Prototype: Journey Map
Initial concept for a loyalty program consisting of Bird ambassadors, helmets on demand, and a reward points system to encourage good rider behavior (and discounts for SMC students)
After meeting with Bird, I realized my idea had too many moving parts, and I would have to focus on one that I could prototype and test. I focused my effort into gamifying the riding experience to make riding safe and enjoyable for students and reward them with incentives. I named it "Bird Feeder".
Prototype: Second Iteration
User Testing
First, I spoke to students about what kind of rewards they would want in a loyalty program. I also played a prototype of what the game might sound like.
Poster and App Mockup for Concept
Then, I tested different versions of gameplay with different components to determine the most successful iteration of my prototype.
Testing Results
From rapid prototyping, I learned:
1. It's not about the journey, it's about the destination
(let's focus on getting there rather than trying to control the ride)
2. Coins on the ground are distracting
3. Providing incentives that are meaningful for students is important
Concept Iteration
My concept evolved into a rewards system where students will gain rewards for riding on certain routes in the bike lane.
Results
Reminded by Bird that this concept should not focus on using the app, I got rid of the mobile screens and moved them to Bird's website, as desktop account access is something they will soon be implementing.
