Challenge: Uber drivers often struggle to predict their earnings. Design features that help them estimate earnings based on historical data and upcoming events.
Uber’s mission is reimagine the way the world moves for the better. Drivers are one of the most important part of Uber’s business. By improving driver experience, predictability, and increasing their earning potential, Uber can improve driver satisfaction and retention, optimize driver allocation during peak hours, and enhance the overall driver experience, leading to a stronger partner network.
Ridesharing platforms like Uber attract a diverse group of drivers seeking income opportunities.
To better understand their needs we can segment the audience into groups by the type of services they provide and work arrangement type.
In this task, we would concentrate more on the users from the second category (Work arrangement type). They both have similar challenges, but slightly different needs. The ones who use it as a side hustle value flexibility more, while full-time drivers need more financial security and predictability.
To gather more information and better understand the user needs, I conducted secondary research by reading reviews about driving for Uber.
To organize the findings, I created an affinity map sorting the feedback into logical groups. The affinity map revealed that feedback about earnings was a major concern, particularly for full-time drivers. This aligns with our goal of improving income predictability.
By analyzing the reviews, I identified the following common challenges faced by full-time drivers:
We're creating the feature within the existing Uber Driver mobile app. The majority of the time, the app is used on the go, during the day or night, and operated with one hand, as the phone will most likely be mounted in the car or the driver is driving.
Although this is true for core features like accepting rides and navigation, the “analytical” features are more likely to be used prior to drives in calmer surroundings. This could be when the driver is parked, waiting for a ride, or even at home planning their schedule for the day or week.
Increase predictability of monthly earnings for full-time Uber drivers to help them be more in control of their finances.
“Plan earnings” feature should be able to answer 2 questions that drives might have:
I was considering three locations for the feature within the app:
I decided to move forward with Option 3. This approach has several advantages. By placing the 'Plan Earnings' feature within the existing 'Opportunities' page, drivers benefit from both a familiar location and seamless integration with existing earning-related functionalities. This approach keeps the app interface organized and avoids overwhelming drivers with scattered information.
