Bora Bike
Making cycling a more appealing alternative to driving in a bustling city like São Paulo
Year
2019
Role
UX Researcher/Designer
About the project
How to enhance the cycling experience instead of driving a car?
Together with Bora Bike, we developed a mobile application designed to track how frequently users ride their bicycles.
The app rewards users with points based on the distance they’ve cycled, which can be exchanged for various rewards. In a city where cars dominate the roads, we set out to change the mindset of its residents by encouraging them to choose cycling over driving.
Our mission was clear: motivate people to move more, improve their quality of life, and contribute to transforming São Paulo into a better place to live.
Discovery phase
Leveraging the design sprint methodology, we organised meetings where our partners shared how they came up with the idea, the constraints they faced, and the research they conducted on their target audience. We also discussed the references they found during the ideation process, their feelings about a minimum viable product, and more.
In addition to this, we conducted our own research, gathering information on similar projects in Europe to further refine our approach.
Findings
Throughout the process, we uncovered several key insights
1.
The concept of earning rewards for cycling was unfamiliar and even strange to a segment of potential users.
2.
Workshops with the startup’s co-founders proved invaluable in understanding their market perceptions.
3.
São Paulo lacks a strong cycling culture, with only about 3% of people commuting by bike.
4.
Designing user interfaces that used familiar language to clearly explain this innovative idea was a challenge but essential for user adoption.
UX Design
In the UX stage we worked on
✅ An easy to understand promotional website that highlights the concept of the application for the different target audiences to make them aware of the benefits.
✅ A minimum viable mobile application for the end user.
✅ A web based application for partners responsible to redeem rewards (local cinemas, supermarkets, restaurants, etc.).
✅ A web based application for private companies responsible to set up a community inside Bora Bike to invite and contribute to the employees’ well-being, promoting special challenges and rewards inside the application.
Video
Promotional Video
The video features audio in Brazilian Portuguese with English subtitles.
Results
International recognition
Following the pre-launch of this innovative concept in the Brazilian market, Bora Bike was selected for a prestigious startup acceleration program. They also had the opportunity to showcase their project at one of the most renowned interactive conferences in the USA—SXSW.
This exposure marked a significant milestone in their journey, bringing them one step closer to transforming the cycling culture in São Paulo.
