What was known at the start of the project:
The open rate and, ultimately, the GMV of verticals may depend on the position of the service icon in the carousel. The closer the icon is, the higher the open rate. Therefore, placing all icons on the main screen would increase the open rate (pic 1).
Super app solutions can be risky for the core business (ride-hailing). In 2023, an experiment was conducted that negatively impacted the GMV of ride-hailing (pic 2).
Transition to superapp
For several years, the company has been trying to transition to a super app to effectively diversify its business, but this has been a challenging journey, as these experiments have often led to a decline in the core business (ride-hailing). I will share the successful results of a series of experiments.
I work in a division that includes courier and freight deliveries as well as intercity rides—these are not the core business but are leading verticals of inDrive. However, the app was originally designed architecturally and visually for ride-hailing, with other businesses simply added on without redesigning the interface or user flows, which was not always an ideal fit.
Context
inDrive is a ride-hailing company operating in over 50 countries. However, the development of the app's architecture did not keep pace with the growth of the business. This case study explores how, through design and product changes, my team and I transformed the inDrive app from a ride-hailing-focused application into a fully-fledged super app and how design was the driver of that changes
IOS | Android, 2024
pic 1
pic 2
If we make the entry point for the "City Rides" vertical more prominent, the growth of other verticals will be substantial enough to outweigh the decline of the core busines
Hypothesis for Iteration 1
This led to a significant increase in service openings, a rise in the number of orders, and an impressive 100% growth in GMV for the intercity ride service. However, we also observed a slight decline in GMV for our core service—city rides. Unfortunately, the growth of other verticals was not enough to fully offset this decline.
For further changes, we are constrained by the layout of the main screen, where the ride-hailing order form takes up most of the space. However, our previous iteration delivered excellent results, so we are optimistic about getting approval for a redesign of the main screen—despite the risks it poses for ride-hailing. That’s why I joined the working group to pitch the super app project.
Nothing inspires better than a strong design vision.
Together with the designers, I prepared a high-impact design concept that included a vision for both passengers and drivers. I focused heavily on visual appeal. To achieve this, our creative design team developed new vertical icons to attract more users. Alongside product managers, I conducted multiple pitch sessions, presenting the strategy for design changes necessary for transitioning into a super app.
Nothing inspires better than a strong design vision.
Together with the designers, I prepared a high-impact design concept that included a vision for both passengers and drivers. I focused heavily on visual appeal. To achieve this, our creative design team developed new vertical icons to attract more users. Alongside product managers, I conducted multiple pitch sessions, presenting the strategy for design changes necessary for transitioning into a super app.
To strengthen our case, I requested a design perception test from our UX team.
We asked users to evaluate our app and competitors (Uber, Yango) based on specific parameters and compared their ratings to the previous year’s results. The findings showed that our new design significantly outperformed the old version and ranked competitively high among industry leaders.
We asked users to evaluate our app and competitors (Uber, Yango) based on specific parameters and compared their ratings to the previous year’s results. The findings showed that our new design significantly outperformed the old version and ranked competitively high among industry leaders.
The vision, strategy, and research-backed arguments were compelling enough to secure approval for the main screen redesign and additional resources for the team.
However, for inDrive, the super app is an enabler of growth for verticals. I work in a unit that includes inDrive’s key verticals, excluding the core business—namely, courier and freight deliveries and intercity rides. Therefore, for our unit, the super app is a business growth driver, while for the core business, it poses significant risks.
Superapp — growth enabler, but...
Nothing sells better than great design
Visual Appeal Test
Redesign of Entry Points
Results
We were launching a low-cost A/B test where we revamped the layout of entry points to the verticals by introducing dedicated brand cards for each vertical while keeping the carousel exclusively for tariffs. Importantly, the rest of the interface remained unchanged.
Outcome
Navigation tests
Results
New superapp design and Navigation
Our design team worked on a new card layout, conducted UX tests, and confirmed that the new design is more engaging. We paid special attention to "City Rides" (which showed a decline in the previous experiment) by dedicating an entire section to this vertical. Additionally, we duplicated the "City Rides" in the largest card, creating two entry points for this service.
Navigation was improved as well—now, it's easy to return to the previous screen from any vertical (previously, users could only exit via the carousel or side menu).
Navigation was improved as well—now, it's easy to return to the previous screen from any vertical (previously, users could only exit via the carousel or side menu).
Since we planned to remove the carousel and replace it with a tile-based navigation element, we needed an alternative way for users to switch between verticals and navigate back. To address this, the burger menu in each vertical was replaced with a back arrow.
I organized a UX test to determine the easiest way for users to return and place additional orders.
I organized a UX test to determine the easiest way for users to return and place additional orders.
The back arrow proved to be the more effective solution, and we successfully launched another experiment that showed a significant increase in the open rate.
As a result, the burger menu now remains only on the main screen, but it is not an ideal navigation solution. It essentially serves as a landing page combined with profile content, which can create a cluttered and confusing experience for users.
As a result, the burger menu now remains only on the main screen, but it is not an ideal navigation solution. It essentially serves as a landing page combined with profile content, which can create a cluttered and confusing experience for users.
As a result of these design changes, we were able to offset the decline in our core vertical and, thanks to the growth of GMV in the verticals now in focus, we saw an overall increase in GMV.
currently being tested
Given the success of the previous changes, we can now proceed with finalizing the transition to a super app, specifically:
- Test a layout without the map in regions where the verticals have a strong market presence.
- Improve navigation by consolidating duplicate pages within each vertical and making them cross-vertical, for example, a unified profile or shared order history.
Next Steps
Project design team
I would like to mention that in this project I act as a design manager and art director. I am responsible for a hiring, design hypotheses backlog, design iterations roadmap, crossfunctional communicatons and quality of design solutions. Most of design work did Vladislav Slivko with the support of Lolita Rudakova at the very start.
