Background

Water Taxi Rotterdam (WTR) is a prominent water transportation service in the city, offering an efficient means of crossing the river. However, despite its popularity, WTR faced challenges with online booking. It relied solely on its website, which provided suboptimal user experiences, resulting in user frustrations due to limited accessibility, and a lack of real-time information. The need for an improved booking system became apparent, prompting the collaboration between Flying Fish Tech, a tech company from the Netherlands, and WTR.

Challenge

The primary challenge was to enhance the booking experience for water taxi users through a mobile app, and present this as a working solution to potential stakeholders who would approve future financing of the apps further development.

Project goals

- Improve the user experience of booking water taxi rides.
- Create an MVP that is intuitive, reliable, and accessible.
- Enable real-time updates and payment options.
- Optimize booking and boarding processes.

Team collaboration

Our interdisciplinary team consisted of talented developers and aerospace engineers from FlyingFish: Thore Roepman, Chiel Bruin, and Gerben Schonenbaum and myself. We've worked closely with each other, fostering collaboration and innovation throughout the project.

Discover & Research

Market research involved analyzing the competition in the transportation and ride-hailing sector, including platforms like Uber and NS, which offered services for land transportation but not water taxis. Additionally, confidential data from Water Taxi Rotterdam highlighted their operational challenges and opportunities for improvement."To gain insights into the current user experience with the Water Taxi Rotterdam service, we conducted Google Surveys and analyzed Google Reviews provided by Water Taxi users. These methods allowed us to gather valuable feedback and understand user sentiments related to the existing service."

Competitor analysis insights

During the brainstorming session, the team considered competitor apps like the NS App and Uber App for reference. It was decided to create a hybrid design style for the Water Taxi App, combining elements from both competitors.

The key focus was on streamlining the booking process, allowing users to try the app without immediate account creation, displaying water taxi service hours, and implementing scheduled service features for user convenience. Additionally, user interface improvements and the retention of the current account system were discussed as essential aspects of the app's development.

Scoping

Given the project's time constraints, the initial focus was on designing a web app. This decision aimed to streamline the booking process and address critical user pain points related to accessibility, payment, and real-time information.

User Flow & Concept Wireframes

We developed wireframes that explored options to enhance user acquisition and extend user enjoyment of their rides. Our goal was to make the user experience seamless, with native and familiar feeling.

Decisions

Several decisions were made during the project, including improvements to the user interface, changes in the booking process, and the retention of the current account system. One additional step was taken out of the booking flow in order to simplify the booking process and making it more intuitive and faster.

Usability Tests

Prototype testing with 5 persons was conducted to identify areas for improvement. The test users were given specific task of booking a water taxi and provided insights into the improvements of user interface and alternative suggestion features.

Iterations

Based on user feedback, we iterated on the designs, addressing issues such as the time and date picker's usability and the clarity of the booking process.

Final Designs

The final designs incorporated stakeholder feedback and addressed the identified issues from the presentation meeting, resulting in a more user-friendly and efficient booking experience.

Conclusion

The transformation of the Water Taxi Rotterdam App represents a significant step in enhancing user experience and staying competitive in a dynamic market. By drawing inspiration from successful competitors, prioritizing essential features, and adopting a user-centric approach, we've taken a crucial stride toward achieving our project goals. This journey continued as Water Taxi Rotterdam's inhouse project and today the app has more than 10 000 users.