Gamification of Uber
Project Showcase
School Project - Wilfrid Laurier University
2023
The Problem
Apps such as Uber focus on transactional relationships with users. Users log in, book their ride, and log off. Although this means that users can accomplish their goals quickly, it also leads to lower retention rates and engagement times. The current user flows reflect company goals but fail to build on the app's potential for community-driven engagement. Transactional tools are seen as merely that, tools, but successful community engagement could lead to higher user loyalty and personal investment in the success of the tool.
To address these concerns, our goal was to explore the limits of generating user engagement through leveraging Uber's existing network. Our team aimed to expand the Uber experience by introducing community features that highlight how this app is already capable of bringing people together. We added many new features based on identified user pain points, from core fixes to issues such as network connectivity, to more social and inclusive additions, such as the ability to control the app's language settings and pick preferred speaking languages on your rides. Inclusive communication tools could empower users and lead to stronger confidence in the Uber brand.
My Process
My Role
For this project I owned the end-to-end process of creating the app's gamification strategy. Gamification is the addition of game-like mechanics to products and services that would otherwise not include them. This practice helps to build engagement, loyalty, and opportunities for monetization that can systematically lead to high long-term user retention.
Development
To achieve these goals, I introduced a Local Leaderboard and Achievement Milestones to foster a sense of community among frequent riders and encourage key app interactions. These new features should allow Uber to increase the engagement and loyalty of their users while gaining additional incentives for spending. Although my main focus in this project was how to gamify the Uber app, I found that a key learning opportunity was navigating a mature design system. Designing app features for an existing app meant having to understand and execute according to an existing system of design guidelines, component UI and brand adherence. In the end I achieved my goals by successfully establishing a gamification strategy in a way that was seamless, with high visual consistency. I implemented effective new features and made them feel well-integrated through a well-designed UI.
What I Learned
My main takeaways from this project included:
Scaling interfaces using existing mature design systems ensured visual consistency, which strengthened brand trust and platform familiarity.
Identifying gaps in existing user journeys led to the discovery of additional user touchpoints and retention strategies.
Leveraging underutilized app functions (such as user ratings and local language data) can harbor potential for successful new features with low implementation times and minimal user friction.
