Digging into the bloated Transporter App 1.0 and then redesigning its V2.0 by prioritising real needs.

Despite the "robust" mobile app that had been created for the transporters, usage was low and there was a constant barrage of calls about the app's use. Hence the need to dig deep to understand why.

The client

Kobo360 leads innovation in integrated logistics solutions and truck brokerage services across Africa. Their platform aggregates end-to-end haulage operations, facilitating efficiency in supply chain management for cargo owners, truck owners, drivers, and cargo recipients.

The Transporter app plays a crucial role in the overall success of the operation, serving as the primary tool for managing drivers and fleets for truck owners. This is where the majority of my work within the company was focused.

My role

To define the user research roadmap and then conduct the research in order to truly understand the transporters.
To carry out boots-on-ground user research with transporters in their natural environment – the trucks park.
To lead two other designers while collaborating with product managers, developers and business development team to improve the user experience across all the apps.

The work

Scope

To investigate the pain points, frustrations and desires of transporters while using the already existing mobile app, advise team of features to prioritise and then carry out a redesign of the mobile app experience based on agreed roadmap.

Description

Kobo360 previously introduced the transporter app with numerous features perceived as necessary for transporters, yet this initiative lacked grounded user research. Consequently, customer service staff faced a continuous influx of complaints, and the in-house team still had to onboard new transporters despite the app’s existence. Through research, three major issues were uncovered:

The onboarding process involved too many steps.
Completing trip deliveries proved challenging, affecting timely payments.
Users lacked a direct complaints channel within the app, leading to frequent calls.

Read more detailed reports here and here.

On this project, I conducted face-to-face contextual inquiries and interviews at the truck park alongside a product manager. Subsequently, I redesigned the entire onboarding flow for Transporter app V2.0.

Outcomes

The simplified onboarding process led to an increased 25% in self-onboarding transporters.
Simplifying the home page directly increased overall usage of the Transporter app V2.0.
Phone calls to the customer service staff drastically reduced as they could now make complaints through the app after attempting with the FAQs.