Joypool
2 months project, collaborated with Tiffany Chung
Project Background
Memory, Experience, Efficient
Joypool is an app to dramatically improve your commute. Provide convenient carpools with friends and neighbors. The purpose of this app was to help people living in the modern society to spend valuable time with friends and neighbors by carpooling. Based on the research, as we entering college, we have less time to play with friends and make memories together because classes started and ended at different times of a day and people takes different classes depending on their major, it was hard to meet in person and spend time together. Although we keep in touch with friends through online social networks. Even if we want to go to somewhere with friends, it is hard to know who wants to go and it is inefficient to ask every friend one by one. This app, named Joypool is a product of my careful consideration of how to make people(e.g., students and workers) use carpool system more effectively.
Project Outcome
Joypool is a carpool app with a strong focus on user experience, elevating and simplifying the process of finding mutual transportation within the user’s social circle. The app is also meant to bring members of a community together, for mutual benefit and for the benefit of the environment. Unlike conventional carpool apps, which are highly specialized, Joypool is meant for all users, connecting them through a social network. The app is designed so that users can have more meaningful and convenient ride-sharing interactions with their friends, family, and neighbors.
BEGINNING
I was wondering how to help college students to spend time with their friends together and share hobbies and memories with others. I came up with a carpool idea. The carpool is a car sharing system for people, who have the same destination or go to the same direction, to share a vehicle. The carpool helps people to save gas, reduce environmental pollution, and prevent traffic congestion. Moreover, it is a good way to maintain a better relationship with fellow passengers. I found that people rarely carpooled unless it was with other family members, although it has many benefits. Therefore, I conducted a small study to find out why students and citizens of Pittsburgh do not carpool.
Logo Design
The logo of Joypool was designed in the shape of swimming pool by using the double O in the carpool. I hoped people could have a good time and make good memories with friends.
Process
01. Identifying the Problem
The problem of carpool is that people do not have an efficient way of locating each other and organizing transportation in cities. People have different schedules, are spread apart, and are unable to quickly coordinate with each other.
02. Research / Understanding the Problem
I found two simple and possible solutions for this set of problems, though they were not complete solutions. An instant carpool would be able to bring a group of friends together. An app-based service like Uber or Lyft would have a similar solution. So, I conducted a survey, isolating the unique responses to either possible solution and to better come up with a good solution.
Carpooling had more negative reactions than positive: mainly coordination, organization, and compensation. Coordination can be tricky if everyone’s location was not on a single map. Organization is similar, schedules are difficult to align well. Finally, it can be difficult to compensate whoever is driving everyone in the carpool.
Car service apps had a much more positive response: Convenience, compensation, and cost-effectiveness. Uber is much more convenient for unplanned trips, because there will be less of a wait. It is easier to split the bill by distance. Finally, the prices can be very reasonable considering the convenience.
Problem Solving / Constructing and Testing the Solution
At this point of my project, the answer was pretty clear: an app-based carpool service. But not just a random carpool service like uberPool. The solution would be a social-network-based carpool app that would use existing app-based carpool services to organize impromptu meetups: Joypool.
Using GPS functionality and status notifications, Joypool can visualize a user’s friends and availability instantly. The user can then coordinate a carpool with an existing service such as Uber and Lyft. Joypool would automatically split the bill, making the entire process painless. This would minimize the negative aspects of carpooling while maximizing the positive aspects of existing car service apps.