Problem discovery

While large logistics companies use customized software, small and medium-sized providers often lack digital solutions. We target small and medium-sized logistics companies offering scheduled home installation services (e.g., furniture, appliances), as they have the greatest need for logistics software to drive digital transformation.

We visit 34 logistics companies to identify their painpoint.

Based on the data collected from visits to 34 logistics companies, we identified two key insights:

23% of surveyed companies face high communication costs with drivers due to reliance on Line groups(messaging app), resulting in delayed reporting, information gaps, billing errors, and increased customer complaints.

17% of companies seek to improve their dispatching methods to enhance delivery efficiency.

I collaborated with the team to synthesize interview data and create a driver journey map, aligning everyone’s understanding of the challenges drivers face.

To better understand the pain points of small and medium-sized logistics providers in their daily operations, I frequently visit logistics companies with our BD team to gain deeper insights into the challenges they face and their thoughts on our product. Additionally, I have scheduled interviews with logistics managers from large logistics companies for expert consultations, aiming to understand the differences between large and small logistics operations and their daily challenges.

Setting the goal

After discussions between the product team and stakeholders, we formulated the following two product goals based on the most significant user pain points:

1.

Optimize the driver's app reporting function to streamline communication,reduce costs, and minimize errors.Enabling drivers to focus on efficientdeliveries.

2.

Enhance the driver task experience to improve delivery efficiency and elevate recipient satisfaction.

In addition to these optimizations, I gather customer feedback from the Business Development team, conduct heuristic evaluations, perform usability tests, and collaborate with Product Managers to improve the app experience.

I conducted a heuristic evaluation on all features of the app to collect usability issues.

I document optimization opportunities and propose them to the PM for inclusion in the product roadmap.

Design deliverables

Our Scrum team runs a sprint every two weeks. As the main app designer in the team, here is my design process:

Streamlined Financial Reporting

Previous interviews revealed that drivers often forgot to collect payments or reported discrepancies in the fund amounts. To address this, we optimized the reporting feature, focusing on the collected amounts and additional fees.

Collected amounts

The cost of the goods themselves

Additional fees

Fees for additional services, e.g., handling charges

To better tailor the design to drivers' needs, I interviewed a driver from some logistics client to understand their work habits. By testing the original design and my design assumption, I gained valuable insights:

The collection amount is very important because subsequent collections can be troublesome, and the amounts can sometimes be quite large. Drivers are particularly cautious when handling these collections.

Additional fees are usually confirmed with the recipient only upon arrival at the site, as it's uncertain what extra services the customer might need.

If the additional fees are included in the shipping cost, they will be collected together with the collection amount.

The original design lacked details on collected amount and didn't suitthe target drivers' usage scenarios. Therefore, in the later iteration, Iadjusted the information architecture of the reporting page. Additionally, considering that drivers only need to edit amounts inunexpected situations, I modified the interaction design accordingly.

The iterated design of the financial reporting feature allows drivers to havea clear view of amounts, items, and other information at a glance, while simplifying the editing process.

Showing collected amount

I prioritized the collected amountby moving it to the top, ensuringdrivers see this key informationat a glance.

Simplified additional fee interaction

The additional fee can be adjustedas needed based on the currentsituation. I streamlined theprocess for adding fees,simplifying the workflow andpresenting the information moreclearly.

Showing total amount

To align with the practice ofcollecting additional feestogether with the main payment, Ipositioned the total amount at thebottom, aligning it with all otheramounts, providing supplementaryinformation in a secondaryposition.

After completing the delivery, drivers can view the payment record on the task information page.

Flexible Driver Task Cards

Drivers from different logistics companies have varyinginformation needs, resulting in a large volume of data thatmust be displayed effectively. This poses a challenge,especially since many drivers are older and require clearerinformation presentation. To address this, I optimized theinformation layout on the task cards.

Responsive design

To accommodate older drivers who uselarger system font sizes and toprevent layout issues with multiplelanguages, I adjusted the layout toa horizontal format, ensuring betterresponsiveness.

Highlight address and time

Based on interviews with various logisticsproviders, I've learned that driversuniversally need information on addressesand times. Therefore, I have highlightedthese two types of information at theorganizational level.

Information grouping

To avoid the need for layout adjustmentswhen information is added or removed inthe future, I have reorganized theinformation grouping to provide greaterflexibility for future changes.

Due to the large amount of information affecting loading speed, I designed a loading skeleton to improve the overall user experience and ensure smoother transitions.

Carry over incomplete delivery tasks

Logistics drivers often encounter situations where customers are not present, resulting in unsuccessful deliveries. In such cases, the logistics provider needs to arrange a redelivery, which may not be handled by the same driver. Therefore, keeping a record becomes crucial. To address this, we have designed an "inheritance field" in the existing comment feature, allowing previous comments to be retained for the benefit of the new driver who takes over the delivery.

Adding timestamps

Under the current process,drivers use the notes sectionto communicate with officestaff. To efficiently retainrecords, we decided to keep theoriginal fields and addtimestamps and the names of thecommenters.

Concise message notifications

Drivers have limited opportunity to read long texts while driving, so the shorter and clearer the message, the better. I redesigned the information presentation and message templates to ensure that notifications are immediately understandable.

Integration of delivery tasks with map experience

During early field study, drivers indicated that having a visual map to view routes and adjust task order would be more convenient. Since it's challenging to read text and focus on addresses while driving, a map integration would be helpful. Below are records from driver interviews, where they shared their habits when using dispatch orders:

I review the A4 paper dispatchorders to determine the routebased on the areas. I then use a pen to mark the order on the paper. If I encounter uncertain locations, I use Google Maps as a reference.

When I receive an A4 paper dispatch order, I first enter all the addresses into the Google Maps app. I then use the estimated times, traffic conditions, and distances provided to plan the route.

When I receive a dispatch order, I first review the counties and districts for delivery and sort them by distance, from farthest to nearest. During this process, I pay special attention to any notes regarding customers' specific time requirements and incorporate those into the planning if needed.

Drivers emphasized the need to view all dispatch order details at once to plan task sequences and determine point locations. They rely on Google Maps for its estimated times, traffic data, and visual aids to make accurate decisions.

To enhance the existing map functionality, we decided to add a sorting feature. During the design process, I explored several versions but am still determining which would be most beneficial for the drivers.

I created multiple interactive versions using wireframes to explore different design options.

To better understand drivers' needs for sorting tasks, I reached out to a driver during the design process and gathered the following insights:

When sorting tasks, drivers review all assignments at once, as they use the counties and districts to determine the sequence.

They need map assistance because it's difficult to accurately determine the sorting order based solely on addresses.

In addition to interviews, I also conducted usability testing to understand the ease of use and discussed feasibility with engineers to develop the final version:

Isolating the sorting feature

I isolated the sorting feature becausedrivers only use it before they starttheir route.

Half-page mode

In half-page mode, drivers can sort taskswhile simultaneously previewing theresults.

Full-page mode

To make it easier for driversto drag and drop tasks, Idesigned a full-page mode andminimize the size of the taskcards to provide a cleareroverview.

Next steps

After the MVP launch, the company successfully acquired over 20 trial customers, many of whom gave high praise for the driver app experience. Hearing a customer from Malaysia say that the driver app is very user-friendly was truly gratifying, as it showed that we created a product that helps them. Of course, there is always room for improvement. Therefore, I seized the opportunity to participate in the delivery operations of a furniture logistics company. This allowed me not only to better understand how drivers use the app but also to experience firsthand the challenges they face in their work.

After experiencing the challenges of a driver’s work firsthand, Ireflected on how design could better address their needs. Irecognized the potential of multisensory interactions, such asintegrating audio or haptic feedback, to complement visualinterfaces and alleviate their workload. This realization hasmotivated me to further explore innovative solutions that enhancetheir work experience and improve overall efficiency.

Retrospective

In the past, I believed that designers needed to firmly uphold user experience. However, through the design experience of this product, I deeply realized the importance of business considerations in product design. Initially, I often focused solely on the experience while neglecting the business needs of different industries. It wasn't until I went out and visited target customers with BD that I understood that without business support, even the best design is just empty talk. This experience made me realize that excellent design must strike a balance between user experience, business considerations, and technical feasibility. Thinking about how to assist user growth through design will be a goal I need to continue learning on my product design journey.

3drens Driver App

Improve the delivery experience for SMB logistics drivers

What difference did we make?

20+