Integrating a taxi service

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Simplifying Travel with On-Demand Taxis

Booking.com aimed to simplify travel experience by integrating an on-demand taxi service into their app. This addressed user concerns about safety and reliability while reducing the need to switch between apps when travelling, enhancing convenience and competitiveness.

Finding a reliable taxi abroad can be stressful—language barriers, pricing confusion, and safety concerns always make me anxious. Having everything in one app would make traveling so much easier.

— Frequent traveller

Transport challenges faced by frequent and casual travellers, from facing language barriers to navigating airport pickup options.

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A smooth ride through the Design Process

Designing the taxi booking service was all about making the experience as effortless and enjoyable as possible—something I personally appreciate as a user of these services.

Over six weeks, we dove into understanding what users need through research, interviews, data and competitive analysis.

From there, we created personas, empathy maps, and user journeys to uncover the best opportunities. Together, we brainstormed solutions, brought them to life through prototypes, and tested them to refine the experience.

It was a collaborative journey driven by feedback, ensuring every step brought us closer to a seamless user ride.

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Challenges

While exploring different travel scenarios, we found that many travellers often had to walk to specific pick-up points. It was a common frustration for most of the people we spoke with.

Simplifying booking journeys
Users found switching between multiple apps for taxis inconvenient, leading to a fragmented travel experience.
Building trust in third-party services
Research showed users hesitated to rely on external taxi services due to safety and reliability concerns.
Staying competitive
With travel apps offering end-to-end solutions, it was essential to include a reliable taxi service to meet user expectations and retain market competitiveness.
Scalability and Efficiency
The company was spending significant resources on manual processes, making it crucial to design a system that automated and streamlined these tasks to save time and money.

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Core Functionalities

The design aimed to address user pain points by creating a reliable experience, guided by insights gained from observing real-world taxi booking challenges and opportunities.

Simplified Booking flow
Users can confidently book a taxi with features like ratings, emergency contact options, and driver verification.
Booking Customisation
Users can customise bookings with options like child seats or larger vehicles, addressing common user requests directly within the app.
Real-Time Updates
Live tracking and notifications keep users informed of their taxi’s status, enhancing trust and reducing uncertainty during the booking process.
Smart Solutions for Common issues
Designed features like delay notifications with alternative suggestions to tackle common frustrations, keeping users in control of their travel experience.

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Impact

Positioning Booking.com as a One-Stop travel solution
Customers now enjoy a seamless, all-in-one travel experience within a single app.
Enhancing Engagement
Simplified the taxi booking process to reduce friction, keeping users engaged and ensuring a smooth experience from start to finish.
Building confidence with trustworthy features
Introduced transparent ratings, reliable taxi partners, and live tracking to address user concerns and foster trust in the service.

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Reflection

This project not only addressed a critical user need but also enhanced Booking.com’s overall travel ecosystem. By solving for trust, usability, and integration, the taxi booking feature became a cornerstone of the app, simplifying travel and strengthening user loyalty.