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#APNICYCLE (OUR CYCLE)
Revamping a public bike sharing service to improve visibility, adoption, and user engagement
Domain
Academic Publishing
Services
Research, Design
Duration
02 months
Team
Parth Kothari, Nikitha C., Swanand Wagh, Samruddhi Pahune
The group project revolves around "Chartered Cycles," a bike-sharing service available in multiple cities across India, with a focus on Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. It’s a great option for short-distance travel or even just a quick workout- offering the benefits of cycling without the commitment of buying one.
Despite being easy to use and incredibly affordable, we discovered that the visibility of the service is very low, and the acceptability is even lower. This made us question why - and became the starting point of our project to understand and improve the experience for both users and stakeholders.
Research
To improve the service, we explored user, non-user, and stakeholder perspectives through interviews and field studies. Our research revealed that while Chartered Cycles is an affordable and accessible bike-sharing option, its active user base in Bhopal remains small. Many who previously availed the service no longer use it, indicating gaps in retention and engagement.
Through secondary research, we discovered that targeted marketing campaigns can enhance visibility and user acquisition. However, the broader adoption of cycling is significantly influenced by infrastructure and transport accessibility. These insights helped us identify key challenges and opportunities to make Chartered Cycles a more viable and widely accepted mobility solution.
Key Observations
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Only a small fraction of the population are active users today.
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The service earns more from advertisements than from cycle rentals.
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Communication channels like banners, stations, and social media haven’t been effective in explaining how the service works.
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Many people are aware it exists but avoid using it due to a lack of understanding.
01.
There is an absence of basic understanding of the service amongst users which is one of the major factors that discourages them from using the service.
02.
Lack of visibility of active users and ill maintenance of certain infrastructure had led to a general notion that the service is currently dormant amongst certain masses.
03.
Taking the user's sense of understanding for granted by the authorities has led to the system being semantically weak. While the service addresses certain user needs, it fails to effectively communicate these solutions.
Insights
Redefined brief
'To increase the revenue from cycle rentals by attracting more users and growing the number of active users in the system'
Project goals
⭐ USER ACQUISITION
Attracting new users towards the service so that it taps into the audience faster increasing the service overall visibility.
⭐ USER RETENTION
Improving the user experience of the overall service with respect to present users usage and the features provided by the stake holders.
Ideation
At this stage, we focused on analyzing our research and brainstorming meaningful solutions to grow the service.
The major ones were: emphasizing USPs like affordable pricing, gear cycles, and fitness benefits; simplifying panel information; adding QR-linked videos for easy guidance; using Bhopali slang and vernacular language to build local trust; and collaborating with local brands to spark curiosity around the cycle docking station.
Final Conept
Since the service operates across both physical and digital touchpoints, a range of solutions tailored to different mediums were necessary to create a meaningful impact. This led to a comprehensive "phygital" solution that addressed docking stations, cycles, the app, and even a webpage for easy access to information without requiring registration. While developing solutions, we focused on key targets identified during research: enhancing service understanding, attracting users to docking stations, and piquing user curiosity.
Tangible solutions
The tangible solutions included collaborations, redesigns, and docking station improvements to enhance visibility and user engagement. Partnering with local brands for kiosks, introducing a minimalist info board, and using unused ad slots to highlight benefits like “₹5 for 30 minutes” aimed to attract more users.
Digital solutions
The digital solutions focused on helping users better understand the service. A web application, accessed via a prominent QR code at docking stations, was designed to explain the service and guide users to download the app. Short, clear informational videos were also created to enhance understanding.
Reflections
This project was a fascinating challenge, especially as it involved addressing a complex service in a tier-2 city. Understanding the service and exploring how people perceive it led to many surprising insights. The large volume of information collected made it tough to distill key problem areas, but it was crucial to remain unbiased and focus on issues that could be realistically addressed within the scope. Engaging with the authorities also offered valuable insights into the system’s limitations, adding a practical layer to the work.
Overall, it was a rewarding experience that combined real-world challenges with meaningful problem-solving, leaving us with valuable learnings for the future.
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