SSP: App Functionality Research

To begin my thorough research into this project I want to look at app functionality and successful mega-trend applications. What makes their layout and UX work? how have they incorporated imagery, videos, sound etc. By researching this, I can use the information to create an application that is user friendly. To begin, I wanted to look at Airbnb and Uber which are mentioned in the HSBC brief as ‘market-changing’ concepts. Personally I have never used these, however Uber is being brought to Cardiff in response to the poor taxi service current black cabs offer, although they have improved vastly since more and more take to social media to shame those who refuse service.

Looking at Airbnb:

Airbnb has been hugely successful with providing accommodation across 190 countries. It continues to be one of the largest players in the market and is increasingly growing due to its relentless focus on design, usability and booking efficiency. The concept is very simple, it is a peer-to-peer accommodation rental service offered through cloud technology. It is more authentic than well-established companies such as Travelodge or Premier Inn who can be very expensive depending on the date and location. Guests get double the space they find at hotels for the same price and the service is often perceived as high value. The ‘sharing economy’ has become a mainstream concept to put buyers and sellers together, this was first used by eBay and then followed by Gumtree. This can also be seen on business investment sites such as Kickstarter.

The mobile app itself uses a simple and minimal use of colours within its brand identity. Its use of iconography again follow the brand visual. The app also brings a sense of community to it by including the profile of the host and the reviews per room. There is user customisation through the use of filters, location and booking page. The app also allows user communication to insure a present relationship within the sharing economy. The main structure of user accessibility is on the top bar which leaves the rest cluster-free for a larger user experience while browsing for accommodation.

Airbnb’s recent rebranding brought beautiful typography and simplicity to their logo, website layout and phone app. It confined its wide range of colours/ shades and made the transition from serif to san-serif to meet the expectation and online design trends of the modern day. This gives it a more friendly and less corporate theme. Its unique logo is now easily recognisable due to its simplicity and subtly use throughout their brand awareness. What I notice most is the use of negative space to reveal the powerful imagery which conveys a sense of adventure and inspires curiosity within the user.

Looking at Uber:

Uber again uses the same sharing economy trend to give users the ability to share rides with other users. This in turn means cheaper fares and possibly a more pleasant journey.

Uber’s website uses a limited selection of colours for its brand identity and carefully uses negative space and fantastic hierarchy of text to give the content a visually stunning appearance with a  warm, friendly tone. The first page actually uses a video to capture the emotion and atmosphere of the user experience. My favourite part of the Uber website is the parradox-styled transition between each scrollable page, as the text transitions the geometric imagery on the mobile device simultaneously changes. This is a really engaging niche to show the narrative of the service in a visual way.