Case Study
Lyft
Powering Lyft’s next stage of growth
Lyft is vocal about its mission to be the friendlier, fairer option in the rideshare space. In anticipation of going public, Lyft needed to show continued growth by attracting new riders and drivers. Increasing both at the same time would mean more rides, shorter wait times, and higher revenue.
Work & Co redesigned Lyft.com with these values and goals in mind, inspiring more people to sign up or apply to drive.
What We Did
- Driver acquisition redesign and development
- Global content system
- Digital branding, animations, and motion
- Voice and tone for all content on Lyft.com
- Blog development, CMS setup, and integration
Outcomes
3 Big Takeaways
Separate driver and rider needs
Split Navigation
The previous Lyft.com mixed driver and rider content in one place, though those two audiences have distinct needs. We created a split navigation paradigm that lets users immediately choose between the driver and rider versions.
This flexible design system could change to highlight one audience more than the other based on Lyft’s current needs and business objectives. At launch, the site was split evenly. When Lyft launched initiatives like Round Up and Donate, the experience focused more on riders. As ridership has grown, the site began focusing exclusively on drivers.
For Drivers
After our redesign, the driver experience included a streamlined, personalized application flow. We also created a fare estimator and a real-time heatmap of the most popular pickup areas nearby to provide more detailed information about earning potential.
Additionally, a new driver Help Center and dashboard reduced the number of support tickets by surfacing common questions.
For Riders
The new rider experience prioritized getting users to download the app. For example, users could now enter a phone number and get a text link to the App Store.
We also built tools to help riders learn more about Lyft. A searchable list of cities helped riders see content based on their specific location, including fare estimates and types of rides available. A new Lyft blog, The Hub, was built on Contentful’s CMS so team members can easily create and publish posts.
Slashing the time between application and first trip
Driver Acquisition Flow
To ensure safety, every potential Lyft driver needs to complete an application and drive a Lyft-inspected car. A common pitfall? A driver passes the inspection, then discovers additional license requirements later in the application process.
While this scenario halted the application in the past, we created a series of steps that helped potential drivers pause and resume applications, landing right back where they left off. We also added simple cues to show them how close they were to completion. Early user tests in Cleveland saw an immediate improvement of 5% higher conversion.
Speedier Approvals
We wanted to test and validate the new acquisition flow with real drivers in key Lyft markets. To quickly get an A/B test in front of thousands of prospective drivers, while delivering a fast, contextual experience, we built a lightweight top-to-bottom architecture centered on a React Single Page Application and a Serverless backend delivered on the Google Cloud Platform.
We also leveraged third-party APIs at key steps, including Edmund's vehicle database and Google Places, in order to provide contextual suggestions and move drivers through the flow more quickly.
To further improve the experience before the full launch, we A/B tested and optimized each step in the process based on in-market feedback.
Grow up, but not too much
Revamping the Brand
Lyft’s fun personality is a differentiator in the rideshare space. We kept their company spirit while refreshing the brand to match Lyft’s new emphasis on a professional driver experience. As users navigated the new Lyft.com, new illustrations added an element of delight on every page.
Setting the Tone
To support Lyft's focus on helping drivers with career and financial goals, we created new voice and tone guidelines. We wanted to communicate trust while reinforcing the brand’s mission. For example, the headline “Make Up to $35/hr Driving Your Car” became “Hey SF, sign up today and be your own boss.”
Playful Motion Design
We partnered with Guillaume Kurkdjian and James Gilleard to create a suite of illustrated cityscapes and animations. New vehicle icons with playful movements make car comparisons easy.