Scoot N Go

Enhancing Campus Mobility & Sustainability

Scoot N Go was a team project for the Contextual Inquiry course created by Sehar Alimohammed, Noor Al Mallallah, and Zach LeMunyon under the guidance of Dr. Rupa Misra.

Overview

Scoot N Go is a conceptual redesign of the typical campus e-scooter experience, a next-generation e-scooter app designed to improve transportation for students, faculty, and visitors at Rutgers University. Built as part of a contextual-inquiry course project by a three-person team, the app reimagines campus commuting with user-centered design, clear navigation, safety, and sustainability in mind.

Problem Statement

Students using the existing scooter rental system (via the VEO app) reported multiple pain points:

  • Difficulty finding scooters or reliable parking spots on campus

  • GPS inaccuracies and inconsistent scooter availability

  • Confusing sign-up / payment flows and unclear ride-ending process

  • Lack of safety information (e.g., weather, campus hazards) and no way to report issues or provide feedback

These issues resulted in friction, anxiety, and low user satisfaction, undermining the convenience value that scooter-sharing is supposed to offer.

User Research

We conducted contextual interviews and on-campus observations to capture real behaviors and issues.

Participants: 4 Rutgers students with varied backgrounds and scooter-experience levels.

Methods: phenomenological research approach, semi-structured interviews, and direct observation during typical campus commutes.

Key Insights:

  • Frequent GPS or mapping glitches led to wasted time or failed rides

  • Payment and ride-ending glitches caused stress, overcharges, or cancellations

  • Users lacked trust in the current system due to inconsistent scooter maintenance and unclear safety/parking zones

  • Absence of support/feedback channels made users feel stuck when issues arose

From affinity mapping and clustering, we distilled core themes: Navigation, Functionality, Accessibility, Safety, and Trust.

Solution

Scoot N Go integrates these needs into a single, user-friendly app:

  • Smart GPS Navigation: real-time routes and hazard alerts.

  • Multiple Payment Options: Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, PayPal, and credit/debit cards.

  • Personalized Profiles: saved routes, preferences, and payment info.

  • Safety Alerts: live traffic and weather notifications.

  • Sustainability Dashboard: track carbon emissions saved per ride.

Design Process & Ideation

Based on those themes, we applied the “7 Cool Concepts” framework (from Contextual Design – Defining Customer‑Centered Systems by Holtzblatt & Beyer) to inform our design strategy:

  • Accomplishment: Simplify start-to-ride flow – unlock scooter with one tap, streamlined payment, and ride end.

  • Connection: Enable community-based features (shared rides, ride buddies, campus groups) for social safety and sustainability.

  • Identity: Reflect eco-consciousness: user profile includes environmental impact, ride history, saved preferences.

  • Sensation: Clean UI, intuitive layout, subtle animations/feedback for unlocking, ride start/end, and alerts.

  • Direct into Action: Minimal onboarding friction – quick registration, optional sign-in, clear prompts.

  • Hassle Factor: Provide support and feedback options – instant report button for broken scooters, help center, ride history.

  • Learning Delta: Onboarding tutorial + contextual tooltips for first-time users; progressive disclosure of advanced features (e.g., sustainability dashboard, saved routes).

Day-in-the-Life Model

Name: Alex (Undergraduate Student)

Age: 21

Major: Business Administration

Devices Used: Smartphone (iOS)

Final Design & Prototype

  • Map / Home Screen: shows real-time locations of available scooters, battery level, and parking zones. Includes search bar + filter (availability, distance, battery).

  • Ride Flow: “Scan to unlock” → ride tracking (time, speed, battery, route) → ride end & summary screen (time, cost, distance, carbon saved)

  • Profile & Dashboard: user ride history, favorite routes, payment methods, sustainability stats (e.g., CO₂ saved, miles ridden)

  • Support & Feedback: in-app help center, report issue button, feedback form, emergency contact option

  • Safety Alerts: push notifications for campus events, weather hazards, restricted zones – proactively warn users

Usability Testing & Iteration

We conducted a usability test with 4 participants. Feedback included:

  • Positive: Users appreciated simplicity, clarity of ride flow, and the sustainability dashboard.

  • Key suggestions: wanted clearer destination arrival indication (walking vs riding), estimated travel time before unlocking, and stronger security/verification for ride start.

Post-Test Improvements

  • Added estimated time/distance preview before unlocking

  • Enhanced destination screen to indicate arrival status and walking vs ride estimates

  • Added optional user verification (e.g., confirm phone or student ID) to improve trust

Results & Impact (What This Case Study Shows)

Though this was an academic project and not a live product, the design exercise demonstrates:

  • Ability to conduct user research, draw real insights, and translate them into design requirements

  • Strength in designing a full end-to-end user journey: onboarding → ride flow → post-ride feedback/impact

  • Thoughtful inclusion of safety, sustainability, and user trust — criteria often overlooked in scooter apps

  • Clear documentation of process and design thinking, which increases credibility as a designer

Learnings

  • Contextual inquiry + direct observation yields stronger, more realistic user pain points than surveys alone

  • Importance of building trust and transparency when designing mobility / shared-transportation solutions

  • The value of iterative prototyping + user feedback — even small interface tweaks (timing, confirmations) significantly change perceived user confidence

Next Steps

Expand testing to more users, including first-time riders, and track long-term usage patterns

  • Add scooter maintenance/reporting features (photos, status, geo-tagging)

  • Integrate push-notifications for campus-wide alerts (weather, events, maintenance)

  • Collaborate with campus/scooter providers for real data and pilot implementation