Uber COVID-19 Testing
Feature design
Company
Uber
Role
User Researcher,
Product Designer
Duration
April - June 2021
The s-Uber power of
information & vaccination.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, staying informed and vaccinated was the key to staying safe. This project made the critical testing and vaccination services more accessible by connecting users directly to drive-thru sites through Uber, helping remove transportation barriers that prevented people from getting the care they needed.
Transportation barriers prevented many people from accessing critical COVID-19 testing and vaccination services during the pandemic. Drive-thru sites offered safe, efficient healthcare delivery, but required private vehicle access. This transportation gap created health inequities and reduced overall community testing and vaccination rates at a time when widespread access was essential for public safety.
Problem
Bridge the transportation gap by designing a feature to call Uber for drive-thru health services while taking safety precautions for both the passenger and driver, making critical care accessible to all community members regardless of vehicle ownership.
Opportunity
Ride the research.
We know that a pandemic is a scary thing to live through, so naturally our users would have concerns about theirs and the driver’s safety. We needed to do research on how likely our users would be to use Uber for testing and vaccination and what safety precautions were necessary to help both them and the drivers feel comfortable. After all, data drives the best designs.
How safe do our users consider rideshare services to be during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Questions we considered:
What concerns do users have for using a rideshare service during the COVID-19 pandemic?
What safety precautions would help mitigate these concerns for using rideshare during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Rideshare is safer than public transportation
Most users felt rideshare was the safest alternative when they didn't have access to a private vehicle, with all users agreeing it felt safer than public transportation.
Findings
Concern for contracting COVID during ride
The most common concern from our user surveys and interviews was the need for effective and consistent protective measures to prevent COVID transmission during rides.
Concern for driver’s safety
The second major concern was for the driver’s protection from potentially contracting COVID from the current or past riders.
User Journey Map
Using the information we gathered from our survey and interviews, we put together a user journey map to mark the potential pain points of the experience.
Design en route.
With a clear understanding of user needs around COVID safety, I began translating insights into actionable design solutions. The challenge was creating features that would give riders confidence while maintaining Uber's seamless experience. Our approach focused on transparency, control, and peace of mind.
Design Requirements
Based on our research, we outlined four design requirements for the testing/vaccination feature:
Inform riders of the safety precautions their driver will be following throughout the ride.
1
Inform riders of the safety precautions they are required to follow throughout their ride.
2
3
Clearly convey clinic information such as appointment requirements and wait times.
4
Differentiate a testing or vaccination ride from a normal Uber ride.
User flow
Using the listed design requirements, we drafted up the user flow for this feature.
Wireframes
Using the listed design requirements, we drafted up the user flow for this feature.
The destination: a comprehensive safety experience that puts riders in control. These final designs represent the culmination of our research, wireframes, and iterations—transforming user concerns into actionable features that create transparency around COVID precautions while maintaining Uber's streamlined booking experience.
Designed for the destination.
Mockups and Feature Highlights
Highlighting key points of the new COVID testing ride booking option.
01
02
For first time users of the COVID testing feature, riders must agree to follow the safety guidelines.
03
Showing appointment requirements and wait times for walk-in clinics.
04
As the system is matching with a driver, provide the rider with the option to opt into contact tracing.
05
Introducing a new driver safety rating alongside the usual driver rating to help riders feel more at ease.
06
Users can provide a safety rating at the end of the ride, encouraging drivers to maintain these practices for better ratings.
