Bretonstudio | Racv-Arevo

Context

In pursuit of its strategy to enhance the quality of life for Victorians by catering to their mobility, home, and leisure needs, RACV introduced the comprehensive transport app 'arevo' in 2019.

At the core of arevo lies a personalised journey planner, allowing users to tailor their routes based on preferences such as speed, cost-effectiveness, or environmental friendliness, aligning with their lifestyles. During the app's pilot phase, RACV recognised the importance of refining the user experience and incorporating new features to meet growing demand. Seeking a partner with a proven track record in optimising digital products, they selected Transpire for their evidence-based approach to design and development. 

Commencing in February 2020, the project unfolded amidst the challenges of a global pandemic. Despite the circumstances, RACV and Transpire collaborated remotely from initial discovery to final delivery.

The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, known as RACV, was established in 1903 as a non-listed company. It is a large organisation with over 2600 employees working at more than 50 locations across Victoria. RACV boasts an impressive membership of around 2.1 million people in Victoria. You can join by signing up for roadside assistance, insurance, or home help services on their website.

RACV provides many benefits to its members, including roadside assistance, help with home emergencies, resorts, travel deals, insurance, financial services, and unique benefits. Additionally, RACV partners with five nonprofit groups each year to support various causes such as the arts, environment, and health. They fund these organisations to run programs that benefit people in Victoria. Moreover, RACV also gives out grants for community projects throughout the state.

Objective

To align with RACV's vision for arevo, we (the Transpire UX team) conducted a workshop to transform key challenges into potential opportunities. This collaborative effort resulted in defining the product vision for arevo as follows:

"How can we deliver a personalised and user-friendly solution to Victorians, facilitating seamless planning, payment, and access to the most suitable modes of transportation for their journeys?"

Additionally, during the workshop, RACV and Transpire worked together to establish the project's design principles:
- Emphasising the product vision 
Prioritising the fulfilment of the product vision over other features and functionalities.
- Adhering to Google Material Design 
Utilising this design pattern ensures consistency across iOS and Android platforms, fosters brand coherence, and undergoes rigorous accessibility testing for all components.
- Complying with Apple and Android guidelines 
Despite initially considering React Native for development, the unique requirements of arevo, particularly its emphasis on user experience and seamless integration with smartphone features (such as GPS and personal data security), led both Transpire and RACV to opt for Native development.
- Implementing universal design best practices 
Striving for at least AA conformance with WCAG 2.0 accessibility guidelines to enhance inclusivity and ensure a more accessible user experience.

The team

My team consisted of:
- 1X Project manager
- 1X Senior UX designer
- 2X Back-end developers
- 2X Front-end developers
- 1X Quality assurance
- 1 UX team lead (me)

We were embedded into RACV’s mobile app team and worked together for six months.

My role

I led the end-to-end design efforts on behalf of Transpire. I oversaw every aspect of the design process, from conceptualisation to implementation, ensuring alignment with RACV’s objectives and user expectations.

Key responsibilities:
- enhance the overall experience of arevo.
- conduct multiple rounds of research.
- foster the relationship between Transpire and RACV.

User Experience activities

We conducted thorough usability testing sessions during the design and development phases to validate hypotheses and assumptions regarding key features and functionality. Initially, interactive prototypes were created using Sketch (a vector graphics editor) and InVision (a prototyping tool that no longer exists). Subsequently, when a beta version of the app became available on mobile devices, representative users were recruited for more extensive testing.

In light of the COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, our usability testing transitioned to a remote format. Despite encountering various challenges, we maintained the same academic rigour in this process, ensuring high-quality recommendations without compromise.

Transpire leveraged existing RACV tools, systems, and platforms where feasible to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, standard technologies compatible with iOS and Android were employed to facilitate future development and updates.

Development teams constantly communicated throughout the development cycle to promote consistency across iOS and Android platforms. Although the architectures differed, efforts were made to streamline elements such as business logic to save time, effort, and resources.

This reaped several rewards when it came to testing, as the architecture was designed and provisioned in a way that allowed for maximum flexibility.

Wrap up reflection

- Dealing with a pandemic during our project was challenging. However, it pushed me to explore new video conferencing and testing tools, which was a positive outcome. I wrote an article on Medium sharing these learnings.
- Collaborating with RACV's mobile app team was a rewarding experience. They were highly knowledgeable, especially in the Mobility as a Service field. We exchanged valuable knowledge and formed strong friendships by the project's end.