Velodash
Redesigning a cycling app experience while effectively improving battery efficiency and accessibility
- Role
- Founding Designer
- Duration
- 1 year
- Tools
- Sketch
Zeplin
InVision - Team
- CEO
5 Engineers
1 Product Manager
Background
Velodash is a mobile application designed to facilitate group cycling by offering features such as itinerary planning, route analysis, and real-time location sharing.
As the Founding Designer, I led a comprehensive redesign to improve battery efficiency, data relevance, and communication effectiveness, addressing critical user pain points.
Problem
User feedback revealed several critical issues impacting the Velodash experience:
🔋 High Battery Consumption
45% found power-consuming
Excessive battery drain forced cyclists to limit usage, leading to incomplete ride tracking and disrupted coordination.
📊 Redundant Data Display
18% valued ride data
80% used cycling computers
Cyclists saw Velodash’s ride data as unnecessary clutter, reducing its perceived value and discouraging continued use.
💬 Ineffective Communication
60% dissatisfied with messaging
Messaging was slow and impractical, often requiring cyclists to stop riding, leading to frustration and wasted time.
Challenge
“How might we optimize Velodash’s battery efficiency, prioritize location tracking over redundant ride data, and introduce a seamless communication system to enhance group coordination?”
Solution Highlight
1. Effective Energy Savings
Optimized power efficiency through a near-black power-saving mode, reducing screen brightness from 30% to almost 0%, and optimized data transmission, cutting energy usage by 70%—ensuring longer ride tracking without interruptions.
2. Customized Data at a Glance
Refocused the interface on real-time location tracking, introduced a map-only mode, and enabled customizable dashboards, reducing clutter and redundancy.
3. Seamless Communication
Introduced a quick-message feature for one-tap updates and photo-sharing for post-ride engagement, ensuring effortless communication without disrupting the ride.
Result
Monthly active users (MAU) increased by 49% within two months.
Research
To better understand user challenges, I established and led a mix of quantitative and qualitative user research framework within the company’s design process.
We conducted a survey (300+ respondents), 6 usability tests, 12 interviews, and 7 field observations by riding alongside cyclists to uncover key issues and determine which were worth solving.
Led usability testings: Created scripts, prototypes, and moderated sessions
Field observations by cycling with users
Synthesis by card sorting
Key Insights
Our research not only confirmed major pain points but also shaped our design approach:
🔋 Cyclists prioritized battery efficiency over feature richness
Most users preferred a lightweight, power-efficient app that focused on essential functions rather than an all-in-one cycling solution.
📊 Location tracking was more valuable than ride data
Users expected Velodash to enhance group coordination, not duplicate existing cycling computer data.
💬 Seamless, quick communication was critical but missing
Many riders resorted to external messaging apps, proving the need for a built-in, effortless communication feature.
Design Process
1. Effective Energy Savings
Two key design decisions were made to optimize energy saving:
Screen Brightness Optimization: Introduced a near-black power-saving mode, reducing brightness from 30% to almost 0%, while allowing users to switch back with a single tap.
Optimized Data Transmission: Instead of constantly updating location data, Velodash now pauses tracking when the map isn’t displayed and reduces update frequency from 1.5s to 5s, cutting transmission power usage by 70%.
2. Customized Data at a Glance
We shifted the focus to real-time location tracking and introduced a map-only mode for better navigation. Additionally, cyclists could now customize their dashboards, selecting only the most essential ride details.
3. Seamless Communication
To streamline communication, we introduced a quick-message feature for one-tap updates and photo-sharing to enhance post-ride engagement. Optimized UI placement ensured messaging was effortless, reducing disruptions while riding.
Beyond Cycling
Rebuilding the information architecture
Usability testing revealed that users often struggled to find content they want. To address this, the information architecture was redesigned and visualized to align more closely with users’ mental models, enhancing navigation and content discoverability.
Establishing a unified design system
Previous design files were fragmented, causing inconsistencies. Rebuilding the system in Sketch unified fonts, components, and spacing, providing engineers a consistent reference and streamlining development.
Improving accessibility & readability
Surveys showed that most users were between 40 and 60 years old, yet the original 14–17pt font sizes made readability difficult. We adjusted font sizes to 16–20pt, enhanced contrast, and refined touch targets to improve usability, particularly in motion-heavy environments like cycling.
Ensuring product quality
I also led the quality assurance process, identifying issues in the test product and working closely with engineers to find solutions.
Preparation before launch
To further enhance the product, I invited engineers to join outdoor testing before release, giving them a deeper understanding of real-world use cases and ensuring a high-quality final product.
Impact
The redesigned Velodash app received widespread positive feedback, driving both user and business growth. By addressing key user pain points, we improved user satisfaction, leading to stronger engagement and retention.
User feedbacks
49% increase in Monthly Active Users (MAU) within two months.
Business Metrics
Reflection & Takeaways
Leading this redesign was a lesson in balancing efficiency with usability. Some key takeaways:
1. User research should be continuous
Our field observations were invaluable in identifying real-world pain points that surveys alone couldn’t capture.
2. Prioritization is key
Instead of adding more features, removing unnecessary elements (like redundant ride metrics) made the app more valuable.
3. Collaboration with engineers leads to better outcomes
By involving engineers in outdoor testing, we ensured that technical constraints and real-world usability were aligned.
The redesigned Velodash app successfully transformed a frustrating, battery-draining tool into an essential, power-efficient group coordination platform. By focusing on efficiency, communication, and usability, we made cycling more seamless and connected for thousands of riders.