Jump In!

Kids are busy. And so are their parents. With limited time, further distances to travel, fewer school busses available, an increased interest in our impact on the environment, an easy carpooling solution is in order!

That’s where Jump In jumps in! Imagine a world where even if you don’t know any parent on your childs’ new sports team or at a new school, you could quickly find other parents interested in joining forces! Imagine communicating with your kid(s) and other drivers in a simple app — not wasting time sorting through hundreds of confusing group text messages?

group texts get gnarly

Jump In makes carpooling easy: it helps you locate new drivers, allows you to quickly sign up to drive, syncs with your (and your family’s) calendar, tracks the location of your child, allows you to easily offer up a last-minute ride, and much more.

And an added bonus for post-Covid isolation! Not only do your kids get to where they need to go, but they also get some much-needed social time on the car ride there and back.

kids like carpooling, too!

Design Process

1I interviewed parents to learn how they currently get their kids around town, and if they carpooled, how their experience has been. If they didn’t, why not? Parents want to save time and cut down on the work it takes to organize a simple ride. Many used multiple tools to organize their kids’ schedules, and overall, it was a bit of a mess.

one of the parent’s busy driving calendar

2 I looked for inspiration. Apps like Uber, Snapchat, and Google Calendar all inspired the design of Jump In. Uber’s ability to track a “live” ride, the fun social features of Snapchat, and the clean user interface of Google Calendar were all drawn upon.

3 I created a few storyboards to allow others to envision how the product might meet their needs. There were two situations tested; one on finding a driver, and another where you need to check your driving schedule and offer up free seats.

The app makes it easy to connect with others

4I made a few prototypes, both tested with users. The main takeaway was the need to use clear, concise, and common naming conventions, reduce the options in the main menu, and include more confirmations.

the app can connect you with others based on distance and location

5I taught myself Figma to create a working digital prototype. This was tested with both in-person and online testers. More edits were made to clarify buttons, simplify the navigation, and change the point of view to the user.

the main menu of the Figma prototype

Here’s a quick 1-minute video on the app! And feel free to check out the Figma Prototype.

Thanks for reading!