I miss the old UBER app
Remember when you first opened Uber and it was nothing but a map view and a search box that said “Where to?”
When doing interviews over the years, I was often asked what were some of my favorite app experiences. UBER would be my answer, but lately I have a hard time recommending the current app redesign.
UBER used to have one of the tightest user experiences I had ever seen and that regularly. Upon opening the app you are greeted with a map view and a search bar at the top simply saying “Where to?”. This simple prompt told you everything about the app and what you needed to do all at the first entry point. Open the UBER app now and you’re greeted with a ton of decision points all on the home screen. Do you want a ride, UBER Eats, scooters, rental car, & etc? It is all so much right from the get go. UBER even has a dedicated UBER Eats app, so why is food delivery in the main app?
Instead of a clear map view, it’s now cards of upsells and additional features. So many things, when all I wanted to do is hail a ride.
Now I understand why UBER made these changes, gone are the days of being ONLY a ride hailing service and they have expanded into other ventures. Having stand alone apps for car rentals, bus charters, and more simply isn’t feasible to mange in a dev or design perspective. UBER had to evolve from a master of one to a jack of all trades.
I have seen this trend in other apps. Home screens becoming cluttered with dozens of decision points. Some apps this makes sense, like Walmart or Amazon and others not so much.
Maybe I am an old man yelling at clouds. This is probably a natural progression of apps and businesses. But man do I miss those tight user experiences that took zero time to understand.
