PHYSICAL PRODUCT / APP
Spark
A shared e-scooter and app redesign tested with six riders by day, night and rain.
- Year
- 2022
- Duration
- 4 Months
- Discipline
- Product and UI Design
- Team
- Seymur Mammadov
Spark is a research-driven redesign of a shared e-scooter and its companion app. I analyzed market trends and pain points, then rebuilt the ride experience end-to-end: safer lighting, improved handle ergonomics, better wet-weather traction, a clearer locking system, and a phone-as-dashboard UI. The app surfaces speed, cost, and ride status at a glance, while the hardware prototype built from metal components brings the concepts into realistic, testable form.
Challenge
We began assuming “there’s little to improve,” but mixed-methods research proved otherwise. With six participants novices and experienced riders across rain, night, and daytime, we documented visibility gaps, slippery tires, weak braking feel, and awkward handlebars. The hard part was translating this evidence into an integrated solution: balancing ergonomics with manufacturability, lighting placement with user sightlines, lock usability with security, and aligning hardware fixes with app flows under tight time and tooling constraints.
Results
We shipped a near full-scale prototype and updated app. Riders specifically praised clear braking cues and turn indications, reporting easier lane changes and crossings, plus higher confidence in low light. The phone dash reduced glance time by bundling speed, spend, and signal state. Both first-timers and regulars completed core tasks smoothly, with fewer missed turns and less uncertainty at intersections compared to the pre-lighting baseline.
Project Developement
Final Results
Stack
Prototype Access
Conclusion
Spark demonstrates rigorous UX thinking applied to mobility: observe in real conditions, synthesize, then iterate hardware and software together. Field evidence translated into concrete design moves that improve safety, clarity, and comfort. Adding turn signals and brake visibility translated research insights into tangible safety gains.