Project details

Role: Product Equity Designer (Design Lead)

Team: PMs, Engineers, UXR, Content Design, Data Science

Timeline: Nov 2024 – Jan 2025

Impact: Increased confidence and engagement among senior riders

Scope: End-to-end design — from research to implementation

Collaborations: Integrated with Simple Mode to ensure a unified experience across Uber Family and simplified app flows

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Context

Role: Product Equity Designer (Design Lead for the project)I led the design of the Senior Adult Profile within Uber Family — a global initiative introducing a simplified and accessible experience for older adults. The new profile allows family members to invite seniors, track their trips, and manage secure payment methods. This project laid the groundwork for Simple Mode, marking a key step toward a more inclusive Uber across generations.

Simple Mode is a simplified version of the Uber app, designed to reduce cognitive load and support easier decision-making — with fewer steps, clearer text, and larger visual elements — tailored for older adults and new users.

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The Problem

The older adult population is the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S., yet the least engaged with ride sharing. Half of adults aged 65+ who never used Uber had no intention of using it in the future, citing fear of technology, lack of trust, and confusing interfaces.

Challenge: How might we make Uber more accessible, safe, and empowering for older adults—balancing simplicity, trust, and autonomy?

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Approach and Team

A human-centered, iterative approach rooted in Design Thinking, structured in four phases: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.

Collaborated with cross-functional partners across Safety PMs, Uber Family engineers, UXR, Data Science, and Content Design, while co-designing with another product designer on Simple Mode for visual and technical consistency.

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Discovery and Research

Methods and collaboration:

I partnered closely with Uber’s global Research team to shape the research strategy for this initiative. I contributed to the research plan design, ensuring that the study captured relevant accessibility and usability aspects for older adults across multiple countries. I participated in alignment sessions with external research vendors and internal stakeholders to guarantee methodological consistency and actionable outputs for design.

The cross-regional study (U.S., Brazil, India) included over 60 older adults and 20 caregivers. My involvement throughout the process allowed me to translate key findings into design opportunities, grounding every design decision in user insights.

Key insights:

1. Many older adults didn’t see themselves as Uber’s audience and distrusted digital safety.

2. Dense interfaces and small text created confusion.

3. Family members often booked rides on their behalf.

4. A sense of loss of control led to anxiety.

5. Simplification benefits multiple user groups beyond seniors.

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Definition and Ideation

Design principles:

• Simplicity: Reduce cognitive load and friction.

• Trust: Reinforce transparency and security.

• Assisted autonomy: Empower seniors to act independently with gentle family support.

Explored multiple solutions, including:

• Dedicated senior profiles within Uber Family.

• A friendly invitation flow using plain language.

• A guided onboarding introducing Simple Mode.

• Secure payment delegation via the Flex Medicare Card.

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Design and Validation

Led the end-to-end design of the invitation, onboarding, and first-ride experiences. Focused on clarity, empathy, and a frictionless transition from family invite to active use.

Key decisions:

• Simplified screens with high contrast and plain text.

• Humanized invitation flow with family context.

• Guided onboarding to introduce Simple Mode.

• Secure payment setup via Medicare Flex Card.

Usability testing validated the clarity of the onboarding flow while identifying opportunities for improvement in the first-ride experience — already prioritized for upcoming iterations.

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Results

Even at MVP stage, the project delivered strong qualitative results:

• Increased trust and engagement among invited older adults.

• Reduced onboarding friction and clearer understanding of steps.

• Stronger family connection and transparency during rides.

Recognized internally as a model for scalable inclusive design, influencing new Uber Family and accessibility initiatives.

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Learnings

Learnings: Simplifying for accessibility goes beyond removing steps — it’s about understanding what truly matters to users.

Next Steps: Iterating on the onboarding and booking flow to enhance seniors’ first-ride experience, including real-time guidance and contextual feedback.

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More at Uber.com/seniors

Where to find in the Uber app?

Open the Uber app → Tap Account → Tap Family → Add new member → Choose Senior