Context.
London has one of the most developed shared mobility markets in Europe, with many well-established operators.
Despite this extensive offer, the experience often remains limited to its primary function: finding a bike, completing a journey, and ending a ride. Most services compete through coverage or pricing, but rarely offer an experience capable of creating real user engagement.
Foxi explores how a user-centred approach could transform a utility service into an experience that feels more seamless, more engaging, and more connected to local life.
Context.
London has one of the most developed shared mobility markets in Europe, with many well-established operators.
Despite this extensive offer, the experience often remains limited to its primary function: finding a bike, completing a journey, and ending a ride. Most services compete through coverage or pricing, but rarely offer an experience capable of creating real user engagement.
Foxi explores how a user-centred approach could transform a utility service into an experience that feels more seamless, more engaging, and more connected to local life.
Budget :
Spends approximately £80 per month on public transport.
Habits :
4-5 trips/week (home-work), peak hours (7:30 AM–6:30 PM).
Prefers fast and reliable journeys.
Uses other bike services, but finds bikes heavy and stations overcrowded.
Expectations :
Ultra-fast booking, lightweight and well-maintained bikes, bug-free app. Rewards for regular trips (e.g., free minutes).
Pain Points :
Stations full/empty at peak times, heavy and poorly maintained bikes, glitchy app.
Emma,
The Rush Hour Fox
28y, Project manager in Shoreditch, lives in Hackney.
Budget :
Planned to spend around £40 on public transport during his week's holiday.
Habits :
1-2 trips/day, long and scenic (e.g., Big Ben → Tower Bridge).
Avoids the Tube (too crowded).
Uses other bike services but finds pricing confusing and lacks guided routes.
Expectations :
Simple and touristic service with pre-loaded routes and audio guides. Cultural rewards (e.g., museum discounts).
Pain Points :
Confusing pricing (penalties for trips >30 mins), unintuitive station map, no integrated tour routes.
James.
The Curious Fox
45y, Tourist from Manchester, 4-day stay in London.
Budget :
Spends approximately £40 per month on public transport.
Habits :
2-3 trips/week (shopping/volunteering), off-peak (10 AM–4 PM).
Prefers calm and safe journeys.
Avoids bike-sharing due to heavy bikes and traffic concerns.
Expectations :
Light electric bikes with assistance and safety features (reliable brakes, auto-lights). "Quiet routes" (avoiding busy roads).
Pain Points :
Bikes too heavy, no affordable electric option, lack of beginner support.
Aisha.
The Wise Fox
62y, Retired volunteer in Brixton.
Budget :
Spends approximately £30 per month on public transport.
Habits :
3-5 short trips/day (uni → cafés → flat), irregular hours.
Uses other bike services only with promo codes.
Otherwise walks or takes the bus.
Expectations :
Affordable and flexible plans (hourly/day passes), social integration (challenges with friends, sharing rides), useful rewards (free coffee, student events).
Pain Points :
High cost of existing services, lack of social features, unintuitive apps.
Liam.
The Student Fox
20y, Design student at UAL (Camberwell)
Approach.
The project was not only about simplifying the bike-sharing experience, but about rethinking the relationship between users and urban mobility.
Research into London’s main operators and several user profiles helped identify opportunities around service clarity, faster task completion, and long-term engagement.
Beyond booking and riding a bike, Foxi introduces a gamification system based on miles travelled. Each journey generates points that unlock rewards from selected local partners, ranging from food offers and everyday services to cultural activities.
This approach creates a direct connection between mobility, city discovery, and reward, gradually transforming the application into an urban companion rather than a simple transport tool.
Approach.
The project was not only about simplifying the bike-sharing experience, but about rethinking the relationship between users and urban mobility.
Research into London’s main operators and several user profiles helped identify opportunities around service clarity, faster task completion, and long-term engagement.
Beyond booking and riding a bike, Foxi introduces a gamification system based on miles travelled. Each journey generates points that unlock rewards from selected local partners, ranging from food offers and everyday services to cultural activities.
This approach creates a direct connection between mobility, city discovery, and reward, gradually transforming the application into an urban companion rather than a simple transport tool.
SMARTER • FASTER • FUNNER •
Experience principles.
The experience is built around three core principles: simplicity, transparency, and engagement.
User flows are designed to reduce the number of actions required before starting a ride, while keeping key information such as pricing, rewards, and bike availability easy to understand.
The interface uses a clear visual hierarchy and fast interactions to reduce cognitive load in a context where users often need immediate access to information.
Finally, gamification acts as a common thread throughout the service, turning each journey into an opportunity for discovery and long-term engagement.
Experience principles.
The experience is built around three core principles: simplicity, transparency, and engagement.
User flows are designed to reduce the number of actions required before starting a ride, while keeping key information such as pricing, rewards, and bike availability easy to understand.
The interface uses a clear visual hierarchy and fast interactions to reduce cognitive load in a context where users often need immediate access to information.
Finally, gamification acts as a common thread throughout the service, turning each journey into an opportunity for discovery and long-term engagement.
Wireframe.
Wireframe.
Tree Structure.
Tree Structure.
To ensure a smooth experience,
I designed a clear, user-centred site map that prioritises speed (for Emma), exploration (for James), security (for Aisha) and social features (for Liam).
View final design
Seamless Booking
" Book in under 10 seconds. No queues, no hassle."
Rewards with Partners
" Turn every km into perks. 200+ London partners and counting."
Discover London
" Guided routes to London’s best-kept secrets. For riders, by riders."
View final design
A user-centric approach to urban mobility, from personas to pixels.
