GoPool App
Tech / Mobility / Startups
UI Design
App Design
Mobility Prototyping UX Strategy
Bangalore
GoPool is a ride-sharing app designed to help travelers heading to the same airport (specifically Bangalore) find each other and share a ride. I was brought in to redesign the product from the ground up not just visually, but strategically. The goal was to make the product feel more intuitive, safe, and trustworthy, especially for solo travelers and first-time users.
This was a solo project where I worked closely with the founders to rethink everything: the product design, user journey, and core experience from onboarding to post-ride feedback.
Summary
GoPool’s rebrand was never just about a new interface; it was about rebuilding trust in a category where trust is often fragile. Ride-sharing can sometimes feel impersonal, confusing, or even unsafe. For a product designed to make airport travel easier, the experience was creating more stress than relief.
The challenge was to rethink the app not only as a functional booking tool, but as a human-centered service one that reassures at every step. The design needed to feel clear without being sterile, friendly without being gimmicky, and safe without adding friction. Every detail mattered: the warmth of the visual language, the tone of the microcopy, the visibility of safety features, and even the pacing of interactions.
The result is an experience that feels effortless, empathetic, and grounded in trust. GoPool isn’t just about getting from point A to point B it’s about making the journey to the airport feel lighter, smoother, and more human.
Challenge
The original app had a foundation, but users weren’t staying. The booking flow was confusing, the interface lacked hierarchy, and communication between riders was clunky at best. Instead of removing anxiety, it was adding to it. Many users dropped off mid-booking because the process felt unreliable an immediate red flag in a product where dependability is everything.
Safety was the elephant in the room. The product didn’t have features that acknowledged or addressed the concerns of Indian users especially women, who often face heightened risks when ride-sharing. Without signals of security and care, the brand couldn’t win long-term trust.
Beyond functionality, the brand also lacked presence. It didn’t stand out in a crowded ride-share market, nor did it feel culturally attuned to its audience. For an app that relies on people saying “yes” to riding together, it wasn’t giving them enough reasons to.
I framed the challenge with three guiding questions:
-How can I make ride-booking so intuitive it feels second nature?
-How do I build trust into every interaction both visually and functionally?
-Can we turn something transactional into something more human, where the user feels cared for and in control?
Solutions
The redesign began not with pixels, but with people. We spoke to riders, mapped their booking journeys, and listened to where trust broke down. The research made one thing clear: users didn’t just want prettier screens, they wanted an experience that felt transparent, safe, and effortless. Every design choice came directly from those insights.
Here’s how the process unfolded:
-Simplified the booking flow
Usability tests showed that riders dropped off when too many decisions were crammed into one screen. We reduced the steps, added clear progress indicators, and streamlined call-to-actions. The result: booking a ride now feels like a guided path, not a guessing game.
-Applied core UX principles
Rooted in Nielsen’s heuristics, the new design emphasized simplicity, visibility of system status, and user control. We designed every screen to answer the two questions users asked most in testing: “What’s happening right now?” and “What do I do next?”
-Safety as a built-in feature
In interviews, female riders consistently expressed hesitation around co-passengers. From that insight came the “Pink” toggle an optional, discreet filter showing only women co-passengers. It added a layer of trust without disrupting flow.
-Built trust signals into the system
Research revealed that vague confirmations and hidden details caused anxiety. So, we introduced rider profiles, crystal-clear booking receipts, and reassuring visual cues. These signals gave users confidence that the system was reliable and responsive.
-Designed a scalable system
To support consistency across features and future updates, we built a Figma-based UI library with reusable components, spacing logic, and type hierarchy. This made collaboration with developers smoother and the design more future-proof.
-Microinteractions for reassurance
Tests showed users felt uneasy when the app gave no feedback. By adding lightweight animations and toast confirmations, we turned silence into dialogue every action now has a reassuring response.
The result is more than a visual facelift: it’s a research-driven, human-centered system that replaced hesitation with confidence. GoPool evolved from a clunky tool into a ride-sharing experience that feels safe, intuitive, and distinctly human.