GoSalone — Ride-Hailing for Sierra Leone’s Urban Commuters
GoSalone — Ride-Hailing for Sierra Leone’s Urban Commuters
GoSalone — Ride-Hailing for Sierra Leone’s Urban Commuters
Designing a reliable ride-hailing experience for Sierra Leone’s urban commuters
Designing a reliable ride-hailing experience for Sierra Leone’s urban commuters
Scope: UX Research, Product Strategy, Interaction Design, High-Fidelity UI, Prototyping
Scope:
UX Research, Product Strategy, Interaction Design, High-Fidelity UI, Prototyping
Scope:
UX Research, Product Strategy, Interaction Design, High-Fidelity UI, Prototyping
Year
Year
Feb 2024
Feb 2024
Feb 2024
Role
Role
UX/UI Designer
UX/UI Designer
UX/UI Designer
Platform:
Platform:
iOS & Android
iOS & Android
iOS & Android
Tool
Tool
Figma
Figma
Figma
Project Overview
Project Overview
Project Overview
GoSalone is a ride-hailing platform designed to improve urban transportation in Sierra Leone by connecting riders with nearby drivers through a simple mobile experience.
In cities like Freetown, commuters often struggle with unreliable transportation, inconsistent pricing, and difficulty locating available drivers.
The goal of this project was to design a ride-hailing experience that is reliable, transparent, and easy to use for both riders and drivers.
The Problem
The Problem
The Problem
Before GoSalone, ride booking relied entirely on informal methods such as street hailing, taxi parks, and personal driver contacts. This system lacked:
Structured ride matching
Transparent pricing visibility
Trip tracking
Driver verification standards
Digital ride history or accountability
There was no centralized infrastructure connecting riders and drivers in a consistent, scalable way.
The challenge was not improving an existing solution. It was creating one.
Research & Insights
Research & Insights
Research & Insights
Through contextual analysis of local transport behaviors and marketplace dynamics, several insights emerged:
Trust Must Be Designed
Trust Must Be Designed
In a market new to digital ride-hailing, visible trust signals were critical for adoption.
In a market new to digital ride-hailing, visible trust signals were critical for adoption.
Predictability Encourages Behavior Change
Predictability Encourages Behavior Change
Users needed clarity around pricing and arrival times before shifting from informal systems.
Users needed clarity around pricing and arrival times before shifting from informal systems.
Simplicity Reduces Friction
Simplicity Reduces Friction
The onboarding and booking flow had to be intuitive for first-time digital users.
The onboarding and booking flow had to be intuitive for first-time digital users.
Marketplace Balance Is Essential
Marketplace Balance Is Essential
The system had to work equally well for riders and drivers to ensure liquidity.
The system had to work equally well for riders and drivers to ensure liquidity.
The Goal
The Goal
The Goal
To design a digital ride-hailing ecosystem that:
1
1
Enables real-time rider-driver matching
2
2
Establishes transparent pricing
3
3
Builds trust through verification and visibility
4
4
Encourages long-term adoption
5
5
Supports both sides of the marketplace
The Solution
The Solution
GoSalone introduced a structured ride lifecycle that guides users from request to completion.
Rider Experience
Rider Experience
1
Enter pickup and destination
Enter pickup and destination
2
View upfront fare estimate
View upfront fare estimate
3
Confirm ride
Confirm ride
4
Track driver in real time
Track driver in real time
5
Rate driver after trip
Rate driver after trip
Driver Experience
Driver Experience
1
Receive ride request
Receive ride request
2
Accept or decline
Accept or decline
3
Navigate to pickup
Navigate to pickup
4
Start and complete ride
Start and complete ride
5
Receive ratings
Receive ratings
Key Features
Key Features
Key Features
The goal was not complexity. It was emotional pacing:
Real-Time Tracking
Riders can monitor driver location and arrival status, increasing confidence in the system.
Riders can monitor driver location and arrival status, increasing confidence in the system.
Upfront Fare Estimates
Pricing is shown before confirmation, removing ambiguity and building transparency.
Pricing is shown before confirmation, removing ambiguity and building transparency.
Driver Profiles & Verification
Driver and vehicle details are visible before pickup to strengthen safety perception.
Driver and vehicle details are visible before pickup to strengthen safety perception.
Rating System
Post-ride feedback introduces accountability and long-term service quality control.
Post-ride feedback introduces accountability and long-term service quality control.
Design Approach
Design Approach
Design Approach
Trust-First Interface Strategy
Clear driver identity presentation, visible ride states, and structured trip feedback.
Clear driver identity presentation, visible ride states, and structured trip feedback.
Streamlined Booking Flow
Reduced input steps and emphasized primary actions to encourage quick requests.
Reduced input steps and emphasized primary actions to encourage quick requests.
Marketplace-Centered Architecture
Designed ride lifecycle states to optimize acceptance speed and reduce cancellations.
Designed ride lifecycle states to optimize acceptance speed and reduce cancellations.
Rider Experience
Rider Experience
Rider Experience
The rider experience was designed to introduce digital ride-booking with clarity, transparency, and minimal friction.
The rider experience was designed to introduce digital ride-booking with clarity, transparency, and minimal friction.
1️⃣ Onboarding & Account Setup
1️⃣ Onboarding & Account Setup
1️⃣ Onboarding & Account Setup
Accessible User Registration
Accessible User Registration
Users can quickly sign up using their phone number, making account creation simple and familiar.
Users can quickly sign up using their phone number, making account creation simple and familiar.
Efficient Login & Verification
Efficient Login & Verification
OTP verification ensures secure access while keeping the login process fast and seamless.
OTP verification ensures secure access while keeping the login process fast and seamless.
Minimal Data Collection
Minimal Data Collection
Only essential information is requested to reduce friction during first-time setup.
Only essential information is requested to reduce friction during first-time setup.
Security & Trust Foundation
Security & Trust Foundation
Early verification builds user confidence before their first ride request.
Early verification builds user confidence before their first ride request.
2️⃣ Ride Request & Trip Tracking
2️⃣ Ride Request & Trip Tracking
2️⃣ Ride Request & Trip Tracking
Simplified Ride Booking
Simplified Ride Booking
Users can request a ride in just a few steps with a map-first interface for clarity.
Users can request a ride in just a few steps with a map-first interface for clarity.
Upfront Fare Transparency
Upfront Fare Transparency
Estimated pricing is shown before confirmation to eliminate uncertainty.
Estimated pricing is shown before confirmation to eliminate uncertainty.
Efficient Driver Matching
Efficient Driver Matching
The system connects riders with nearby drivers to reduce wait times.
The system connects riders with nearby drivers to reduce wait times.
Live Trip Lifecycle Visibility
Live Trip Lifecycle Visibility
Clear ride states provide real-time updates from driver assignment to trip completion.
Clear ride states provide real-time updates from driver assignment to trip completion.
Journey Confidence:
Journey Confidence:
Continuous tracking ensures riders always know their driver’s location.
Continuous tracking ensures riders always know their driver’s location.
Live Trip Lifecycle Visibility
Clear ride states provide real-time updates from driver assignment to trip completion.
3️⃣ Trip Completion & Ratings
3️⃣ Trip Completion & Ratings
3️⃣ Trip Completion & Ratings
Post-Ride Evaluation
Post-Ride Evaluation
Passengers can rate drivers immediately after each trip.
Passengers can rate drivers immediately after each trip.
Service Quality Reinforcement
Service Quality Reinforcement
The rating system promotes professionalism and accountability.
The rating system promotes professionalism and accountability.
Community Trust Building
Community Trust Building
Two-way feedback strengthens transparency across the platform.
Two-way feedback strengthens transparency across the platform.
Security & Trust Foundation
Early verification builds user confidence before their first ride request.
Driver Experience
Driver Experience
Driver Experience
The rider experience was designed to introduce digital ride-booking with clarity, transparency, and minimal friction.
The rider experience was designed to introduce digital ride-booking with clarity, transparency, and minimal friction.
The rider experience was designed to introduce digital ride-booking with clarity, transparency, and minimal friction.
1️⃣ Seamless Driver Onboarding
1️⃣ Seamless Driver Onboarding
1️⃣ Seamless Driver Onboarding
Structured Registration
Structured Registration
Drivers complete a guided, step-by-step registration process.
Drivers complete a guided, step-by-step registration process.
Phone-Based Authentication
Phone-Based Authentication
OTP verification ensures secure and accessible login.
OTP verification ensures secure and accessible login.
Driver & Vehicle Information Capture
Driver & Vehicle Information Capture
Essential identity and vehicle details are collected to establish legitimacy.
Essential identity and vehicle details are collected to establish legitimacy.
Verification Workflow
Verification Workflow
Structured approval ensures only qualified drivers join the platform.
Structured approval ensures only qualified drivers join the platform.
2️⃣ Ride Notifications & Trip Management
2️⃣ Ride Notifications & Trip Management
2️⃣ Ride Notifications & Trip Management
Accessible User Registration
Accessible User Registration
Users can quickly sign up using their phone number, making account creation simple and familiar.
Users can quickly sign up using their phone number, making account creation simple and familiar.
Efficient Login & Verification
Efficient Login & Verification
OTP verification ensures secure access while keeping the login process fast and seamless.
OTP verification ensures secure access while keeping the login process fast and seamless.
Minimal Data Collection
Minimal Data Collection
Only essential information is requested to reduce friction during first-time setup.
Only essential information is requested to reduce friction during first-time setup.
Security & Trust Foundation
Security & Trust Foundation
Early verification builds user confidence before their first ride request.
Early verification builds user confidence before their first ride request.
3️⃣ Earnings & Remittance Dashboard
3️⃣ Earnings & Remittance Dashboard
3️⃣ Earnings & Remittance Dashboard
Real-Time Earnings Overview
Real-Time Earnings Overview
Drivers can monitor income from completed trips instantly.
Drivers can monitor income from completed trips instantly.
Detailed Trip History
Detailed Trip History
A structured breakdown provides full transparency of past rides.
A structured breakdown provides full transparency of past rides.
Remittance Management
Remittance Management
Drivers can clearly review and manage their payouts.
Drivers can clearly review and manage their payouts.
Performance Visibility
Performance Visibility
The dashboard makes income and activity measurable at a glance.
The dashboard makes income and activity measurable at a glance.
Challenges
Challenges
Challenges
Designing for a country I had not visited required relying on stakeholder-provided data and contextual insights to understand local transport behavior, digital readiness, and adoption barriers. Without direct user immersion, I translated second-hand research into trust-first, low-friction design decisions suited for an emerging digital mobility ecosystem.
How I Addressed It
How I Addressed It
How I Addressed It
I leveraged structured stakeholder interviews, assumption mapping, and iterative validation to compensate for the lack of direct field immersion. By combining contextual insights with comparative market analysis, I designed a trust-first, low-friction system aligned with local transport realities.
I leveraged structured stakeholder interviews, assumption mapping, and iterative validation to compensate for the lack of direct field immersion. By combining contextual insights with comparative market analysis, I designed a trust-first, low-friction system aligned with local transport realities.
Impact
Impact
Impact
Digital Infrastructure Introduction
Digital Infrastructure Introduction
GoSalone introduced a structured, app-based ride-booking system in a market that previously relied entirely on informal transport coordination.
GoSalone introduced a structured, app-based ride-booking system in a market that previously relied entirely on informal transport coordination.
GoSalone introduced a structured, app-based ride-booking system in a market that previously relied entirely on informal transport coordination.
Increased Transparency
Increased Transparency
Upfront fare estimates and real-time tracking brought visibility and predictability to both riders and drivers.
Upfront fare estimates and real-time tracking brought visibility and predictability to both riders and drivers.
Upfront fare estimates and real-time tracking brought visibility and predictability to both riders and drivers.
Trust-Centered Ecosystem
Trust-Centered Ecosystem
Driver verification, ride states, and post-trip ratings established accountability within a newly digitized marketplace.
Driver verification, ride states, and post-trip ratings established accountability within a newly digitized marketplace.
Driver verification, ride states, and post-trip ratings established accountability within a newly digitized marketplace.
Marketplace Foundation
Marketplace Foundation
The platform created a scalable foundation for future features such as wallet integration, safety tools, and expanded city coverage.
The platform created a scalable foundation for future features such as wallet integration, safety tools, and expanded city coverage.
The platform created a scalable foundation for future features such as wallet integration, safety tools, and expanded city coverage.
Key Learnings
Key Learnings
Key Learnings
Designing GoSalone reinforced that market creation demands trust-first interfaces, behavior-driven design decisions, and strong stakeholder collaboration—especially when building remotely for an emerging digital ecosystem.
Designing GoSalone reinforced that market creation demands trust-first interfaces, behavior-driven design decisions, and strong stakeholder collaboration—especially when building remotely for an emerging digital ecosystem.
Designing GoSalone reinforced that market creation demands trust-first interfaces, behavior-driven design decisions, and strong stakeholder collaboration—especially when building remotely for an emerging digital ecosystem.
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@designsbyteekay
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