Modernizing a Decade-Old Experience with New Branding

Role

UX/UI Designer

Team

UX/UI Designer (myself)
Mobile App Engineer

Tools

Figjam, Figma

Skills

User Research, Journey Maps, Prototyping

Introduction

Introduction

RideMinder was established as a B2B2C SaaS platform that would offer both web and mobile solutions for booking service providers in the transport industry. While the company already had a functioning mobile app that was originally developed when the founders operated as service providers themselves, it no longer aligned with the new business direction. The app’s outdated design and style called for a complete redesign to modernize its look and feel, and to align it with RideMinder’s new brand identity.

Project Overview

Project Overview

This case study covers the complete redesign of 2 decade-old mobile applications to align with the company’s new brand identity.

After over a decade without major design updates, the company’s mobile apps had begun to show its age—both in aesthetics and usability. With a recent company-wide rebrand, we saw an opportunity not just to apply the new visual identity, but to rethink the entire mobile experience from the ground up. This case study walks through the process of transforming a legacy product into a modern, user-centered app that aligns with current design standards, embraces the updated brand, and meets the evolving needs of its users.

My Contribution

My Contribution

My role as the UX/UI designer for this project involved leading the design process from discovery to high-fidelity prototypes, focusing on usability improvements and visual modernization for both the Rider and Driver mobile apps.

Although the original plan was to outsource the mobile app redesign to an external design team, I took the initiative to take on the project myself. This decision allowed the product to be both designed and maintained internally, eliminating the need for external support and ensuring greater continuity throughout the product lifecycle.

Problem

Problem

How can we modernize the user experience for both the rider and driver mobile apps?

Users

Users

Riders

Riders include users that are trying to book either an airport transfer or a point-to-point transfer from one location to another. These users range from those that are familiar with other competitor apps in the industry to those that are used to traditional methods of booking a transfer through email or phone calls.

Drivers

Drivers who complete bookings are typically familiar with using multiple mobile apps, as they often take jobs from various companies and platforms.

Goals

Goals

User Goals

Easily adapt to the mobile apps by interacting with a modern, intuitive interface that aligns with design patterns seen in other commonly used apps.

Business Goals

Facilitate easy user onboarding and adoption by modernizing the app interface to align with industry standards and familiar patterns from competitor platforms.

Process

Discovery / Research

Discovery / Research

A competitive analysis was conducted to analyse common trends and patterns in mobile apps within the industry. While keeping in mind the differences in our specific use case, a particular focus was made on the following companies:

  • Lyft

  • Uber

  • Grab

Insights & takeaways

Map-Centric Home Screen

  • There is a view of the map that is easily accessible from the home screen of the app, allowing for immediate location awareness and easy ride initiation.

Fast and intuitive steps from request to ride

  • The target use-case for the users of our competitors focus on ASAP bookings while our clients are balanced between users that create ASAP and pre-booked journeys. We had to consider how our redesign can cater to both user groups.

Clear fare-estimates and time indicators

  • These were displayed clearly to set expectations and reduce ambiguity. Estimated fares and estimated trip durations were shown before booking.

Real-time tracking and driver info

  • Real-time vehicle tracking on the map before pickup and during the ride was made available along with the driver’s photo, name, rating, vehicle license plate and model.

  • The option to share ride status with contacts also helped build user trust and ensure safety.

Design Process

Design Process

Before

Visual Design & Branding

The new branding guideline for RideMinder informed the redesign and rebranding of the mobile apps.

To differentiate between the passenger/rider and driver apps, two main colours from the brand colour palette was used as a distinguishing element.

Brand Purple = Passenger / Rider App

Brand Orange = Driver App

Creating Additional Materials for the App Stores

Creating Additional Materials for the App Stores

App Icons

Passenger / Rider Mobile App & Driver Mobile App

Play Store / App Store Mockups

Play Store Mockups

App Store Mockups

Android: Google Play Store Materials

Passenger / Rider Mobile App

Driver Mobile App

iOS: Apple App Store Materials

Passenger / Rider Mobile App

Driver Mobile App

Outcome

Delivery

Delivery

Highlight Screens with New UI

Passenger / Rider Mobile App

Driver Mobile App

Outcomes & Impact

Outcomes & Impact

Number of downloads

As of July 2025, since the release of the redesigned mobile apps in Sep 2022, there have been:

1k+ downloads for the Rider Mobile App

& 100+ downloads for the Driver Mobile App

Stakeholder & user satisfaction

“This redesign aligns perfectly with our company’s transformation goals... It feels modern and built for scale.”

- RideMinder CEO (Chief Executive Officer)

“The new designs feel smooth, and the changes that were made definitely improved the overall experience. Great job!”

- RideMinder CTO (Chief Technology Officer)

“I just wanted to say that every time I use the Driver app... I am blown away by the amazing tech that we have all created. Special thanks to your design guru Christie and our app developer extraordinaire...”

- RideMinder COO (Chief Operations Officer)

“The app was super easy to use and understand. We were able to book rides with ease and could relax knowing we were going to be picked up and dropped off on schedule. Thank you for making our visit to Sydney even more fabulous”

- User of the RideMinder Passenger Mobile App

Reflection / Learnings

Reflection / Learnings

Being brave and taking initiative

A pivotal moment in this project was when I stepped forward to propose taking on the mobile app redesign myself, rather than outsourcing it the company had originally planned. It felt like a bold decision that pushed me outside my comfort zone as a junior, but it gave me the opportunity to grow significantly as a designer. At the same time, it allowed the company to keep the project in-house, which meant better alignment with the team, easier collaboration, and smoother long-term maintenance of the product.

The difference between iOS & Android

A key takeaway from this project was learning how different iOS and Android can be when it comes to design standards and technical requirements. Through close collaboration with the mobile app engineer, we worked together to create a platform-neutral solution that met the core requirements of both systems. This not only simplified development but could also make future maintenance easier.

Understanding what is needed to release a mobile app

This project gave me insight into what’s required to successfully release a mobile app, especially with the differences between submitting to the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Each platform has its own set of guidelines, assets, and approval processes, which meant I needed to work closely with the mobile app engineer to make sure all design materials met the necessary requirements. This experience helped me better appreciate the end-to-end process of launching an app and how design plays a role beyond just the interface.

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Designed by Christie Kwon with 💖️
Special thanks to the people who support & inspire me ✨