Harley-Davidson iOS app
The design improvements that brought the rating from 3 stars to 4.8 in the AppStore.
Role: Design Director
The problem
The app had great features like “Recording a Ride” or “Planning a Ride” that would encourage the user to go out and ride more. However, the design and visual patterns created didn’t allow for the evolution of the app or the addition of new features. In some screens, the unconventional visual patterns implemented in the design made the user experience difficult, such as unnecessary scrolling/taps.
The user
The app’s intended user was identified as someone who may not be very tech-savvy or who may not typically use a mobile app to ride. If they do use a mobile device, they are using it in very specific instances – such as right before riding the motorcycle or while riding to look up directions. Typically, these actions occur while the user is wearing riding gloves.
Improving the design system
Our initial approach focused on enhancing the design system by refining type sizes, spacing, and layout across all components. Recognizing the frequent use of the card component and anticipating the introduction of new features, we made it more flexible and capable of accommodating additional details. To optimize space utilization, we integrated iconography to reduce text content within the cards, thereby creating room for the inclusion of other essential information.
Recording a Ride
Recording a ride was one of the features mostly used on the app. Therefore it was one of the first to be improved using the new design system, allowing us to give the user more details of the ride they had recorded.
Other features improvements
Features like Creating a Ride, Turn-by-Turn, and participating in Challenges were also improved with the new design system. There were also new features created, like messages, and eventually, the new H-D Connect premium service, which would include real-time bike status and security features.
