Join the ride! User requirements and interface design guidelines for a commuter carpooling platform

Abstract

Carpooling might be a solution for maintaining mobility and reducing traffic problems of cities. In order to exploit the potential of carpooling for congested cities, to enhance the awareness of carpooling platforms among commuters and citizens, and to improve the interaction with existing carpooling web solutions, user-centered research methods (focus groups and usability analysis) were applied to understand the key motivators, acceptance barriers, and design requirements associated with carpooling platforms. The diversity of potential commuter platform users regarding age, gender, carpooling- and Internet expertise was also considered. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.