Phone mockups displaying a mobile app design for Brompton Bike Hire

Brompton Bike Hire App

Making the iconic Brompton bikes available for both short- and long-term hire.

Client Link

bromptonhire.com

Services Used

App Development

BACKGROUND.

A bespoke app with an enhanced mobile experience and built-in fraud prevention, guiding customers through the entire process from registering to hiring a bike.

BRIEF.

We’ve worked closely with iconic British folding bicycle manufacturer Brompton Bike Hire for over five years. This has involved undertaking several projects, including firmware programming support, a website for their accessible cycle hire scheme and an iOS/Android app.

HOW WE HELPED.

Mobile apps are a key part of the hiring process for many users. With this in mind, Brompton approached us to enhance the mobile experience.

The current app had limited functionality and was aimed at existing users. They wanted to move this forward with a new app that would guide the user through the entire process from registering to hiring a bike.

A key focal point of this project was to overhaul the registration process to prevent fraud and make sure only legitimate users could hire a bike. The app was designed and developed to revolutionise the current registration and hiring experience.

Delivery of these features was facilitated by cutting edge technologies, including libraries such as React and Redux, which can also be seen within Magento PWA Studio.

The app boasted a variety of enterprise features, including:

Automated verification process with a focus on rapid onboarding and fraud prevention
A globalised solution allowing international verification
Integration with dock firmware to facilitate live reservations
A tailored experience for users that utilises location services
Bespoke tariff-based payment experience
Multi-platform support utilising React Native with platform specific native integrations
Enterprise level integrations including Experian, Sage Pay and Facebook.

DESIGN.

Working with Brompton’s internal marketing guidelines to create a slick new UI that focused on the user journey.

Utilising Sketch, Zeplin and Invision, we produced over 50 screens allowing us to rapidly provide Brompton with a fully interactive prototype of the journey.

This approach allowed us to quickly measure, learn and iterate at an early stage without any development being undertaken.

Interactive prototypes allowed Brompton to feedback on the exact journey they would experience once the app was developed.

This meant we could tailor the experience to their customers’ exact requirements and make sure every detail was captured during the design process. This removed any uncertainty and made sure any changes were captured early in the process.

DEVELOPMENT.

React Native to produce apps for both iOS and Android from a single codebase, reducing the development overhead and timelines of developing individual native apps for each platform.

We were able to employ Brompton’s existing userbase and API from the previous mobile app and website development. This meant returning customers could simply update their existing app and use the new features straight away.

REGISTRATION / VERIFICATION.

A stepped process, integrating automated checks, such as verifying that the phone number and email address supplied belongs to the user registering.

Users can capture a selfie and photograph of their ID during the verification process.

As fake identification was flagged as an issue, fraud prevention is a key metric of success for the new mobile app and was the focus in the registration process. Working with Brompton and integrating services from Experian, we were able to capture this complex journey in several simple steps. This allowed new users to register and verify their identity in just a couple of minutes.

Forms were required to facilitate this process and capture the users' details. We integrated inline validation to keep the user journey as simple as possible. This validation was integrated to prompt the user on the specific field where any data had not been provided correctly, giving details of the required input and assisting the user with the process.

PAYMENT.

Payment during the registration process to make hiring quick and simple. This was developed on a tariff-based system, utilising Sage Pay and integrating a bespoke promotional model.

Once set up, this allows users to simply hire a bike while on the move without requiring a time intensive payment process for each individual hire.

HIRING.

Multiple levels of access. Once the initial registration is complete, Brompton’s users can browse an extensive network of docks available and access limited features of the app.

Users are prompted to verify (a requirement) to gain full access to the app’s features, including the hiring process and help and information section, which includes journey aids such as demos of folding bikes. The hire process allows the user to undertake the whole process of reserving, collecting and returning a bike to any of the docks on the network.

Again, this process was optimised to make it as intuitive as possible.

We used native device features, such as location services, to display the user's distance from a dock, making sure they can quickly find the dock that matches their journey. For each dock we included a detailed dock view page with integrated Google Maps.

MARKETING.

To tie in with a marketing drive, we integrated Facebook Pixel, creating bespoke events to capture specific points in the user journey.

Keep an eye on the Brompton app over the coming weeks, as more features are set to be released shortly. This includes enhancements throughout, including the user journey and reservation process.