PROJECT & TIMELINE
Feature refinement
Launched in Jul 2020
MY ROLE
Product Designer, collaborating with:
Product Manager, International research Team, 1 Engineer
MY CONTRIBUTION
Product design
UI design
Usability Testings
DiDi is a leading global mobility platform offering ride-hailing, food delivery, and other transportation services in over a dozen international markets. As part of its globalization strategy, DiDi expanded into countries like Australia, Brazil, and Mexico, adapting its product offerings to the unique behaviors and regulatory environments of each region.
In 2020, I worked as a Product Designer at DiDi’s Global team, focusing on localizing the driver app experience across overseas markets. This case study focuses on a project I led for the Australian market, aiming to improve both rider and driver experience and reduce cancellation rates through better wait fee awareness on drivers end.
BACKGROUND & CHALLENGES
What seemed like a minor behavior became a widespread issue: drivers were canceling rides before the wait fee kicked in. While DiDi offered a waiting fee in Australia to encourage patience during passenger delays, we discovered that many drivers were either unaware of the wait fee policy or unclear about how and when it applied.
At the same time, passengers were negatively impacted, facing unexpected cancellations even when they were only a few minutes late. The lack of visibility around wait fee incentives created a breakdown in both the driver’s motivation and the rider’s experience.
38% |
Didn't know a waiting fee existed — our biggest gap |
27% |
Knew there was a fee, but didn't know how it worked |
*·Driver Awareness of the Waiting Fee Policy" (n = 180 in-app survey respondents)
THE INSIGHTS
After auditing the current flow, we agreed that the waiting-fee reminder appears late at the final step of the cancellation flow. By that point, drivers are already intent on canceling, so the message is easy to ignore and too late to change behavior.
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GOALS
To address this, I worked closely with the PM to define clear, actionable goals. We aimed to surface the right information at the right moment—applying a progressive disclosure strategy to help drivers make informed decisions without overwhelming them upfront.
Increase driver awareness of the wait fee policy
Encourage more drivers to wait long enough to earn the fee
Reduce unnecessary cancellations caused by lack of fee visibility
Improve overall driver–passenger experience consistency
SOLUTION
This redesign focuses on improving the driver experience while waiting for passengers, specifically addressing confusion around cancellation timing, penalties, and waiting fee eligibility. The new flow introduces better visibility, more transparent rules, and clearer motivation for drivers to wait instead of cancel prematurely.
The original Waiting Fee Rules screen lacked visual hierarchy and buried critical information. As a result, many drivers either overlooked or misunderstood the rules—leading to premature cancellations and missed fee opportunities.
To improve clarity and reduce confusion, I redesigned the page with a focus on:
Visual polish: Cleaner layout and better spacing to support quick scanning, especially in high-pressure driving contexts.
Bullet-point explanations: Breaking down the rules into digestible steps makes the policy easier to follow.
Driver-centered language: We replaced passive phrases with direct, action-focused copy.
As part of this project, I introduced the Info Banner (grey) to communicate non-critical messages like tips and fee reminders—filling the gap between high-priority alerts and general notifications. This new variant could provide a lighter-weight solution for less critical yet helpful updates.
To arrive at the final design, I explored visual options, aligned with teammates on placement and tone, and ensured clarity in both light and dark modes.
After finalizing the design, I documented the new banner type in our Design System Guidelines—complete with usage rules, visuals, and redline specs. This enabled the rest of the team to reuse it across other contexts.
IMPACT
By proactively surfacing the right information at the right moment, we helped reduce unnecessary cancellations and built trust in the app.
-12% reduction in cancellations on drivers side that occurred just before the wait fee threshold
Drivers reported higher clarity in knowing when and how wait fees were earned, based on post-session interviews and in-app feedback
One of the most important lessons from this project was that well-timed, minimal interventions can shift behavior meaningfully. The wait fee feature already existed—but without the right visibility at the right moment, it went unnoticed. By introducing subtle, well-placed design elements like a countdown timer and live fee accumulation, we helped drivers recognize the value of waiting—improving both their experience and platform outcomes.
Working on both the Australian and Brazilian driver apps gave me valuable exposure to how design needs to adapt across markets. While the core product goals remained consistent, each region had unique user behaviors, expectations, and visual language preferences. This project taught me to consider local culture, communication norms, and mental models—whether it was how drivers interpret incentives or how UI patterns are perceived. At the same time, it challenged me to think about how local solutions could scale globally without losing their relevance.