challenge:

Help public workers in Lagos arrive at work, without having to sit in traffic for hours while making money and still keeping fit.

problem statement.

Traffic jams, excess carbon monoxide, and unhealthy people on Lagos roads. It’s no news that Lagos is already one of the most congested cities in the world in 2022, and this fact is proven every day by how long people who live in the city spend on the road each day.

These unending traffic congestions have done a lot of damage to many people. Especially for public workers who need to get to work very early in the morning, lateness attracts salary reductions and other unfair penalties that can be easily avoided if an alternate route or mode of transportation is present in the city. But unfortunately, there are no underground stations in the city to help reduce the congestion on the roads.

the solution.

After a series of discussions with my friends who live in Lagos, I decided to work on a solution that directly solves the current situation in the City. Cy-earn is meant to solve the lateness issue of public workers and also, instead of salary reductions, they get extra funds (in the form of tax reductions) from the government ( if the idea is accepted).

Cy-earn is a shortened form of cycle & earn, very similar to the work being done at sweatcoin where they pay in crypto to stay healthy. If accepted, cy-earn would be a game-changer as it will help declutter the City roads and provide the government with healthier, ‘richer’, and ready-to-work workers.

According to various articles, cycling to work also has a lot of physiological benefits like low risks of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases. I have linked a few articles here and here for reference.

product overview.

Cyearn is a mobile app that is focused on taking public workers away from the hustle and bustle that makes Lagos roads a place no one wants to be.

research.

I went ahead to interview a few people who actively commute to work every day in Lagos, and I made a few observations which are listed below :

• Many have missed life-changing opportunities because they got stuck in traffic and had no alternate source of transportation.

• People get sick as they’re exposed to the fumes of vehicles in traffic for long

• Vehicle owners revealed that there are cases of constant wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent acceleration and braking, leading to more frequent repairs and replacements.

• The inability to forecast travel time accurately leads to drivers allocating more time to travel “just in case”, and less time on productive activities.

• Lives have been lost in emergencies because of road blockages

• Constant road accidents as vehicles are tightly packed

• Constant road rage

• Economic loss. It is estimated that the U.S has lost over $300bn due to traffic-related issues over the years, etc.

user flow.

After talking to potential users of the solution, I studied similar products like the Nike workout app for the user flow because it’s the closest to what there is in the market to what we are trying to build.

I wanted an interface that’s pretty simple and straight to the point. Which made the user journey across the app a very short one.

The user flow for cyearn is as follows:

1. The user downloads the cyearn app from the app store and creates an account.

2. The app prompts the user to input their personal information and tax information, in order to enlist them for tax deductions.

3. The user begins tracking their physical activity using the app’s built-in sensors.

4. The app converts the user’s physical activity into calculated points(determined by stakeholders and the government), which are displayed on the user’s profile.

5. The user can connect with friends and compete against each other in fitness challenges, adding a social aspect to the app.

6. At the end of the tax year, the user can easily track their points and these are automatically redeemed for tax deductions on their next tax return.

8. The user can continue to use the app to track their physical activity and earn points, incentivizing them to maintain an active lifestyle.

product showcase.

Every morning, we all deserve to wake up to a clean and simple-to-use interface. And that’s exactly what was provided in cyearn.
The first screen shows you a quick summary of your activities and a few fun facts on how what you’re about to do is going to help the environment and yourself.

Upon starting your journey for the day, the app then shows real-time data of activities like distance travelled, tax return earned, calories burned and estimated time of arrival. You can also pause your activity manually or allow the sensors to detect and pause on its own.

At the end of every cycling exercise, there’s a quick summary of your recent activity and a chart of your journey and how it compares with other days.

At the end of each month, the equivalent of each user’s tax returns point will be refunded by their employers in collaboration with the state government.

There’s also a settings page where users can set up their personal and tax information, and also other functionalities as shown below.

what I learned.

One lesson that I learned during the design process for cyearn is the importance of conducting thorough research. By conducting research on the health habits of people in Lagos, as well as the tax system in Nigeria, I was able to identify the key challenges and opportunities that the app needed to address. This research allowed us to develop a concept that was well-suited to the needs of users in Lagos, and helped us to create a more effective and successful app.

Additionally, I learned the value of user testing in the design process. By conducting user testing, I was able to gather valuable feedback on the app, and make improvements based on the needs and preferences of users. This allowed me to refine the design and create a more user-friendly and engaging app.

Overall, the design process for cyearn taught me the importance of conducting thorough research and gathering user feedback in order to create a successful and effective app.

outcome.

The outcome of the design process for cyearn was the creation of a successful and well-received app(at least, on paper for now). The app is being tested by about 70 users in Lagos and has been receiving positive feedback for its user-friendly design and practical rewards.In terms of the original problem that the app was intended to solve, cyearn has had a positive impact on the health habits of its early users. The app’s tracking and rewards system has encouraged users to maintain an active lifestyle, and many users have reported increased physical activity and improved health as a result of using the app.Furthermore, the app’s integration with the Nigerian tax system has provided a tangible benefit for users, allowing them to easily redeem their points for tax deductions. This has helped to reduce the burden of taxes for those who are regularly exercising, further incentivizing users to maintain an active lifestyle.Overall, we hope to have a successful and effective app that will have a positive impact on the health habits of its users.