I worked remotely from Israel for Karhoo, occasionally traveling to London (HQ) for work. My responsibilities included UI and visual design - so both a touch on various products, as well as some marketing assets. I also participated in a project to implement the Karhoo API within Google Maps in the UK by creating the layout according to Google Maps' UI Kit.
Flit Technologies acquired Karhoo in 2016, and subsequently, in 2018, the mobile and web apps of Karhoo stopped functioning.
Historically, only licensed taxis were allowed to operate and pick up passengers on the street. These licenses, known as taxi medallions, were difficult and expensive to obtain, and the market was heavily regulated and controlled.
Karhoo aims to disrupt ride-sharing by working with and supporting traditional taxi companies and drivers around the world. Rather than operating as a closed marketplace, Karhoo acts as an open marketplace that allows consumers to choose from different taxi companies and provides incentives for these companies to improve their service levels.
Once you have logged in, you can enter your pickup location and destination (usually the current location is set with geo-location). Unlike other ride-hailing apps, Karhoo allows you to view various prices from different vendors and different vehicle types, giving you the option to choose the one that best suits your needs and budget. After choosing your preferred vehicle type and payment method, you can confirm your booking details and wait for a driver to accept your ride request.
After booking your ride on Karhoo, you may only need to wait a few minutes for your taxi to arrive. While waiting, you can track your ride's progress on the app for real-time updates on your driver's ETA and location.
After the ride ends, Karhoo automatically charges the fare to your preferred payment method and sends a detailed receipt via email or on the app. If you have any issues, you can provide feedback through the app, and Karhoo will follow up to resolve any concerns.
One of my major tasks for Karhoo was creating a desktop experience that will be a companion to the mobile app - one scenario I was researching is an option to have a continuous experience of booking the a ride (both on-demand and future rides), and once booking it, the user can continue and track it on his mobile app.
While working on the product team at Karhoo, I was also involved in developing ideas and establishing partnerships. One of the initiatives I was working on was a partnership with TUI that was underway, and we were also exploring advertising opportunities in taxis and airports across the UK.
An interesting project that I was involved in, was creating a concept of the Karhoo app as an implementation inside Google Maps in the UK, that was running for a short amount of time. This project included both the mobile app and an additional tab in the web version - here are few screenshots from the design files.
If you have a website or mobile app in mind, need advice about product design, or just want to say hi, feel free to reach out.
