Customer Insights Design Thinking in Budapest

Minxin Zhang, Guangchen Zhang, Gabi Levi, Ethan Baker

Project Objectives Ø  Over the past decade, there has been an upward trend in both the

quality of cycling infrastructure and the number of cyclists themselves in Budapest; however, in comparison to other European cities, Hungary lags behind in embracing a more pervasive cycling culture.

Ø  There have to be ways to catalyse this process. Ø  Mission: Accelerate the adoption of the bicycle for transportation

within Budapest Ø  Client: Manufacturer of the Bubi bicycle and kiosk system

Secondary Research: Overview 1) Bubi background - What is Bubi? - What is it’s mission? - What stage of implementation is it in?

2) Bubi and social media - What’s the initial voice we hear from the consumer?

3) Other incentive programs - What’s worked in other cities and why?

4) Local biking culture - What’s the infrastructure like? - Who’s biking? - What’s developing?

Secondary Research: Bubi “MOL intends to make an impact on people’s awareness, to foster sustainability, and to create a new societal model based on positive thinking.” - First rumors about a public bike system launched over 5 years ago (2008) - Promised rollout in April 2014, pushed back to July because of IT issue - 1100 “city-proof” bikes at 76 stations all around the city - “Last mile” campaign - Can use short-term for higher fee or long-term after signing contract (yearly, half-yearly)

- Expect 75% to be committed users - Discounts for students

- 85% by the EU and sponsored by MOL (local oil company) - Helping make Budapest more bike friendly

Secondary Research: Bubi and Social Media “From July? Which fool is going to half-year lease to buy three to three and a half months (minus the summer time)??? The annual is simply too expensive.” “July which year? 2015? 2018? 2021?” - People can buy a used bike for the cost of the annual membership - Is a yearly membership even worth it?

- Winter - too cold? - If one buys a yearly pass when the program begins, people might not get their money’s worth because it ends January 1st

“So there will be a trial version where you can test X, selecting a single bike? Specifically I'm interested in it!” - Attitudes at opposite end of spectrum - eager for release

Secondary Research: Other Incentive Programs

- Bubi program largely modeled after London’s bikeshare program - “Bike-to-Work” Campaign is widely used in European Countries, including Hungary - Existing educational programs are available - START, Do’s & Dont’s, - “Bike Cash Out” program in California had some success in easing parking pressure and transiting from driving to biking - “90 Minutes” program in Hangzhou encouraged people to use bike as part of their commuting journey

Secondary Research: Local Biking Culture - No. 13 spot on a list of the Most Bike-Friendly Cities of the World - Currently 200 km cycling path criss-crosses the city - The management of the Hungarian capital aims to increase the length of cycling paths to 300 km by 2015. - 200+ cyclists are killed on the road of Hungary per year - Cycling Chic campaign becoming prevalent - promotes a biking culture that’s stylish and less defensive - Biking mainly on the Pest side - commuting - Tourist cycling predominantly on Margaret Island

Secondary Research: Sources http://budapesttimes.hu/2014/04/26/bubi-your-mission-is-to-make-a-greener-city/ http://www.bkk.hu/en/2013/11/bkk-reveals-the-bicycles-of-the-mol-bubi-public-bike-sharing-scheme/ http://www.bkk.hu/bubi/mol-bubi/ https://www.facebook.com/molbubi http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/disciplines/commuters/bike-to-work-scheme http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/leaflets/benefit-in-kind/faqs/cycle-work.html http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/02/us-france-bicycles-idUSKBN0ED1O120140602 http://www.youcanbikethere.com/content/how-promote-bicycle-commuting http://hzdaily.hangzhou.com.cn/hzrb/html/2013-10/26/content_1603033.htm http://www.budapestbylocals.com/biking-in-budapest.html http://ghostbikes.org/budapest http://www.budabike.com/en/

Observations: Unstructured Environment: - Time: Friday 1:30-3:30 PM - post work commute, beginning of weekend - Locations: Deák Ter (1), Liberty Bridge (2) Procedures and Methods: - Split into two teams (Gabi, Ethan/Minxin, Michael) - Observe all behavioral patterns and events of cyclists and noncyclists - Take notes, objectively and emphatically - Form questions - Debrief to triangulate and prioritize findings

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Observations: Unstructured Findings: - Spotty biking infrastructure - Organized chaos regarding the road and bike lanes - Structured behavior on the sidewalk -Co-use of tram/metro/walking as transportation...hardly any cycling interplay - Distinct demographics for who’s biking where and how

- Sidewalk - older, timid, rule abiding, bikes with personality

- Road - younger, confident, risky, bikes with functionality

- Rental bikes used by tourists, curiosity in using Bubi - Commuters use their own bikes

Observations: Unstructured to Structured The group convened, debriefed, and tried to define which demographics to focus on (the picture of the board at this stage wasn’t taken). Péter Dalos also spoke with the class, giving us more context to BKK and Bubi and who they aim to target. We ended up focusing on two demographics for our structured observations.

Commuters Tourists

Questions: - Which demographics are/aren’t biking? - How do cyclist and non-cyclist commuters treat each other? - Who’s cycling chic? Who’s cycling safe? Who’s cycling “recklessly”? - What kind of safety gear is being used?

Questions: - Which demographics are/aren’t biking? - How big are the groups? - What are tourist looking for in cycling? (tours, transportation, leisure) - How does their body language cycling in a foreign city differ to natives?

Observations: Structured Environment: - Two times, two locations, two groups: - Kálvin Ter (1) - 8:25-9:15 AM - Gabi, Minxin - St. Stephen’s Basilica (2) - 3:00-4:00 PM Michael, Ethan Methods and Procedures: -  Similar observation and note taking tactics as unstructured observation -  Focus on specific demographic and brainstormed questions

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Observations: Structured, Kálvin Ter Observations: - Correlation with form of transportation and personal image - Heels/suits/briefcases weren’t on bikes - Younger, stylish people on trendier bikes - Helmets/reflective vests/pads on functional bikes - All cyclists carrying some sort of bag, either in basket or over shoulder - Morning commute - more aggressive and dangerous, but many bikers still braving the road -  Non-cyclists multitasking, so need hands (coffee,

smoking, reading)

Observations: Structured, St. Stephen’s Observations: - Generally hard to distinguish tourists from non-tourists based on solely sight - High tourist area - predominantly on foot/very few tourists on a bike - Hard to take pictures/stroll casually on wheels - Tourists biked in groups - Yellow Zebra rentals, Hi-Bike tours - Tourists were curious of Bubi bikes, but couldn’t figure them out

Observations: Post-Structured The group reorganized our focus groups, at first on three categories: - Young [cyclist] Commuters - Old [cyclist] Commuters - Non-cyclists Then, after considering the adoption curve, we decided to redefine our focus groups again before interviewing: - Early Adopters/Skilled Cyclists - Non-cyclists

Interviews: Methods and Procedures Environment: 1) Morning Commute Interviews - Time: 8:20-9:00 AM - Location: California Coffee Shop near Kálvin Ter (1) - Number of Interviews: 2 2) Afternoon Commute Interviews: Entire Group - Time: 5:00-6:15 - Location: Deák Ter and surrounding area (2) - Number of Interviews: 10 Task: - Interview Hungarians that fit our two focus groups (noncyclist - Michael, Gabi/skilled cyclists - Minxin, Ethan) - Ask questions fitting our interview guide (next slide) - Be open, interested, and use probing questions when needed to acquire additional information

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Interviews: Interview Guide Noncyclists Early Adopters/Skilled Cyclists

- Describe your morning commute. - What is your morning routine? (Do you stop for coffee/drop children off/run errands?) - Is your work environment bike-friendly? - Do your friends bike? - Have you ever tried biking to work? - Have you heard about Bubi before? If so, what are your perceptions of it? - What would be the biggest thing that would have to change to get you bike to work?

- Describe your morning commute. - What’s your morning routine? - What’s your work’s attitude toward cycling? - How often do you cycle to school/work? Do you cycle other than traveling to work? - How is it cycling in Budapest? - A lot of people use the tram or metro to get to work. Why do you think that might be? - What do you think it would take to get noncyclist to cycle to work? - As a cyclist, what would be one thing from your experience that you would change to get more people to bike?

Interviews: A Few Quotations Noncyclists: “I don’t like the mentality of the Hungarian biker--at least the uneducated behavior regarding the rules of engagement using the bicycle.” - young occasional user “I see Bubi as an achievement.” - nonuser “If I knew that the cars had no possible chance to hit me, I would probably give biking a chance.” - Maria “It’s a very new system in town, so I don’t know how it works. No information.” - nonuser “A running shoe is more convenient than a bike...I’ve never tried biking to work, but my kids bike to school.” -extreme nonuser

Early Adopters/Skilled Cyclists: “And from my hometown, I’ve been riding a bike as a racer since childhood, so it’s no problem to bike 50 kilometers for work each day...People see guys like me that are good, and see that we can go anywhere.” - Attila “You have this biker wear, and when you go into your work with this biker wear, you feel good about yourself because it’s good for biking. People don’t understand, but you show people it’s normal, it’s good, it’s okay.” - Attila “It’s not at all that dangerous to bike in my opinion, but I do this all the time.” - Akos “Many people who are biking people already have their own bike.” - Julia

Interviews: Comparison of Demographics Noncyclist: - Respect for educated cyclists - Pride in new biking system - Afraid to commute biking because of limited experience - Very little knowledge of Bubi - Won’t try biking, but never has given it the chance

Early Adopters/Skilled Cyclists - Educated cyclists want to make a good name for cyclists, because they know they’re the underdog - Pride in being a cyclist - Experience makes them feel comfortable even on the busiest roads - Owners don’t need Bubi for transportation - Call nonuser’s bluff; from personal experience they know it’s fast and reliable

Interviews: Final Insights - The more educated and experienced a person is in using a bike, the more willing they will be to bike in the city - All Hungarians seem proud of Bubi and cycling, whether a cyclist or noncyclist - There is a general lack of information of the Bubi system - The last mile campaign isn’t well received by noncyclists, as they find it more trouble than it’s worth to get out of their normal routine - Middle income people in Budapest are price sensitive. Cyclist like saving money with biking to work; noncyclists see Bubi as another cost to pay - Noncyclists see no clear or serious benefits to cycling, but haven’t tried it out. Conversely, all the cyclists we interviewed haven’t turned back to consistent noncycling

Data Synthesis: Persona Maps Noncyclist Name: Blanka Age: 29 Occupation: Secretary of Financial Accounting firm Financial Situation: Lives comfortably, middle income Marital Status: Live-in boyfriend Living Situation: Apartment right outside city center Hobbies: Going out with friends, fashion, social media, reading, running Habits: Coffee-drinker Personality Traits: Likes routine and scheduling, somewhat risk averse Other: Not much into green initiative, thinking about having a family

Early Adopter/Skilled Cyclist Name: Zoltán Age: 33 Occupation: IT Specialist Financial Situation: Lives comfortably, middle income Marital Status: Engaged Living Situation: Suburbs of Budapest Hobbies: Working out, cycling club at work, woodworking, pub crawls, outdoor activities Habits: Smokes Personality Traits: Confident, likes adventure, gets bored easily Other: Trying to get his fiancee to start biking with him

Data Synthesis: Empathy Maps Thinks/Feels:

- Content with using the tram and walking - Concerned with getting to work on time, not looking like a mess getting to work - Heard about Bubi...seems alright - Running is my exercise, the tram is my commute. Why would I need biking either way? - Hates just missing the tram

Says/Does: - Tells friends they’re crazy trying to bike downtown - Enjoys getting coffee on the last bit to work - Checks emails and does makeup on the metro when running late to work

Hears: - Bubi is too expensive and not worth it - Other cities have bikeshares/Bubi is a great step for Budapest - A few friends tell her she needs to invest in a bike - More bike lanes are going to be implemented in soon

Sees: - People are in her way on the sidewalk - Cyclists swerving in and out of traffic - A lot of congestion on the yellow line on her morning commute - More cyclists biking to work since she started her job at the firm three years ago

Data Synthesis: Empathy Maps - Thinks/Feels: - Concerned about getting to work on time - Likes being on own schedule, feels healthy cycling - Proud being a biker; even prouder being one of the first at his office to bike to work now that it’s becoming more popular

Says/Does: - Tries to get friends/family to bike as well - Good talk around the water cooler with coworkers about biking club - Confident on the road - uses lanes freely

Hears: - Questions about why he doesn’t use the metro - Excited for more bike lanes reported in nightly news - Car horns on the road, even though he was safe

Sees: - New bike rack outside of the office - Inexperienced bikers blocking the bike lanes - More bikers on the road

Data Synthesis: Journey Maps Procedure: - Brainstorm Blanka’s (noncyclist) actions during her morning routine - Put in chronological order - Prioritize slides, leave only the most important ones - Align post-its on emotional valence - Replace with text - Add in highs and lows of each step - Discuss gains and improvement areas of not cycling (above and below journey map)

Data Synthesis: Insights Noncyclist: - Getting to work is a multistep process - Transportation is reliable and safe - Noncyclist, besides walking, is completely dependent of the transit schedule - no independence - Fines and monthly/yearly costs for passes add up financially - Out of the elements - still look presentable - Taking the tram/metro is easy, and therefore easy to keep on using even though there might be better ways to commute

Early Adopter/Skilled Cyclist: - Getting to work is streamlined - one step and no waiting - Transportation is less reliable and less safe - Cyclist is dependent only on his/herself - One overhead cost of buying bike, otherwise free - “Windblown look” or wet hair might not be the most professional - Biking takes more effort, but seems to become a habit once the first initiative is put in

Problems/Opportunity Description First, as a team we

reviewed the pains and gains of the noncyclist. From there we took the gains of noncycling and

thought of ways that cycling could counteract/trump them. This helped distill which issues we

could focus in on.

Next, we moved to the barriers--whether real or perceived--that inhibited noncyclists to change

their way of commuting. We took a silent vote based on our

previous research on what we thought the greatest barrier for adopting cycling in Budapest

was. It was unanimous with the group that a lack of education and experience was our main

obstacle.

Finally, with our “How Might We” statements, we began

brainstorming ways we could make the noncyclist ask his/herself “cycle instead?” by:

- changing perception - overcoming perception

through greater value - changing the cycling

experience to address the barriers

Problems/Opportunity Description HMW “Pomegranate” - Categorized and filtered HMW statements until we chose one: How might we introduce people to their first habit-breaking biking experience? - Added evidence from previous research - Added rationale from data synthesis and logic behind habit breaking

Initial Concepts - Brainstormed Solutions - HMW statement focused 1) No method 2) Professional from other field method 3) Novel-centric method - Novel → Realistic - Categorized - Group voted - Filtered/Redefined

Solution: Fleshing Out Ideas

Mapping Event

Logo Design

Social Media Event/Campaign Pages

Solution: First Time Festival Description: A celebration of the opening of Bubi bikes to the public and the kickoff to the “Break the Habit” campaign Goals: - Awareness - MOL Bubi’s goal with the bikeshare, Bubi being available, the habit mentality behind current noncyclist commuting, the benefits of cycling to work - Education - both factual/rule based and through experience - Incentive - with festival and provided information, people will hopefully decide to sign up for the “21 Days for 2100 Forints” plan during the event Activities and Stations: - Food and signature drinks - Vendors (local bike shops, Bubi merch - Documentary screening - Signature wall for sign-up “habit breakers”

Solution: 21 Days for 2100 Forints Description: Scientists agree that it takes roughly 21 days to break or make a habit. For the next half year after the First Ride Festival, people can sign up for 21 days of Bubi use for only 2100 Forints. This campaign gives Budapest commuters a chance to try to form a new commuting habit for an extremely low price Goals: - Ongoing awareness - Education largely through personal experience (noncyclists can truly weigh the pros and cons of cycling versus other forms of transportation rather than through assuming what cycling’s like) - Incentive (low prices hopefully get people on the bike frequently during the first 21 days, potentially forming a habit) Extra Benefits: - Margaret Island meetups - Additional classes - Discounts at Bubi-affiliated stores

Thank you!