Ather Energy • 2023

The Ather app - The award-winning companion app for 500K+ EV riders

A rider holding a phone with the Ather app beside the scooter’s dashboard
Timeline
8 months
Role
Product Design, Product Management
Team
Jahnavi PatelVenus MalikKrishnan LakshmanAnurag Baratare
Focus
Design strategy, stakeholder alignment, UX design
Recognition
Best UX Design Award, IDZ Berlin, 2023

TL;DR

I worked on the redesign of the Ather app as product designer and product manager. Retention rose 25%, CSAT went from 3.4 to 4.0, and the app won the Best UX Design Award at IDZ Berlin.

25%increase in user retention
4.0CSAT score, from 3.4 to 4.0
IDZBest UX Design Award, Berlin, 2023

Context

One connected experience for scooter ownership.

The Ather app is the companion for managing an Ather electric scooter. Ather Connect is the tech behind it: it links the scooter to the app and the cloud, and its subscription plans unlock the smart features.

A rider on her scooter holds up a phone showing the Ather app, beside the scooter’s dashboard

Goals

A simpler app for riders, aligned with the business.

01

Redesign the old app to be easier to use and more engaging, so more riders buy the Ather Connect subscription.

02

Bring the needs of charging, customer service, Ather Connect and accessories into one app without breaking the rider’s journey.

Approach

Redesigning the Ather app

We went from this

The old Ather app home screen: battery at 93%, a range tab with 69 km on a green block, a scooter picture and a map below

Too much information and no hierarchy, so riders got confused.

To this

The new Ather app home screen: 72 km range, an 80% charge bar, a card saying the scooter is ready, and tiles for alerts, Bluetooth and the scooter

Contextual information, a clear hierarchy, and monetization built in.

Structure

Designing a structure for the new Ather app

After gathering requirements, we studied what riders need from the app. That shaped the home screen around three ideas.

Direction

Personalized, scalable and accessible

WidgetX: four stacked status cards, charging, parked and low on air, movement detected, and low battery

WidgetX

Tells riders the most important thing about their scooter right now. Think of it as the vehicle telling you what it needs.

The Bento grid: a trip in progress card above tiles for location, Bluetooth and the scooter

The Bento grid

Lets the app scale across Ather’s growing services and products.

The ecosystem: a map with the scooter and nearby public chargers

Integrating the ecosystem

One platform for the ride: charging, service and community.

Home screen

A clearer home screen for everyday EV ownership

It balances readiness, guidance and post-ride reflection in one easy-to-scan view.

The Ather home screen: 72 km range, an 80% charge bar, a card saying the 450X is ready, and tiles for alerts, Bluetooth and the scooter
RangeWidgetXVehicle detailsNavigate

Ather’s Home

Vehicle readiness and range in one glance.

  • Range: the number most riders check first.
  • WidgetX: context in one card, like ready to go or low on charge. On low charge it also suggests the nearest charger.
  • After a ride: journey details and badges earned, with a way to share the ride and see more.
The Ather home screen while charging: 18 km range, an 18% charge bar and a card saying optimized charging, 100% charge by 5.00 am
Charge progressWidgetX

Charging in progress

  • Charge progress: the battery level and the range so far, at a glance.
  • WidgetX: says when the charge will be done.
The vehicle details page for a scooter named White tiger: tyre pressure, service and warranty cards
Tyre pressure monitoringService updates

Vehicle details

  • Tyre pressure: live front and rear readings.
  • Service updates: upcoming service and the date of the last one.

Key screens

Key moments from the redesigned app

Hierarchy, context and clear actions across the core flows.

The home screen with a map: a search box, saved places, nearby chargers and the scooter’s location
Search for areas and placesNearest chargers and their status

Search and chargers

Search for areas or places. See the nearest chargers and their status.

Ride plan sent to scooter: a route on a map above a picture of the scooter’s dashboard with a green check
Your planned route shows on the scooter’s dashboard

Send to scooter

Your planned route shows on the scooter’s dashboard.

The trip planner: a route map, 35 minutes and 1.9 km, a Send to scooter button and a ride plan
Send the ride to the scooter in one tapPlan your ride and we start with the best route

Trip planner

Plan your ride and we start with the best route. Send it to the scooter in one tap.

Impact

A redesigned app, with measurable impact.

25%increase in user retention
4.0CSAT score, from 3.4 to 4.0
IDZBest UX Design Award, Berlin, 2023