Bringing Inclusivity to the Gig Economy
Uber approached Left Field Labs to help realize their goal of building more inclusivity into their business offerings. After rounds of ideation and prototyping, our teams developed an accessible mobile app solution for their hard of hearing drivers that not only successfully facilitated ease of communication, but created more empathy and compassion between riders and drivers in the process.
Uber ASL
For deaf or hearing impaired individuals who make their living driving for ride-sharing services, communicating with riders can be a daunting obstacle. Uber wanted to support its hearing impaired community, and enlisted LFL to help bridge the language gap between American Sign Language and spoken English with a unique in-app feature. Our solution was ubersignlanguage.com — a micro-course in American Sign Language (ASL) connected to the Uber app. Whenever a rider is paired with a deaf driver, they receive a notification within the Uber app which invites them to learn some basic ASL to use during their journey. Beginning with signing their own name, riders learn essential phrases like “hello,” “turn left,” and “thank you.” While these gestures are simple, we found they make a huge difference in breaking down a barrier of fear in communication, creating a more friendly and comfortable journey.
Uber VR Driving Training
For new Uber drivers, the moments leading up to a first passenger pick up can hold many uncertainties and unknowns. To minimize first day jitters and teach drivers specific skills they could use along their ride sharing journey, Uber turned to LFL to create a VR Driver Training program that could offer a fully-immersive environment with low-stakes and high comfortability. The ride along experience took the viewer through a full onboarding sequence, from teaching them how the app interface works, to providing tips for conversing with their rider and more. The initiative became Uber’s first VR experiment and proved to be a noteworthy undertaking in ensuring the psychological comfort of their drivers.
Global Brand Photo Library
Uber approached our team with an urgent need for a cohesive library of assets that could be used across their global and regional markets within their marketing and advertising efforts. Our team at LFL, well-versed in global creative production, helped the brand establish an efficient production pipeline with a quick turnaround, enabling them to create a high volume of assets from around the world in a matter of days. The resulting imagery spanned Europe, South America, the Middle East, Africa and North America and represented a diverse group of individuals — drivers and riders alike — for use in their global brand campaigns.
