GoClear: Sustainable Mobility App Concept

GoClear is a mobility company committed to making transportation accessible for everyone while promoting sustainability. The company is seeking to develop a product or service that can increase both sales and brand awareness.

 Target Audience

The selected target audience is Italians aged 26 and above with a low income. This choice is based on three key insights:

  1. Italians over the age of 15 no longer have access to discounted public transport tickets (Walker, n.d.).
  2. Italians around the age of 26 show a growing concern for sustainable travel (Tidswell, 2023; EIB, 2022).
  3. Italy ranks among the poorest countries in Europe for young people (Nuzzaci, 2021).

 Solution: A Reward-Based Mobility App

Inspired by research on behavioral support for sustainable mobility (Heckman et al., 2020), the proposed solution is a mobile app that allows users to purchase train and bus tickets. The unique aspect of this app is its reward system: each time users make sustainable transport choices, they earn discounts on future purchases directly through the platform.

 Prototype Concept

Three prototypes were initially created to support the economic needs of the target audience, focusing on recognition and rewards for sustainable actions — whether in transportation, lodging, or other eco-friendly decisions.

The final prototype focuses on day-to-day transportation. It allows users to:

  • Buy train and bus tickets
  • Earn discounts as rewards for sustainable travel behavior

 Impact & Brand Fit

This app aligns closely with GoClear’s mission, as it not only encourages sustainable habits but also increases sales by centralizing ticket purchases within the platform. The reward system and daily usability make the app highly memorable, effectively contributing to brand awareness and customer retention. It provides a positive reinforcement loop that motivates users to make more sustainable choices (Celina et al., 2023).

Research Question

How can GoClear use a mobile app to create brand awareness among 26-year-old Italians with a monthly income of less than €1,500, promote sustainable mobility, and simultaneously increase ticket sales by 5% within 16 months?

Sample Group and Methodology

The sample group consisted of Italian males between the ages of 26 and 27 with a monthly income ranging from €800 to €1,000, aligning with our defined target audience. The sample size was 2 participants, as in-depth qualitative data was the goal.

The sampling method used was non-random snowball sampling, where the first interviewee introduced the second. Data was collected through two online Zoom interviews conducted on 30 November and 2 December, lasting 45 minutes and 35 minutes, respectively. A total of 40 questions were asked across both interviews.

Audio files were stored on a personal laptop and transcribed using Turboscribe (turboscribe, n.d.). Data was then analyzed using Atlas.ti to extract relevant insights and patterns.

Data Analysis & Grouping

Participants’ responses were grouped into two categories:

1. Groups Answering the Research Question (RQ)

  • Beneficial Product Qualities
    • Perceived values of the app were mostly economic (frequency: 4; Appendix 12:81) and sustainable (frequency: 5; Appendix 12:95), both crucial for generating brand awareness.
  • Factors Influencing Travel Behaviour
    • Cost reduction was identified as the most influential factor (frequency: 12; Appendix 13:41), showing that affordability is key in encouraging sustainable mobility choices.
  • Most Used Transport Modes
    • Bus (frequency: 6; Appendix 12:21) and train (frequency: 7; Appendix 12:61) were the most used transport types, suggesting the app should focus on these two modes for a more targeted strategy.

2. Groups Focused on App Improvement

  • App Design
    • Preferences for a green color palette were mentioned (frequency: 2; Appendix 13:75), reinforcing visual associations with sustainability.
  • User Experience
    • Participants emphasized simplicity (frequency: 7; Appendix 12:87) and functionality (frequency: 12; Appendix 12:91), suggesting a clean layout with a maximum of three pages.

Key Findings and Prototype Adjustments

Findings:

  • A green color scheme increases sustainability association.
  • The app must be simple and easy to use, limited to 3 screens.
  • Focus on buses and trains, not all transport types.
  • Include a pollution saved scoreboard and customer service section.
  • Emphasize economic benefits and discounts to drive adoption and usage.

Prototype Refinements:

  • Layout: Applied a green palette for environmental alignment.
  • UX: Limited navigation to 3 pages for simplicity.
  • Transport Focus: Reduced from 5 to 2 options (bus and train).
  • Features: Added a pollution tracker and customer service support.
  • Strategy: Centered the app’s value on cost savings and sustainability rewards to reinforce user motivation.

Quantitative Research Summary

Research Question:
 What perceived benefits are the most relevant for Italians above 26 with a low income of €1,500 to download the sustainable travel app?

This quantitative follow-up aims to validate the qualitative findings at scale by identifying which benefits (e.g., economic savings, rewards, eco-impact, simplicity) are most influential in user decision-making. Data collection is to be done via surveys targeting a larger sample with closed questions, Likert scales, and ranking preferences.

Quantitative Research

Sample Group and Methodology

The sample group consisted of Italians aged 26 with a monthly income of less than €1,500. The sample size was 50 respondents, gathered using a non-random snowball sampling method. We asked the two participants from the qualitative interviews—already part of our target audience—to share the survey with contacts who also fit the target profile.

To collect data, a Google Forms survey was sent to 53 people, with 15 questions in total:

  • 4 demographic questions
  • 4 questions based on findings from the qualitative phase
  • 7 questions focused on evaluating the app prototype

The responses were exported into Excel and then analyzed using SPSS.

Analysis and Results

To understand how young Italians perceive the app’s benefits, we conducted a descriptive frequency analysis on three perceived value categories:

  • Economic
  • Sustainable
  • Human-centered

Out of the 53 respondents, 3 responses were incomplete, leaving 50 valid responses.

Results:

  • Economic benefits: 36%
  • Human-centered benefits: 18%
  • Sustainable benefits: 46%

The mode (most frequent response) was sustainable, with n = 23, representing 46% of the participants. This suggests that sustainability is the most valued app benefit among the target group, followed by economic value.

These insights reinforce the importance of highlighting sustainability and cost-saving features in the app’s design and communication strategy.

Descriptive Frequency Analysis: Perceived App Benefits

To gain an in-depth understanding of how the three key benefits — economic, sustainable, and human-centered — are perceived, a descriptive frequency analysis was conducted using data from 53 respondents, with 50 valid responses.

The results (see Tables 2, 3, and 4; Figures 2, 3, and 4) revealed that while economic and sustainable benefits were rated similarly in terms of general importance, the “somewhat important” and “neutral” ratings were higher for sustainability.

Based on this, we conclude the perceived order of importance among the benefits is:

  1. Sustainable
  2. Economic
  3. Human-centered

These findings emphasize the need to focus on sustainability and cost-saving features in both app development and promotional messaging.

 Inferential Analysis: Perceived Benefits by Income Level

To explore whether perceived app benefits (PB) differ across income levels, an inferential analysis was conducted using cross-tabulation and chi-square tests.

  • Variables:
    • Perceived Benefits (PB): Human, Economic, Sustainable
    • Income Categories:
      • Less than €1,500
      • €1,500–€2,499
      • €2,500 and above
  • Sample size: N = 50
  • Chi-square result: χ² = 4.795
  • p-value: p = 0.309

The results (see Table 5 and Figure 5) indicate that there is no statistically significant relationship between income level and perceived benefits of the app. This suggests that sustainability and economic value are perceived as important across all income brackets within the sample.

 Key Findings & Iteration Insights

  • Design Preferences: Two equally preferred color palettes emerged, with a strong preference for the Montserrat font. The final high-fidelity prototype uses a dark green color palette and Montserrat typeface to align with user feedback from both qualitative and quantitative phases.
  • App Focus: Users consistently emphasized the importance of sustainability and economic benefits. As a result:
    • A money-saved counter and money-based reward system were implemented.
    • A carbon footprint tracker, green-themed visuals, and a pollution summary are now shown after each purchase to reinforce environmental impact.
  • User Experience:
    • The app is limited to a maximum of 3 pages to maintain simplicity and ease of navigation.
    • Features such as maps and ticket scanning were removed due to neutral or indifferent responses, allowing focus on core value-driving features.

These iterations ensure the app remains intuitive while aligning closely with what users value most: affordability, sustainability, and ease of use.

 Discussion and Conclusions

The research findings from both qualitative and quantitative rounds provided a comprehensive understanding of how to design an app that promotes sustainable mobility while aligning with user preferences and increasing brand awareness for GoClear.

The qualitative phase revealed key behavioral insights. Participants emphasized the importance of sustainability and economic benefits in travel decisions. Specific design preferences also emerged, such as a green color palette, the inclusion of a pollution tracking feature, and the addition of supportive elements like customer service access. These findings shaped the first iteration of the mid-fidelity prototype, which focused on aligning the app’s core purpose with user values and included basic elements such as a money-saved counter and sustainable messaging.

In contrast, the quantitative phase focused more on refining user experience and interface design. Respondents helped define the ideal typography (Montserrat), reinforced the importance of a three-page limit for simplicity, and contributed feedback on reward mechanisms. Insights from this phase led to more in-depth changes in the second iteration, including the removal of low-priority features like maps and ticket scanning, and the enhancement of sustainability elements through visuals and functionality.

Feedback from both peers and instructors was instrumental in interpreting these findings and steering the app design toward a direction that resonates with the target audience.

 Limitations

  • Quantitative: While the survey aimed for 50 valid responses, a larger sample would have yielded more generalizable results.
  • Qualitative: The sample was limited to two in-depth interviews due to scheduling issues and recording constraints (Zoom capped one recording at 40 minutes). A broader set of interviews could have provided deeper thematic saturation.

 Final Insight

The research concludes that young Italians are strongly motivated to adopt sustainable behavior, but financial constraints are a key barrier. A mobility app that offers economic incentives—such as discounts and reward points combined with sustainability-focused features, has strong potential to drive behavior change, increase ticket sales, and build brand awareness for GoClear.

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