We Own the Way!
Encourage more people in London to use bicycles as a commuting option.
Year
2024
Role
Service Design
Client
Transport for London (TfL)
/ Background
This project was developed as part of the Royal College of Art’s Service Design programme, in collaboration with Transport for London (TfL). TfL challenged us to encourage more people in London to choose cycling as a commuting option.
During our desk research, we uncovered concerning statistics: 9 in 10 women report experiencing verbal abuse while cycling, and 6 of the last 8 cycling-related deaths involved women. These insights led us to focus specifically on the experiences of women cyclists.
We engaged with more than 20 participants—including current cyclists, non-cyclists, and those considering cycling—and took part in six group cycling sessions to understand their experiences firsthand. While concerns around infrastructure and cycling skills were common, a deeper theme emerged: emotional confidence.
Many women described struggling with self-doubt, often intensified by intimidation and fear of judgment. These emotional barriers reveal that the challenges women face extend far beyond infrastructure and equipment—they are deeply personal, and they significantly influence their willingness to cycle in the city.
/ Research
In selecting our focus group, we aimed to align with the Mayor of London’s goal of making 80% of all trips in London sustainable by 2041. With this in mind, we identified professional women working in offices as our target audience. Professional women make up a large part of London’s workforce and commute regularly, making them a key group for promoting sustainable travel. We believe a cycling community for office women can inspire others while promoting cycling as an empowering, inclusive, and sustainable way to commute.
We hypothesised that women who cycle together in supportive groups, or with buddies sharing similar routes, will feel more confident and encouraged to cycle regularly. To test this, we joined existing cycling communities, organised group rides, and ran prototyping workshops using role-play and “What if” card games. Our findings showed that women prefer to avoid busy roads but feel safer riding with companions. They value finding buddies who live nearby, though some were hesitant about riding with strangers or during hectic mornings. These insights helped us design solutions addressing confidence, safety, and inclusivity in cycling.
/ Outcome
Our prototyping workshops revealed that women prefer to avoid busy roads but feel more confident when riding with buddies on similar routes. These insights shaped the design of the WoW service, which addresses both practical and emotional barriers to cycling.
Key features include: Buddy Matching to connect riders with cycling partners on shared routes, Events to strengthen community through group rides, Rewards with badges and discounts at local shops
The service is sustained through city council funding, sponsorships, and partnerships with local businesses, bike shops, and shared bike services.
Ultimately, WoW empowers women to overcome the fear of city cycling by building a supportive and inclusive community. We believe this will inspire more women to cycle with confidence and embrace it as a safe, sustainable mode of transport.
We Own the Way!
Encourage more people in London to use bicycles as a commuting option.
Year
2024
Role
Service Design
Client
Transport for London (TfL)
/ Background
This project was developed as part of the Royal College of Art’s Service Design programme, in collaboration with Transport for London (TfL). TfL challenged us to encourage more people in London to choose cycling as a commuting option.
During our desk research, we uncovered concerning statistics: 9 in 10 women report experiencing verbal abuse while cycling, and 6 of the last 8 cycling-related deaths involved women. These insights led us to focus specifically on the experiences of women cyclists.
We engaged with more than 20 participants—including current cyclists, non-cyclists, and those considering cycling—and took part in six group cycling sessions to understand their experiences firsthand. While concerns around infrastructure and cycling skills were common, a deeper theme emerged: emotional confidence.
Many women described struggling with self-doubt, often intensified by intimidation and fear of judgment. These emotional barriers reveal that the challenges women face extend far beyond infrastructure and equipment—they are deeply personal, and they significantly influence their willingness to cycle in the city.
/ Research
In selecting our focus group, we aimed to align with the Mayor of London’s goal of making 80% of all trips in London sustainable by 2041. With this in mind, we identified professional women working in offices as our target audience. Professional women make up a large part of London’s workforce and commute regularly, making them a key group for promoting sustainable travel. We believe a cycling community for office women can inspire others while promoting cycling as an empowering, inclusive, and sustainable way to commute.
We hypothesised that women who cycle together in supportive groups, or with buddies sharing similar routes, will feel more confident and encouraged to cycle regularly. To test this, we joined existing cycling communities, organised group rides, and ran prototyping workshops using role-play and “What if” card games. Our findings showed that women prefer to avoid busy roads but feel safer riding with companions. They value finding buddies who live nearby, though some were hesitant about riding with strangers or during hectic mornings. These insights helped us design solutions addressing confidence, safety, and inclusivity in cycling.
/ Outcome
Our prototyping workshops revealed that women prefer to avoid busy roads but feel more confident when riding with buddies on similar routes. These insights shaped the design of the WoW service, which addresses both practical and emotional barriers to cycling.
Key features include: Buddy Matching to connect riders with cycling partners on shared routes, Events to strengthen community through group rides, Rewards with badges and discounts at local shops
The service is sustained through city council funding, sponsorships, and partnerships with local businesses, bike shops, and shared bike services.
Ultimately, WoW empowers women to overcome the fear of city cycling by building a supportive and inclusive community. We believe this will inspire more women to cycle with confidence and embrace it as a safe, sustainable mode of transport.
We Own the Way!
Encourage more people in London to use bicycles as a commuting option.
Year
2024
Role
Service Design
Client
Transport for London (TfL)
/ Background
This project was developed as part of the Royal College of Art’s Service Design programme, in collaboration with Transport for London (TfL). TfL challenged us to encourage more people in London to choose cycling as a commuting option.
During our desk research, we uncovered concerning statistics: 9 in 10 women report experiencing verbal abuse while cycling, and 6 of the last 8 cycling-related deaths involved women. These insights led us to focus specifically on the experiences of women cyclists.
We engaged with more than 20 participants—including current cyclists, non-cyclists, and those considering cycling—and took part in six group cycling sessions to understand their experiences firsthand. While concerns around infrastructure and cycling skills were common, a deeper theme emerged: emotional confidence.
Many women described struggling with self-doubt, often intensified by intimidation and fear of judgment. These emotional barriers reveal that the challenges women face extend far beyond infrastructure and equipment—they are deeply personal, and they significantly influence their willingness to cycle in the city.
/ Research
In selecting our focus group, we aimed to align with the Mayor of London’s goal of making 80% of all trips in London sustainable by 2041. With this in mind, we identified professional women working in offices as our target audience. Professional women make up a large part of London’s workforce and commute regularly, making them a key group for promoting sustainable travel. We believe a cycling community for office women can inspire others while promoting cycling as an empowering, inclusive, and sustainable way to commute.
We hypothesised that women who cycle together in supportive groups, or with buddies sharing similar routes, will feel more confident and encouraged to cycle regularly. To test this, we joined existing cycling communities, organised group rides, and ran prototyping workshops using role-play and “What if” card games. Our findings showed that women prefer to avoid busy roads but feel safer riding with companions. They value finding buddies who live nearby, though some were hesitant about riding with strangers or during hectic mornings. These insights helped us design solutions addressing confidence, safety, and inclusivity in cycling.
/ Outcome
Our prototyping workshops revealed that women prefer to avoid busy roads but feel more confident when riding with buddies on similar routes. These insights shaped the design of the WoW service, which addresses both practical and emotional barriers to cycling.
Key features include: Buddy Matching to connect riders with cycling partners on shared routes, Events to strengthen community through group rides, Rewards with badges and discounts at local shops
The service is sustained through city council funding, sponsorships, and partnerships with local businesses, bike shops, and shared bike services.
Ultimately, WoW empowers women to overcome the fear of city cycling by building a supportive and inclusive community. We believe this will inspire more women to cycle with confidence and embrace it as a safe, sustainable mode of transport.