Sustainable Commuting

The Task

How might we change commuter behavior to make commuting truly sustainable?

Our Approach

We interviewed several people that commute to Stanford and found that:

• The commute is better if you're with someone you love or know
• Traffic is terrible, but it's better if you have someone to commisserate with
• Many commuters enjoy talking on the phone or listening to podcasts to pass the time

and ultimately, there was an overall need for a human connection.

From these insights, we were able to reframe the initial problem statement into:

How might we make the commute more responsive, like a lover, so that it doesn't take away from a commuter's sense of freedom?

Our Solution

We designed Car Chat, an app that connects people who are commuting at the same time to similar destinations. Car Chat has the potential to form carpool connections, which leads to more sustainable commuting.