Homeward is a drone based roadside assistance company that was designed to provide fast, reliable, and stress free help any time it’s needed. The app ensures that a wide range of people are able to quickly understand and use the app in the event of a non-life threatening emergency. The service of the app would be fulfilled by ground or aerial based drones for maximum efficiency and coverage in most conditions. Cutting down on wait time, extra costs, and reducing unease in stranded situations.

Primary Driving Area   Suburban  19  /  Urban  8  /  Rural   4  /  Mixed   1
Vehicle Type   Sedan  12  /  SUV  11  /  Truck  4  /  Hatchback  3
Fuel Type   Gasoline  31  /  Hybrid  1
Assistance Type   Tire change  8  /  Lockout  6  /  Battery jump  5  /  Towing  12

Respondents (ages 19–70) were mostly female, followed by male and non-binary participants. Suburban drivers dominated, with fewer from urban and rural areas. Most drove sedans or SUVs, nearly all gasoline-powered.

While most drive frequently, roadside assistance is rarely used. Many respondents had never used it or only used it once in the past year. Popular providers included AAA, Progressive, USAA, and smaller companies.

Top reasons for assistance were tire changes, lockouts, battery jumps, and towing.

Positive experiences highlighted friendly, professional service. Complaints focused on slow response times, lack of tracking, and uncertainty while waiting. Some wanted access to essentials like blankets, water, or real-time ETA tracking.

Respondents valued both app-based and phone support, depending on the situation. There was strong interest in customizable services, such as faster response times in emergencies.

People want roadside assistance to be faster, more transparent, and flexible, ensuring they feel safe and informed while waiting.

The first round of users felt like inputting their car information, name, and payment information was overpowering. Alternative is to allow ease of login with Apple and Google. Past that, users desired to select their issues before deciding whether or not to self service or call for assistance. They were satisfied with the information presented on the confirmation screen; order number, time till delivery, live tracking, and the ability to opt in for texts. A few users suggested that snacks be a purchasable option just in case they're needing to wait a while longer. When presented with an animal mascot, a large amount of users picked the bear. They said it was a strong, reliable, and fast animal. That feedback is what influenced the branding and colors of the app in the second stage of development.

The second round of users suggested a pin for account creation instead of a password, easier to remember in stressful times. Perhaps a password default but pin or facial ID options. They liked an option to text or chat with a representative instead of having to call, opted human to human contact over a branching chat or chatbot. Felt as if they might picked the wrong option for their car and be stuck for longer. Also appreciated that the subscription wasn't restricted to one car, so they could call the service if they were stranded in someone else's car. Users didn't read so much as they looked a pictures and icons, build recognizable icons in a softer style. Some users drove for their jobs, suggested partners with enterprises to provide roadside assistance for employees. Felt the bear mascot was cute, would make them feel less stressed. Users that were parents wanted an option for things to give to their kids, consider a kids pack at a low cost that would contain coloring book, stickers, a book, and stuffed animal.
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Notably the second round of users wanted to fill out their car information before anything else.