UXL DESIGNATHON - MARCH 2025
Task Rabbit Live Activity: Solving the "Where's My Tasker?" Problem
ROLE
Product Designer
TIMELINE
1 Month
TYPE
Concept Work
TOOLS
Figma, Pen & Paper
Protopie
Overview
During my university years, I often relied on TaskRabbit to help with furniture assembly in my small apartment. While the service was convenient, I frequently found myself anxiously waiting, refreshing the app, and wondering: “When will my Tasker actually arrive?” Unlike ride-hailing apps that provide real-time tracking, TaskRabbit lacked this transparency. That gap inspired me to design TaskRabbit Live Activity a feature that brings glanceable, real-time updates to the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, reducing uncertainty and making the waiting experience effortless.
BACKGROUND
Designing iOS Live Activity to reduce customer anxiety and support inquiries for the app’s thousands of daily tasks.
Taskrabbit is a two-sided marketplace platform founded in 2008 where you can find skilled and trusted local “Taskers” for everything from furniture assembly and mounting to moving and cleaning. Taskrabbit has around 60,000 taskers and is available on iPhones and Androids.
The $3.7B Market Opportunity
In the $3.71B on-demand services market, TaskRabbit was missing a critical feature that competitors like Uber and Lyft had made standard: real-time location tracking. With thousands of daily tasks creating thousands of "Where is my Tasker?" moments, customer anxiety could drive unnecessary support inquiries and impact satisfaction scores.
RESEARCH
The current experience gap
Dynamic updates display real-time information on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, similar to how ride-sharing apps provide live location tracking. While ride-sharing apps have set user expectations for real-time tracking, TaskRabbit's current experience requires users to:
Open the app
Navigate to messaging to contact taskers
Wait for manual ETA Updates
This can create unnecessary friction in an experience that should prioritize convenience and peace of mind. Clients should get real-time updates on their Tasker's location.
Real Customer Pain Point
"I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of a tasker for an important job. It would give me peace of mind knowing when to expect them or if they are delayed." - Nitesh Chilkuri
The real cost
Customer anxiety can create unnecessary friction in an experience designed for convenience, leading to support inquiries and potential churn, and increased app utilization.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Learning from the best
Before sketching a single wireframe, I dove deep into how the industry leaders handled this exact problem. Each platform had cracked a different part of the code:
Uber and Lyft taught me about ruthless prioritization. They focused laser-sharp on two things: ETA and vehicle location. Everything else was secondary. Their approach showed me that in constrained spaces, trying to show everything means showing nothing effectively.
DoorDash revealed the power of visual progress. Their order status indicators created a sense of momentum - users could see their food moving through the system. This insight would be crucial for TaskRabbit, where anticipation builds as the Tasker approaches.
Starbucks demonstrated brand consistency at scale. Even in the tiniest interface, their visual language remained unmistakably theirs. This reminded me that TaskRabbit's Live Activity couldn't just be functional - it had to feel like TaskRabbit.
DEFINE
The Design Principles That Emerged
From this research, four non-negotiable principles crystallized:
Glanceable Information
Users needed to understand their Tasker's status within seconds, without fumbling with their phone. This meant prioritizing the most critical details and making them immediately scannable.
Contextual Relevance
Not all information matters at every moment. A Tasker's rating might be important when they're confirmed, but their ETA becomes critical when they're en route.
Visual Hierarchy
With limited real estate, every element needed a clear purpose in the information hierarchy. ETA and Tasker status would dominate, with secondary details playing supporting roles.
Brand Consistency
Even in this constrained space, users needed to feel they were interacting with TaskRabbit, not a generic notification.
IDEATE
Strategy Guides Design
Designing for Live Activity felt like solving a puzzle with half the pieces missing. I had to communicate essential information in a space smaller than a business card - on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island - while keeping users informed about their Tasker's arrival.
Every pixel mattered, and every decision had to be deliberate. With market and design research completed, I focused on the following strategic questions to guide the design process:
Intergration
How might we ensure seamless integration of Live Activity into the TaskRabbit app, maintaining consistency with existing design elements?
Information Architecture
How might we prioritize the most critical information within the constraints of Lock Screen and Dynamic Island real estate?
User Experience
How might we optimize the Live Activity experience to provide clear, actionable real-time updates on Tasker arrival?
HMW STATEMENT
How do I distill the user's service experience into a glanceable update that users can instantly understand without unlocking their phone?
DESIGN
Core MVP Features
•Tasker "On My Way" trigger when within 60-minute window
•Real-time ETA calculation based on location data
•Job title and task type display for context
•Auto-dismissal when Tasker reaches destination
•Dynamic Island integration for iPhone 14 Pro+ users
THE SOLUTION
Final features delivered at a glance
Real-Time Tracking
• ‘On My Way’ trigger when Tasker has begun their route
• Automatic ETA calculations based on live location data
• Dynamic countdown updates as Tasker approaches
Glanceable Information
• Lock Screen integration showing essential details at a glance
• Dynamic Island support for iPhone 14 Pro+ users• Task context (job title, pricing, Tasker rating) without app opening
Smart State Management
• Automatic progression: ‘On My Way’ → ‘Nearby’ → ‘Arrived’
• Delay notifications when ETA changes significantly
• Push notification when Tasker is 5 minutes away
FINAL PROTOTYPE
Allowing Live activities
Live Activity permission prompt displaying the real-time task tracking interface. Users are prompted to allow Live Activities, enabling them to receive continuous updates about their Tasker's location and estimated arrival time directly on their lock screen.
The interface shows essential task details including the Tasker's profile, current status ('Estimating arrival'), and task type ('Help Moving').
Check in with chat
In-app integration is how Live Activity connects with the existing chat functionality. The Taskrabbit Assistant prompts the Tasker to check in and start sharing their location, which then triggers the Live Activity feature. It's this handoff between chat and Live Activity that allows the users to track their Tasker's progress.
ITERATION
Major design Evoloution
The final Live Activity design represents a significant evolution from initial concepts. Through iterative refinement and user feedback, several key design decisions emerged that elevated both the visual appeal and functional clarity of the experience:
Real-Time Tracking
• Earlier: Solid black background with sharp edges that mimicked Dynamic Island
• Final: Light translucent background with rounded corners and subtle transparency effects
• This creates a more elegant, glass-like appearance that feels less intrusive
Real-Time Tracking
• Earlier: Heavy black bar that dominated the screen
• Final: Lighter, more ethereal presence that floats gracefully over the wallpaper
• The translucency allows the beautiful gradient background to show through
Information Hierarchy Improvements
•Earlier: All text in white on black, creating high contrast but heavy visual weight
•Final: Softer contrast with the translucent background, making it easier on the eyes
•Better integration with iOS's overall design language
Notification Integration
•Earlier: Separate notification bubbles appeared alongside the main interface
•Final: Clean integration where notifications and Live Activities work together seamlessly
Status Messaging Refinement
•You maintained the key information (Bradley C., $40/hr, arrival times)•But refined the status messages ("Departing now," "On the way," "Arri Estimating arrival")
•The progress bar and timing feel more sophisticatedJob Type Display
•Consistent job type pills (Help Moving, Furniture Assembly, TV Mounting)
•Better visual balance with the refined container
Dark mode variant of the Live Activity design, utilizing a dark green background with light green accent elements.
TESTING
Design Decisions being evaluated
After 5 design iterations, I conducted A/B testing with 3 participants on three variants with subtle but evident hierarchical differences. While the variations appear minor initially, they addressed key design considerations:
• Brand identity with different color treatments (light/dark)
• Information density (e.g., star ratings vs. numeric ratings)
• Visual contrast for readability
Ultimately, Version 3 was chosen as the optimal design. However, following additional design iteration and feedback, the final solution incorporated more refined typography and contemporary styling. This improved visual clarity and better aligned with my objectives, delivering enhanced precision in the user experience.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
Information Hierarchy
The restricted vertical space in Live Activities demanded strategic content organization, balancing information with visual clarity:
• TaskRabbit brand colors for immediate recognition (dark and light modes)
• Clean typography hierarchy for quick scanning
• Subtle animations (default for Live Activity) for progress tracking
• Progress indicators showing journey completion/journey delay
• App push notification when the Tasker is a few minutes away
visual design decisions
1. Primary: Tasker ETA (largest, most prominent)
2. Secondary: Job title and Tasker details
3. Tertiary: Task pricing and progression text
Towards the end of Live Activity, it's best practice to to send a push notification, ensuring the Taskee is alerted about arrival.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
Dynamic Island Integration
Dynamic Island Integration: The Live Activity will also appears in the Dynamic Island on compatible iPhone models (iPhone 14 Pro and later), providing a concise view of the Tasker's ETA.
• Compact State: Displays Tasker photo and ETA countdown
• Expanded State: Reveals full task details and location context
• Interaction: Tap to launch TaskRabbit for additional actions
Towards the end of Live Activity, it's best practice to to send a push notification, ensuring the Taskee is alerted about arrival.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
State Management
Possible States
• "Departing now" - Tasker en route, ETA calculating
• "On the way" - Tasker en route, >5 minutes passed
• "Arriving soon" - Tasker within 5 minutes of arrival
• "Delayed" - ETA pushed back significantly
In the event the Tasker is delayed, the Live Activity will reflect to indicate it. The progress bar will be read, and an alert icon will replace the timer indicator to the right of the Tasker's photo.
In the next iteration, the Live Activity may indicate where the Tasker is delayed (e.g. ‘On Main Street’ or 'Last updated: 10 minutes ago' if they're underground).
FINAL PROTOTYPE
State Management
Design Decisions That Reduce Friction
Why 60-Minute Trigger Window?
This timeframe balances system performance with customer value - longer tracking would increase server load and battery drain, while short windows may not make sense.
The Information Hierarchy Strategy
Working within Live Activities' height constraint forced precise information architecture to reflect the following:
• Primary Details: Tasker ETA (largest, most prominent)
• Secondary Details: Job title and Tasker details
• Tertiary Details: Task pricing and progression text
Platform-Native vs. Custom Solution
Rather than building a custom in-app tracking feature, leveraging iOS Live Activities provided a better solution that works when the phone is locked - exactly when customers need it most.
IMPACT
Projected business impact
Primary Success Metrics
• App Session Reduction: A decrease in anxious app-checking during active tasks
• Customer Satisfaction: Improved ratings for ‘communication’ and ‘timeliness’
• Feature Adoption: More iOS 16+ users enabling Live Activity within 30 days
Business Outcomes
• Support Inquiry Reduction: Fewer ‘Where's my Tasker?’ messages and calls
• Competitive Parity: Matching user expectations set by ride-sharing apps
• Customer Retention: Reduced friction in the waiting experience
Technical Validation
• 89% of TaskRabbit's iPhone users have iOS 16+ devices, meaning Live Activities (with Dynamic Island) could immediately impact the majority of the mobile user base.
CONCLUSION
Key learnings and Future opportunities
key learnings
Platform-Native Innovation
Sometimes the best solution isn't building something new - it's leveraging existing platform capabilities in novel ways that solve real user problems.
Constraint-Driven Clarity
Working within Live Activities' display limitations forced cleaner information architecture and more focused UI decisions than a custom solution might have.
Ambient Experiences Win
The most effective features often work passively in the background, providing value without requiring active user engagement - no texting Taskers.
Future Opportunities
This design demonstrates how thoughtful platform integration can remedy customer anxiety while reducing operational overhead - turning a probable pain point into a competitive advantage.
With the foundation established, future iterations could explore:
• Task-specific pre-arrival messages ("Secure pets for dog walking")
• Custom Dynamic Island iconography for different service categories