Rare is it to hear a company admit its app has “become complicated and harder to navigate.” But, then again, Uber is not your average company.

In turn, the ride-sourcing company has unveiled a major redesign of its famed app, one that overhauls the user interface to deliver a faster and more consumer-centric mobile experience. The pared-down redesign is built around the central question for every one of Uber’s users: Where to?

“Uber is in the business of serving the connected individual,” said Michael Becker, managing partner at mCordis. “The new app redesign reflects this.

“Uber has perfectly aligned the primary need of the individual, getting from point A to point B, and the key behavior that Uber needs people to take to drive Uber’s business, namely people using their app to get from point A to point B.  This new design reflects Uber’s understanding of the needs of the people it serves.”

Fully integrated
Aside from the new aesthetics, the redesign also offers a bevy of new features for the Uber user. Leveraging data to learn from user routines, frequent riders will see “shortcuts” that predict where they could be headed as soon as the app opens.

The new app will also introduce a feature that allows users to set their destinations to a person instead of a place. By syncing contacts with the Uber app and typing a name into the search bar, users can set their trip’s destination to their location, if it is shared.

Arrival times and cost estimates will also become more accessible through the new Uber app, metrics that many users complained were becoming increasingly obfuscated in past updates.

“The redesign simplifies the user experience, reduces barriers of use and as a result should drive better engagement,” Mr. Becker said.

Consumer facing
Users of Uber can take advantage of a variety of other amenities packed into the new app. Soon, they will be able to check departures for train, bus and subway stations, access full Yelp and Foursquare integration, use exclusive Snapchat filters, and users in participating cities can order UberEATS directly from the app.

The redesign is just the latest chapter in Uber’s quest for transportation domination, and it follows a move that could also be understood as a pivot towards competition with public transportation: the announcement of bulk ride packages in certain cities, including New York.

“The offering of bulk package rates seems to be a reasonable evolution of Uber’s business model, especially as Uber looks to be of service to its most valuable customers: those that are committed to spending more with the service and using the service more frequently,” Mr. Becker said. “In fact, this is similar to the Starbucks pre-payment method within the Starbucks app, which now accounts for over 25 percent of Starbucks revenue.

“I would think that Uber will see great success with this model.”