Creating a new and ambitious direct-to-consumer bus service meeting the needs of a modern audience with a more spontaneous approach to traveling.

Fleet set out to reimagine long-distance bus travel for younger users—people who expect seamless digital experiences, want flexible booking, and aren't afraid to book their next trip while waiting in line for coffee.

VIKINGBUS teamed up with us to create a product that would not only modernize their offering, but reshape perceptions of bus travel from “last resort” to “smart move.”

Despite being affordable and sustainable, long-distance bus travel had a reputation problem—it felt old-fashioned, inconvenient, and frankly, a little uncomfortable.

Our challenge was to turn the entire experience on its head: make bus travel feel flexible, cool, and intuitive, while still delivering all the reliability of a major transit provider. That meant simplifying route discovery, making booking nearly effortless, and removing every small frustration we could find.

Through interviews, surveys, and usability tests with travel-hungry users, we surfaced a few clear insights that shaped our direction.

First, spontaneity was key. Many users made travel decisions last-minute or on a whim, so the app needed to support quick discovery and fast booking without friction.

Second, transparency built trust. Our audience wanted to know the essentials—when, where, how long, how much—without digging or second-guessing.

Lastly, personalization mattered. From seat preferences to trip histories, small touches could make repeat users feel seen and catered to.

Fleet became a mobile-first experience, where we focused on effortless route search, minimal taps to checkout, and clear, real-time updates throughout the journey. For the flexible traveler, we added open-ended browsing, smart suggestions, and same-day booking options. For the planners, there were clear overviews, and saved trips.

Design-wise, we dialed up personality while keeping the UX sharp—balancing a playful tone with the trust and clarity users expect from travel apps. The app made bus travel feel like a smarter, smoother way to get around—and one users weren’t shy to recommend.

After launching Fleet, Vikingbus has strengthened its position in the market. Their app received an initial average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars in app store, and made it as number one in travel apps within the first weeks of launch.

Giving the users a smoother solution to long distance travel, proved itself to be a much desired position on the market, sparking more requests from users, for future design implementations and improvements.