Bosch eBike Systems – Flow for everyone

Whether it’s a sporty ride through the forest or a relaxed commute to work - eBikes have become indispensable on our bike paths. In order to be able to adapt the riding experience even better to individual needs and wishes, Bosch eBike Systems has developed an app called Flow. It offers features such as additional theft protection and provides riders with all the relevant information they need via the ride screen. During the ride, speed, distance, altitude, weather as well as fitness and performance data can be viewed without having to take your hands off the handlebars. To ensure that this new dimension of cycling is accessible to everyone, Bosch eBike Systems called in our UX experts. Together, we tested and further developed the app in terms of its accessibility.

Bicycle with bike computer on the handlebars. In front of it, a hand holding a smartphone with a map app open showing a route.

Inclusive understanding for sustainable products

In order to ensure barrier-free use of the eBike Flow app, we first tested whether the app complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGs). The WCAGs represent the international standard for digital accessibility and are particularly relevant to future-proof products due to the Barrier-Free Accessibility Act. Depending on which criteria apply to the product, which disabilities are in focus, and which level of compliance is targeted, the scope of the disabilities criteria will vary. 

Step-by-step towards accessibility

A central component of our preliminary analysis was the understanding of the users and their disabilities: how do vision impaired people people participate in road traffic? And which assistance systems are used in different situations? As a result of this preliminary analysis, we decided together with the Bosch eBike team to focus on achieving compliance level AA under the WCAGs and on optimizing the design aspects of the interface. With UXMA’s support, Bosch eBike Systems has been able to accelerate its adoption of the topic of accessibility and implement the accessibility standards immediately in the project.

An older man wearing a bicycle helmet is sitting on a bench. He is holding a smartphone in his hand and tapping excitedly on it. In front of him is a bicycle.

Testing Usability

To ensure that barrier-free use is guaranteed, the app was then assessed by UXMA’s Accessibility experts. The resulting Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) provides detailed information about the extent to which accessible use is possible and which components and patterns need to be improved. Barriers were identified, for example, in animations and videos, in color perception, and in the consistency of layout and operation. These identified barriers were then discussed in detail with the team in order to jointly develop the best results for accessible app use for people with disabilities.

We believe that to become established as a user experience requirement, a solid understanding of the WHY and HOW of accessibility is needed. This understanding was triggered by UXMA with the help of team talks, trainings and Q&As.  

UXMA-Services:

  • Assistance in getting started with the topic of accessibility

  • Review and application of WCAG conformance level AA

  • Creation of an official Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)

  • Support for design teams during accessibility optimizations

  • Accessibility training for designers

Left and Right hand on a desk. The left hand is holding a smartphone with the Bosch eBike app opened. The right hand is holding a pen pointing to the "Welcome" field in the app.

Accessibility is no longer just a “nice-to-have”. More and more organizations are asking themselves how suitable their applications are for users with disabilities and which legal requirements must be met. Do you want to explore this question together with us? Feel free to contact us!

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