Flit
A rider-first logistics platform for ONDC and small businesses
Timeline
8 weeks
December 2024
Focus
UX research
Product Strategy
UI/UX Design
Pilot Testing
Role
Founding Designer
Scope
Rider App
Booking App
Branding & Motion
Core app architecture, ONDC integration, Front End and job routing in progress.
brainstorm
research
design
Development
Pilot Testing
Context
Why I picked this up
India's hyperlocal delivery is run by a few big platforms that take a large cut from riders and small shops. ONDC is the government-backed alternative: an open network where any seller, buyer or delivery company can plug in. Merchants have been signing up. Delivery is where it keeps falling apart.
The question we started with
If ONDC is meant to give small businesses a fair shot, why do so many of its orders fail at the last mile? And is that a design problem, or a business one?
The team
We were three. I did the user research and all the interface design for both apps.
Parikshit Bhanushali (Ex- Smallcase, Currently @Wio) was the PM, setting direction and priorities.
Nikhil Jindal (Paytm) was the developer, building the core app, booking and tracking, and the location, payment and rider flows.
India’s hyperlocal delivery market
$12B+ TAM (2024) - Growing at 15% CAGR
Namma Yatri had recently made the subscription model visible in mobility. We wanted to explore whether a similar approach could work for delivery, with riders treated as primary stakeholders rather than just a source of supply.
Where it stands
Development blockers delayed our launch. An year later in Dec 2025, Uber launched a similar ONDC-powered logistics. We're now reassessing Flit's strategy and where we can add value.
How it went
Discover
ONDC's delivery gaps
Validating the Problem
Work Models
Define
Personas
Problem framing
Product Goals
Ideate
User flows
HMW
Wireframing
Develop
Branding
App UI & Motion
Handoff
01
Understanding the problem
1.1 What I wanted to find out
What actually hurts riders and small merchants on today's delivery platforms?
Where do trust, earnings and control break down?
Would anyone use a zero-commission, direct model if we built it?
1.2 What the numbers said after secondary research
Before talking to anyone I read up on the space, so my interview questions wouldn't be naive.
34%
of delivery workers take home ₹10,000 a month or less
85%
of surveyed app-based drivers and riders work more than 8 hours a day
15-30%
commission charged to restaurant partners by food-delivery platforms.
1.3 Where is fulfilment falling apart
ONDC connects merchants to multiple logistics providers. But availability alone doesn't guarantee reliable, affordable delivery for every local business. Our research explored where merchants and riders still struggle.
Riders need a viable way to earn from delivery work.
Delivery availability can vary by location and time.
Delays and cancellations can disrupt the customer experience.
Costs & complexity can make fulfilment harder for small merchants
Small merchants need delivery options that work for frequent, local orders.
1.4 Where the current logistics partners are falling short
Talking to ONDC folks we understood that they majorly face a supply problem. Existing providers prefer ride-hailing or bulk work over ONDC's small, frequent orders. Until there are riders who see ONDC as their main income, deliveries will keep failing.
Ola
75% of ONDC's orders
Cares more about rides. ONDC orders are low-value, so riders ignore them, and there's no dedicated fleet.
Rapido
Built for passenger rides. Riders aren't trained for delivery, so trust and handling are poor.
Shadowfax / Delhivery
Good for intercity and e-commerce, but slow and expensive for hyperlocal orders, and not flexible for small merchants.
02
Competitors
I plotted parcel delivery players by what they charge and how they operate, to see where a zero-commission, real-time option would sit next to them.
03
Talking to riders and merchants
I interviewed 20+ riders and 15 merchants across different segments. Here's what kept coming up.
Key Insights
Riders
01.
Income swings a lot
Commission is high and orders come in unevenly, so riders can't predict what they'll earn.
02.
They juggle apps
Many run several apps at once to get more orders, which often leads to rushed, broken deliveries.
04.
No say in the work
They can't pick orders, set prices or influence delivery zones, which kills motivation.
Merchants
01.
Failed deliveries hurt their name
They need a simple way to send parcels without failures.
02.
ONDC onboarding is confusing
Most already use WhatsApp and UPI, but onboarding and updating inventory on ONDC feels hard.
03.
They want clear prices
Transparent pricing, confirmed deliveries and a direct line to the rider.
04.
Commission pushes them to look elsewhere
ONDC looks fairer, but only if delivery actually works.
04
Redefining the problem
How might we make local delivery work better for riders and merchants, while making fulfilment on ONDC more reliable?
Riders
Fair earnings, consistent opportunities and flexibility.
Merchants
Affordable, reliable delivery without high commissions.
ONDC
More reliable fulfilment to support network growth.
Customers
Convenient, trackable and affordable local delivery.
05
Who I designed for
Rahul Reddy
Delivery partner, Bangalore
Rahul delivers for Swiggy and lives in Bangalore with his family.
Goals
Make money with as little commission cut as possible
Get steady jobs in nearby areas
Pick jobs by distance and payout before accepting
Frustrations
Commissions of 20–30% on existing platforms
Long waits between deliveries
Penalised for rejecting low-paying orders
No control over order type, sometimes forced into long trips
Behaviour
Switches between platforms based on demand and money
Prefers apps with Hindi support
“Whatever my total earning is wasted in the commission to the platform and have no other option so I switch between multiple platforms to earn more money.”
Shiva Rama
Grocery store owner, HSR Layout, Bangalore
Shiva has run his grocery store for 20 years.
Goals
Take and fulfil online orders without juggling apps
Compete with quick-commerce like Blinkit and Zepto
Keep loyal customers and reach more through digital orders
Send parcels to customers or nearby vendors without hassle
Frustrations
No dedicated delivery partner, relies on rider calls and WhatsApp
Platforms charge 15–25%
Can't track a parcel once it leaves the shop
Confused by billing, logistics fees and COD
Behaviour
Gets local riders informally for deliveries
Takes orders from regulars on WhatsApp
“Quick commerce has been a boon for common people but has affected our income severely, people are reluctant to buy groceries offline even if we offer better products at better rates.”
06
User flows
6.1 Booking a parcel (merchant)
Pick the pickup and drop locations, add the item, confirm, then track the rider.
Pickup address
Drop address
Package contents
Amount
Confirm
Delivered
Onboarding
Login Signup
User details
Home
View orders
Send parcel
Pickup location
Drop location
Item details
Tracking
6.2 Rider onboarding
Riders sign up, upload KYC and their driving licence, and wait for verification. The flow covers both success and failure.
Onboarding
Login Signup
KYC
Driving License
Application Submission
Notification Permission
Verification Success
Verification failed
6.3 Taking an order (rider)
Once online, riders see nearby jobs with distance and payout, then accept or reject before they commit.
Home
Go online
Job preview
Job accepted
Job rejected
Picks up parcel
Gives parcel
Marks delivered
Post delivery
Nearby delivery jobs shown
Arrives at Pickup location
Drives to drop location
Takes proof
Pickup location
Drop location
Distance
Payout
Payment mode
Delivery rating
Cash collected
Earning summary
Payout
Marks arrived
Marks Picked up
07
Identity
7.1
Logo
Final logo
App icon
The F is cut like a sharp road curve, a small nod to mobility. It's bold and minimal, so it's easy to recognise and works at any size. It's meant to feel fast, direct and clear. The pink keeps the brand young and energetic, and it stands out on screen and in print.
7.2
Colour and type
Pink leads, with a deep blue next to it, cool grey neutrals, and green and amber for status. The typeface is General Sans in Regular, Medium and Semi Bold.
Color palette
Primary
Neutrals
Semantic
Typeface
Ag
General Sans
the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
08
Website
09
Key Screens
Booking App
Sending a parcel made easy through a simple flow.
Send parcel
Select locations
Add Details
Confirm Delivery
Track Delivery
Rate the Delivery
Rider App
Plan Activation
The rider can select a basic subscription plan according to the rides
Activate a plan
Select a Plan
Select mode of Payment
Order flow
The rider can go online to get orders and accept or reject an order.
Go online & wait
Accept an order
Reach the pickup location
Verify the contents
Enter OTP
Mark Pickup as complete
Reach the drop location
Enter OTP
Completed
10
Beyond the basics
Track multiple orders with ease
Keep track of multiple deliveries in one place, with each order’s status, rider and estimated arrival time visible at a glance.
Added protection for your parcels
Insure eligible parcels against accidental damage or loss during transit, with simple claims and clear coverage terms.
Nudges at every point of the journey
Step-by-step directions and timely prompts help riders navigate deliveries and know what to do next.
Complete clarity in payouts
A detailed breakdown of fares, fees, deductions and earnings helps riders understand exactly how each payout is calculated.
Support when orders run late
When an order isn’t ready, riders are nudged to raise their issue with support directly instead of being left to figure out what to do next.
A referral system that rewards with zero fees
Riders can invite friends and earn 3 zero fee deliveries, a referral system designed around Flit’s zero-commission model.
11
My takeaway
Flit taught me that a promising idea and a well-thought-out experience are only part of building a product. We had a clear problem to solve for riders and merchants, but turning that idea into a working product came with technical and execution challenges.
Working on Flit helped me understand how product decisions, business constraints and development realities shape each other. It also made me think more critically about validating assumptions early and building around what a small team can realistically deliver.
