Sam Rapp unveils the art of product design at Careem

Sam Rapp, our Head of Product Design delivered a talk to UAE’s ProductTank community to share his insights on Careem’s journey as a design organisation and our approach to building a more user-centric perspective. We sat down with Sam to chat about his experiences at Careem, and what it’s like to lead our Product Design team.

Sam’s Product Design journey at Careem

I spent my childhood in North London, specifically in Wood Green. I went to university in the UK as well and studied at the University of Brighton.  Six years ago, I relocated to Dubai after a year of travelling around South America. I joined Emirates Airlines, where my focus was on their involvement with Expo 2020. Later, I transitioned to Mashreq Bank, where I played a key role in defining their new product design direction, which has recently been launched.

I joined Careem a little over two years ago with an initial focus on spearheading design efforts for the Careem Plus team. Careem Plus is Careem’s monthly subscription service which provides free delivery on all grocery and food orders, 10% cashback on Careem and Hala rides, unlimited free rides on Careem Bike, and discounts of up to 20% on home cleaning and laundry services. I also helped to successfully launch the DineOut experience, our in-app F&B discovery service which is the latest addition to Careem Plus.

In the last six months, I assumed the Head of Product Design role. My days have become a whirlwind of back-to-back meetings, addressing the concerns of our customers and captains. Despite the hectic schedule, I manage to navigate it with a smile on my face.

Interestingly, I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for Google Sheets, Docs, and Slides. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I actively engaged in design work using Figma.

The secret to getting users to fall in love with your product

The true impact lies not in what you say but in how you express it. There’s unparalleled power in bringing together the right individuals in a room and engaging in candid, meaningful conversations. This approach has yielded more progress than any other initiative I’ve undertaken at Careem.
Careem has matured as a design organisation and a user-centric approach has been key to this. This involves a deep examination of our alignment with our core value, “every experience matters.” The goal is to provide insights into the techniques that enable us to seamlessly integrate user-centricity across the entire organisation.

Want your users to fall in love with your product? It’s simple – fall in love with your users!

By genuinely caring about customers’ experiences, preferences, and emotions, we can create solutions that not only captivate users but also establish long-lasting, meaningful relationships, leading to increased user satisfaction and loyalty. It’s something I have stood by since day 1 of my career and will likely stay with me until I hang my design boots up.

Do you have what it takes to join Careem’s Product Design team?

Our Design team helps shape product experiences by crafting copy and content that helps users complete the task at hand. According to Sam, the team aspires to play a leading role in defining Careem’s story, content, and ultimately the delivery of the experiences we ship to our customers.

Ready to take your career to new heights, check out open roles at Careem on our website. Want to know more about the wonderful talent we have at Careem? Click here.