Grab is known as a tech company—but in many ways, it’s also a design company.

Grab’s multidisciplinary design teams make sure Grab’s technology becomes useful and easy-to-use in daily applications.

They create the smooth digital interfaces that make it easy to use the Grab app; help driver-partners find their way with clear maps; and help merchant-partners simplify and automate their administrative tasks, among other things. 

At Singapore Design Week—a festival celebrating design, organised by the Singapore Design Council—it was time for the people of design at Grab to take centre stage. This took place on October 6 at the Singapore Design Centre.

For those curious to dig deeper and learn more about the design processes at Grab, here’s a selection of stories that will interest you.

  • An interview with Patrick Jean, Head of Design at Grab 

Grab a Seat, a podcast featuring leaders at Grab has an episode featuring Grab’s head of design Patrick Jean, in which he dives deep on the thinking behind subtle, and major design tweaks to the app.

  • Group orders just got an update because more people are eating together

Grab’s group order feature for friends or family members who want to have food delivered together is an example of clever user experience design. 

  • Here’s how we designed the camera that helped us map Southeast Asia

Grab created its own hardware, a smart camera called KartaCam 2, which helps map Southeast Asian cities for smoother navigation.

  • The design process behind Grab’s driver-partner apparel upgrades

The green jackets Grab’s driver-partners wear are iconic. But we also have shirts, raincoats and other functional apparel designed to make life on the road easier. This story sheds light on the design process behind driver-apparel upgrades.

Komsan Chiyadis

GrabFood delivery-partner, Thailand

Komsan Chiyadis

GrabFood delivery-partner, Thailand

COVID-19 has dealt an unprecedented blow to the tourism industry, affecting the livelihoods of millions of workers. One of them was Komsan, an assistant chef in a luxury hotel based in the Srinakarin area.

As the number of tourists at the hotel plunged, he decided to sign up as a GrabFood delivery-partner to earn an alternative income. Soon after, the hotel ceased operations.

Komsan has viewed this change through an optimistic lens, calling it the perfect opportunity for him to embark on a fresh journey after his previous job. Aside from GrabFood deliveries, he now also picks up GrabExpress jobs. It can get tiring, having to shuttle between different locations, but Komsan finds it exciting. And mostly, he’s glad to get his income back on track.