OverviewProject BriefOutcome OverviewResearchCompetitive ResearchInterviewsAs Is Journey MapKey InsightsIdeationMy SolutionPersonaUser ArchetypesDesignFuture Journey MapFinal ProductFinal Thoughts

CarPro App

OVERVIEW
CarPro is an educational AI shopping tool to assist car buyers to choose the right car for them with confidence.

Unlike traditional car listing platforms that assume users know exactly what type of care they are looking for, CarPro actively helps less informed users by guiding them through the process to find the best car for their budget, needs, and styles before recommending cars to them.

The goal is to help car buyers to gain the knowledge they may need before and after purchasing the car.
TIMELINE

Fall 2021 - Spring 2022

role

Solo Lesley school project

project highlights
UI/UX Design
App Design
project link
Figma
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How can we streamline the car buying process to be less stressful?
THE SOLUTION
A platform where users can access resources
before & after buying a car.
Find the right car for the users
  • Help users find the best car for them in minutes simply by taking a short quiz. From budgets to styles.
  • Ask CarPro about anything.
Transparency is key to trust
  • View matching cars at glance.
  • Provide a transparent breakdown of the car price and other costs.
Be a part of a shared community
  • One-stop service even after purchasing a car.
  • Provide a community for car owners and enthusiasts.
Research.
Competitive research
How does CarPro differ from competitors?
Analyzing how my product is different from its competitors can help me understand where its opportunities lie.
Pros
  • Great selections
  • Reliable resource for finding vehicle values and additional unbiased research
Cons
  • Lack of UI/UX design
  • Not beginner friendly
  • Minimal user support
Pros
  • Offer online delivery
  • Easy paperwork process
  • Show imperfections
Cons
  • Used car only
  • Can't talk to someone in person
  • No test drive
  • No control of title & registration
Pros
  • One of the most trusted guides for car pricing
  • Free guides, tips on buying & selling
Cons
  • Phone number required
  • Resell customer information
  • Cash offers tend to be a waste of time
Pros
  • See & Test drive in person
  • Convenient
  • Warranty
Cons
  • Pressure on first car buyer
  • Distrusted salesperson, especially for used car.
What did I learn?
All of these tools are only useful if car buyers have some car knowledge.
For first-time buyers, the tools can be overwhelming and stressful, and walking into a dealership can be scary.
INTERVIEWS
Qualitative & Quantitative
The next step is to understand the challenges of buying a car. I targeted a range of ages and experiences in buying cars. I gathered a total of 72 survey responses and 5 in-depth interviews through Zoom and Mural. 
Survey Responses
Interviews
INTERVIEWS questions
Ask the right questions.
  • How was your purchasing experience with the seller/dealership?
  • How do you do your car buying research?
  • What was the most challenging part of your car buying process? Why?
  • What did you wish to know before buying a car?
  • What would you do next if you need to purchase a car soon?
  • What type of resource may be the most beneficial to help you choose the right car?
AS IS JOURNEY MAP
Understand the current user challenges
Mapping out the current user flow can help me better understand their pain points, and needs. This is usually also where opportunities are which I highlighted in the journey map.
  • Not every family or friend knows enough about cars, instead, they can ask CarPro.
  • Most people will do some online research, and watch videos. This often gets users confused, and overwhelmed.
  • New car owners are often surprised with all the extra costs adding to their bills. CarPro can help them to understand all the costs they may expect.
  • Cars don't last forever. Someday they will always need a new car, and they may still not know what car to buy. CarPro can help users to gain more knowledge. This is a great opportunity for CarPro to keep helping users in a long term.
KEY INSIGHTS
What are the user's pain points?
Trust
Distrust is the biggest obstacle
to buying a car
Overwhelmed
Finding the right car is the most challenging and stressful part of the car buying process
Financial
Most first car buyers are not aware of the total cost of owning a car
Ideation
Listen to the user's needs.
  • I had several follow-up interviews to share two of my thoughts after gathering my insights.  
  • One idea was a more enhanced form of Carvana, which essentially allowed individuals to buy cars online and give test drives in person. This idea was rejected due to people's distrust of internet purchasing, especially for first-time car buyers.
  • My second suggestion was to use quizzes to assist individuals in finding a car they like and ultimately purchasing the vehicle from CarPro. Although they liked the quiz concept, they were still hesitant to purchase a car through the platform.
  • This follow-up interview helped me realize that customers didn't care that they had to interact with the dealer for hours during the car-buying process because it only happens infrequently; instead, they needed help finding the perfect car for their needs, even the ones who had bought a car before.
MY SOLUTION
Personalized Quiz + AI
Educational Content
Community
  • Educational car shopping tool using personalized quizzes and AI to help car buyers find the right car for them
  • The proposed solution is to have an AI-based quiz to help a buyer determine what car is best for them. To take all the overwhelming information and simplify it for the buyer.
  • Lastly, having educational content and a user community will help build trust, and boost confidence for car buyers. 
PERSONA
Let's meet Emma.
Age: 24
Role: Recent graduate
Have a driving license? Yes
Owning a car? No
First Time Buyer
I am a recent graduate. During the time I was in college. I commuted an average of 2 hours for school. I plan to buy a car because my new job does not have any sort of public transportation. I'm hoping there is a way to make my research easier.
Paint Points
  • Very little knowledge about cars
  • Fear going to dealerships
  • No experience purchasing a car
  • Don't trust a salesman
  • Unsure about the credibility of online resources
Goals
  • Gain the knowledge and confidence to make the right decision when buying a car that fits within the budget
  • Understand the process and the responsibility of owning a car
USER ARCHETYPES
Connect users and product.
Identifying the car buyer archetype is one types of strategies used in user research. In this case, there are many different types of car buyers, and they all have different needs when buying a car. How the user interacts with the product will help developers understand their needs, preferences, and decisions. This also builds a deeper connection between the users and the product.
The Center Lane
This describes buyers who are right down the middle. An average car buyer who can be flexible with options and styles. 
The Transporter
This describes buyers that drive a lot, moving cargo back and forth, whether it’s equipment or people. Usually seat and storage capacity is key for this buyer. 
The Prestige Lover
This describes buyers where style, brand, and features are critical. They know what is best for them, and will settle for nothing less. 
The Adventurers
This describes buyers that are all about the outdoors, including features, and style. Typically wanting a more rugged style that suits rough terrain.
The Enthusiast
This describes buyers that have preferred brands or models, and are less willing to concede to other options.
The Upgrader
This describes buyers that are interested in keeping cars current, and typically don’t hold on to them longer than 3-5 years. Leasing is popular for them. 
The A2B Driver
This describes buyers that only need the car as conveyance. They do not need or want high-style or “fancy” cars, but they do need to run and run well.
The Environmentalist
This describes buyers that only need the car as conveyance. They do not need or want high-style or “fancy” cars, but they do need to run and run well.
The Novice (Emma)This describes buyers who are typically first-time purchasers and are usually overwhelmed by choices, and the whole car buying process.
Design.
FUTURE STATE JOURNEY MAP
How CarPro can help Emma?
The future state journey map is a way to envision the user's (Emma) journey using CarPro, and how Emma's feelings change when interacting with the product. It's important to note the differences before and after, and ensure that the user reaches the goal in a positive way.
Wireframes
Hifi Prototype
Final Thoughts
What did i LEARN?
Use helpful methodologies.
I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to share my research and design process with both my classmates and my professor. The feedback that they provided was invaluable, and helped me to learn more about the use of different design methodologies.
Listen to the users, and follow the research.  
I was overly ambitious about what I wanted to design before I completed my research, and I focused a lot of energy early on while trying to solve a problem that I had personally experienced. It was only with the benefit of further user research that I discovered that not many other users experienced the same issues I did, and in the end the whole design made a lot more sense after listening to users, and making some adjustments based on follow-up interviews.
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