Car leasing platform by India's largest car manufacturer
Role
User Experience and Design Lead
Industry
Automobile
Duration
12 months
The Brief
Initiate and establish a groundbreaking car subscription platform for India's leading automotive brand. The primary objective is to disrupt conventional notions of car ownership prevalent in the Indian market. The focus is on educating a diverse audience about the advantages of car subscription, emphasizing flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The ultimate goal is to instigate a significant perceptual shift, encouraging users to view car ownership as a dynamic and adaptable experience rather than a fixed, long-term commitment.
The Challenges
Adoption of Subscription Practice:
Overcoming the challenge of introducing a relatively unfamiliar car subscription model in a market accustomed to traditional ownership practices. The focus is on encouraging users to embrace the flexibility and advantages of subscription over ownership.Information Availability:
Ensuring that comprehensive and easily accessible information about the subscription model is readily available. This includes details on subscription plans, vehicle options, terms and conditions, and any associated costs.Understanding Legal Implications:
Navigating legal complexities associated with car subscription within the current legal framework. This involves a thorough examination of existing laws to ensure full compliance and clarity for both the service provider and subscribers.Configuring Vehicles and Financial Implications:
Simplifying the process of configuring vehicles based on individual preferences while also providing clear insights into the financial implications of chosen configurations. Users should easily understand how their choices impact the subscription cost.User Journey Familiarity:
Designing a user journey that mirrors the simplicity and familiarity of the traditional car buying process. The challenge lies in maintaining a sense of comfort and recognition for users transitioning from ownership to subscription, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience.
The Approach
In the quest to redefine the automotive experience, our endeavour to introduce a cutting-edge car subscription platform for India's leading automotive brand was meticulously orchestrated. Initiated with in-depth business research by seasoned consultants, we navigated market dynamics and consumer behaviours. Safeguarding proprietary details through secure workshops, we mapped expectations and compiled essential features. Technical configurations and legal requirements were meticulously documented. Prototyping and iterative design, guided by regular checkpoints, yielded a comprehensive strategy.
Finding a starting point
Engaged business consultants to conduct thorough research documenting market dynamics, consumer behaviours, and industry trends related to car ownership and subscription models.
Established a confidential workshop framework to discuss and brainstorm without revealing sensitive product details. Ensured a secure environment for idea generation and strategy formulation.
Conducted group workshops involving stakeholders, potential users, and industry experts to map understanding and expectations for a novel car subscription platform. Documented must-haves, should-haves, and good-to-haves.
Putting pen to paper
Gathered details on all possible technical configurations for vehicles and compiled a comprehensive list of legal requirements and documents needed for the subscription process.
Crafted detailed user journeys that intricately map out the subscriber's experience from exploration to configuration to subscription. Ensured that user flows are simplified, mirroring the familiarity of the traditional purchase process, fostering ease of use and a seamless transition for users.
Created medium-fidelity prototypes based on workshop insights, presenting them to the technology team to understand development challenges and brainstorm solutions.
Double checking every step
Conducted activity-based prototype testing in small batches to gather user feedback on the medium-fidelity prototypes. Implemented findings into end-to-end flows, creating medium-fidelity prototypes that reflect refined user experiences.
Presented the refined prototypes to stakeholders, incorporating feedback and aligning with business objectives.
Bringing it to life
Initiated the execution process by crafting design templates tailored for various devices, ensuring a seamless and visually optimised user experience across a spectrum of platforms, including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. This approach laid the groundwork for responsive designs that prioritise usability and aesthetic coherence on each device.
Compiled an extensive list of pages, meticulously covering all potential user journeys and scenarios. This inclusive approach ensured that the design addressed every conceivable interaction, guaranteeing a thorough and user-centric exploration of the car subscription platform.
Implemented a sprint-wise planning approach for design milestones, ensuring parallel progress with all involved teams. This method allowed for synchronised collaboration between design, development, and business teams, facilitating a cohesive and efficient workflow. Each sprint focused on specific design objectives, aligning with the overall project timeline and contributing to the seamless integration of functionalities and aesthetics.
Incorporated scalability considerations into the execution process, preparing the platform for future growth and ensuring a robust infrastructure to accommodate increasing user demands
Implemented a robust backend system to elevate the efficiency of critical processes. This encompassed the management of inventory, user requests, documentation approval, and the onboarding of new users. The backend infrastructure was meticulously designed to handle the intricacies of a subscription model, ensuring data accuracy, system responsiveness, and a streamlined workflow. This enhancement not only bolstered operational efficiency but also laid the foundation for a scalable and adaptive platform.
Streamlined the journey for dealers to ensure simplicity and efficiency, catering to users who prefer the offline engagement model. This involved designing an intuitive interface and optimizing processes for seamless interactions at dealerships. The objective was to make the subscription experience equally accessible and user-friendly for those who choose to engage offline.Planning and delivering.
Established clear planning checkpoints to accommodate the project's complexity, with a focus on multiple user personas and distinct modules for each persona.
Implemented a phased delivery strategy, ensuring meticulous attention to each persona's unique requirements and module specifications.
Culminated the project with an end-to-end prototype, meticulously integrating multiple modules and personas for a comprehensive user experience.
Ensured the prototype underwent rigorous testing to validate the seamless interaction of diverse modules catering to multiple audiences.
Outcome
Phase 01 - Vehicle selection and configuration
In the inaugural phase of our initiative, the focus was on selecting the ideal vehicle, configuring it to individual preferences, and comprehending the associated financial implications. This initial stage also entailed the essential process of collecting required documents and managing payments, which, at that point, were primarily conducted through offline channels. Notably, this phase experienced a significant influx of traffic, accompanied by a multitude of queries concerning the subscription processes. A prevalent trend emerged as users expressed a keen interest in the possibility of engaging in the subscription directly through dealerships. The surge in queries underscored the eagerness of users to explore and comprehend the novel subscription model, setting the stage for the subsequent evolution of the platform to address emerging user needs and preferences.
Phase 02 - Backend integration for dealers
Advancing into the second phase, the integration of backend systems marked a pivotal development. This phase not only streamlined the document upload and verification processes but also introduced robust backend systems. These systems played a crucial role in managing inventory, responding to user requests, and handling various configurations seamlessly. One significant enhancement was the introduction of a dedicated dealer login, empowering users to access and avail subscription services directly at dealerships. This strategic update aimed to bridge the online-offline gap, providing users with the flexibility to engage with the car subscription platform both digitally and in person at authorized dealers. The implementation of these features not only elevated the platform's efficiency but also enriched the user experience by offering more versatile and accessible subscription pathways.
