Reinvent Car Buying

To re-imagine, reinvent and revolutionize the experience of shopping for new automobiles (in the $15k-$30k price range)

Sponsors

Arizona State University project sponsored by Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Group

Team

A team of four – two design and two business students worked on this project.

Research

• Primary research with people who had recently purchased automobiles, as well as salespersons at dealerships

• Secondary research on economic and design trends

Deliverables

A comprehensive conceptual business strategy along with a bundle of supporting design concepts and services were developed to support our strategic initiatives, to enhance five areas of the car buying experience – Environment, Services, Communication, Interaction, and Product.

Strategic Initiatives

1. Create Consistency

2. Instill Honesty

3. Establish Trust

Personas

Design Concepts

Individual Thesis Project – myUnitedAuto Website

Subsequent to the above team project, I took up the design of the Web site (which was one of the recommendations) as an individual thesis project. Further research in to the car-buying behavior focused on use of the Internet was conducted.

Emotional Objectives

Automobile purchase is a very emotional experience for most people, whether it's their first experience or they have gone through the process multiple times. The features and functionality of the Web site were designed to –

1. Reduce Anxiety

2. Increase Confidence & Trust

3. Enhance Perception

Deliverables

Personas and scenarios along with information architecture, wireframes and product requirements were final deliverables.