UX Case Study - Mae
Mae is an existing service that provides users with a guide to finding the perfect car for themselves. This case study focuses on designing the purchase process after users have found the car they desire through Mae's service.
My Role
UI/UX Designer
Teammate
Solo Project
Duration
2 weeks
The Business Problem
Mae provides users with a step-by-step guided process to explore the market and find their perfect vehicle hassle-free. However, the service currently ends once users have found their ideal car. To expand the business, Mae's founder requested the design of a purchase process to address this gap.
My Role
To propose the design of the purchase process, I independently conducted user interviews, competitive analysis, wireframing, and prototyping.
User Interview
I conducted user interviews with people who bought a new car recently to understand their flow and challenges. So, I asked them about the process, key points of choosing a dealer, and difficulties. Here are some of the important interview questions and answers.
Please tell me about the process until you bought the car.
Using Auto Trader, I decided on the brand and model of car I wanted based on my budget, and then searched for a dealer near my home.
What points did you consider when choosing where to buy?
I decided to go to a dealer near my house so I could take it in case it broke down.
Did you have any difficulties when buying a car?
There is a big difference between the price I saw on Auto Trader and the price I talked to at the dealer. The price increases significantly when loans, taxes, and insurance are included. Also, I had difficulty gathering information and negotiating with the dealer.
Pain Points
Based on the information obtained from user interviews, I identified the difficulties users face when purchasing a car.
Competitive Analysis
I researched existing websites for features that I identified as pain points in user interviews.
Regarding dealer search, two services other than AutoTrade allowed users to select two or more desired car models. On the other hand, it seemed difficult to find out the actual purchase price on any website, as insurance or taxes were not included. Also, when it comes to negotiating with dealers, although CarGurus posts reviews of dealers, no other site provides support.
Solution
Based on this information, I came up with a design that would allow users to seamlessly purchase a car.
In the current process, I want to ask about users' addresses and then show them the top 6 recommendations and dealer information together. This way, I can avoid presenting with cars they cannot buy.
Regarding budget, since most users pay with loans rather than cash, I changed the format of the question to be more realistic.
Through these processes, users can see the top 6 recommendations that are available for purchase at nearby dealers. Each card lists the car model, distance to the dealer, and monthly payment. By hiding low-priority information from the user's decisions, I made the site easy to understand even for people who don't know much about cars.
In a table view, users can compare the detailed information. This information will help users negotiate with dealers.
The details screen shows dealer information and reviews, the condition of use and price breakdown. This price includes almost all the elements necessary for purchase. Users can know the approximate warranty cost and ICBC car insurance in advance.
If users want to know more detailed features, they can see them by clicking text.
Once a user finds the car they want, they can schedule an appointment with the dealer. If they've registered in advance, their name and email address will be automatically filled in.
After sending the email, this screen displays the items they need to bring to the dealer, so they won't forget anything.