Car Maintenance Tracking App
The mistreatment of cars and a lack of attention to maintenance can lead to serious air pollution, accidents, traffic jams, as well as impact mental health.
Project Type
Mobile App
Role
Product Designer
UX Researcher
UI Designer
tool
Figma
Maze
Optiomal workshop
Adobe suites
Overall Contribiton Rate
100%
Proactively took charge of design and execution
timeline
4 weeks
(80 hours)
(80 hours)
Background
What are your challenges you face if you struggle with upkeep of your vehicle?
I have not been very familiar with car maintenance and have always followed the advice of mechanics whenever I visited the auto shop. However, I recently faced an unexpected issue with my car, which made me wonder how I could take a more proactive approach to car maintenance.
My goal is to prevent major problems that can be costly and time-consuming to fix. Since most Americans own vehicles, I wanted to explore how they maintain their cars and understand the challenges they face if they struggle with upkeep.
This curiosity led me to think about how I can support people who, like me, may not have much experience with car maintenance. By gathering insights from drivers, I aim to find ways to help them stay on top of their car’s needs and avoid preventable issues.
My goal is to prevent major problems that can be costly and time-consuming to fix. Since most Americans own vehicles, I wanted to explore how they maintain their cars and understand the challenges they face if they struggle with upkeep.
This curiosity led me to think about how I can support people who, like me, may not have much experience with car maintenance. By gathering insights from drivers, I aim to find ways to help them stay on top of their car’s needs and avoid preventable issues.
According to Hedge Company, and Google search, In 2023, there are projected to be 243.4 million licensed drivers in the US, which includes 89% of US adults. Additionally, as of late 2020, only about 27% of new vehicles were being leased instead of purchased.*
*Hedges Company Article
*Google search
*Google search
Initial Problem Statement
I assumed that there are needs to maintain their car health effectively, and drivers agree that they can prevent major auto issues or save money on car maintenance services by doing so.
People recognize the significance of preventive maintenance for their cars and seek affordable options when scheduling maintenance services.
Goal
Empowering users to maintain their cars effectively.
Assisting users in avoiding costly automotive issues.
Guiding users to become familiar with car maintenance systems.
Research
Key Findings from User Interview
"I've got mechanic experience, handle basic maintenance, never kept records but considering it now. Haven't faced major issues yet, but understand maintenance importance. Bought a used car online, confident I can fix it if needed, didn't check its history."
"I rely on my cousin's recommended mechanic for regular check-ups, maintaining physical records of invoices. While my car knowledge is limited, I'm open to learning more and considering electronic maintenance tracking."
"I prefer official Subaru dealerships for maintenance, prioritizing trust over price. Confident in our car's upkeep, we maintain electronic records and choose expertise for complex repairs."
How might we...?
I'd like to explore ways to assist drivers who live alone by providing reminders, as they may not be aware of when and what type of maintenance needs to be performed at specific mileage intervals.
I'd like to find ways to help drivers who have owned their cars for more than 4-6 years by adding a feature that locates auto repair shops. Because they often struggle to find a trustworthy mechanic for maintenance.
I'd like to explore ways to assist drivers with low budgets who find it challenging to perform basic maintenance themselves. This is because they have difficulty trusting mechanics who may overcharge them without providing any evidence.
Competitor Analysis
Competitor C
Advantage
The platform offers strong auto company and DMV connectivity for recall checks, registration fee deadlines, and features like fuel tracking and service reminders with recommended services based on mileage.
The main service of the company is focused on selling and buying used cars; it provides the value of the user’s car.
The main service of the company is focused on selling and buying used cars; it provides the value of the user’s car.
Disdvantage
Issues reported include a malfunctioning service locator, user concerns about potential data sale, and complaints of history loss due to verification errors.
Competitor A
Advantage
The platform offers easy log sharing via various formats, a user-friendly display for multiple vehicles with customization options, and a straightforward interface.
Disdvantage
The platform lacks options for image and video uploads, detailed car information, and faces difficulties with adding a third vehicle while also having an excess of advertisements.
Key findings from competitor's analysis
Competitors' User Satisfaction
• Displaying maintenance service logs and history
• Providing reminders
• Offering customization options
• Detailed maintenance and care information
• Satisfied with the conceptAbility to manage maintenance service history
• Locating local auto repair shops via the mobile application
Detailed Competitor analytics• Providing reminders
• Offering customization options
• Detailed maintenance and care information
• Satisfied with the conceptAbility to manage maintenance service history
• Locating local auto repair shops via the mobile application
Personas
User Flow
Information Architecture
Ideation
Mid-fidelity
UI Design
Final Design
User Testing
Users were generally able to complete tasks, but they occasionally faced challenges due to the product's content density.
When I asked users who mentioned the heavy content to provide more details, they explained that they were not familiar with car maintenance services. They believed that with more familiarity, they would become comfortable using the product. User pain points were mainly focused on the reminder feature, with the main problem related to the viewport. They struggled to figure out how to set a reminder.
What I learned...
While working on this project, the most challenging aspect was understanding the service/product. There were numerous complex terms and logics related to car maintenance, making it difficult to design without a full understanding. However, my thorough research and insights always guided me to solve the problem.
Even though the product contains a lot of content, I was able to prioritize them as MVP through usability testing.
Furthermore, whenever I faced with UX design problems, I reached out to my other designers, mentors and friends who are developers and they gladly helped me to get closer to the solutions.
If I have more time...
One of the user's pain points was a lack of knowledge about car maintenance services.
During the research, I developed the idea of an AI chatbot feature. This idea involves providing possible problems based on the symptoms that the user types into the AI chatbot.
If I had more time, I would like to develop the AI chatbot feature for the product. I believe that this feature would be helpful for users to identify their car problems and easily access the answers they may have regarding their cars.
If I had more time, I would like to develop the AI chatbot feature for the product. I believe that this feature would be helpful for users to identify their car problems and easily access the answers they may have regarding their cars.
