Conducted
Ideation (User Personas)
Design System
Wireframing
Dealermatch was a startup company under Cox Automotive. The startup created a web and mobile application that allowed to conduct business with no transaction fees, contracts, or an auction middleman.
With the app, dealers can communicate directly with other dealers across the country about inventory details.
Dealermatch gives dealers the option to build business relationships with other dealers without the use of an auction. This strategy helps dealers bypass several fees that are associated with the auction process.
My Role
I was in charge of creating the design system and assisting with the front-end web development within an agile environment. I also kept a log of all updates to the web application and participated in stakeholder meetings and standups.
Under the guidance of the UX manager, I followed a simple design process that included task analysis for users, ideation wireframes, and design validation.
Team & Timeframe
Aida Najarian — UX Manager
Matt Wolpers — Sr. UX/UI Designer
Phil Hufatickler — Sr. UX/UI Designer
Peter Berndt — Sr. UX/UI Designer
Me — UX/UI Design Intern
Stage 1:
Understanding the user's issues
The Problem
Auto auctions have been the main process of trading, buying, and selling for dealers. These auctions can be costly and usually restrict dealers to buying vehicles at retail prices, leaving them to purchase one vehicle at a time instead of utilizing the benefits of the wholesale market.
This leaves a limited network between dealers with very little interaction to build a business relationship and to conduct buying and selling procedures. Along with the cost and time-consuming policies associated with physical and online auctions, many dealers feel restrained by the limit on trading and trade fees, which can add more stress especially on smaller dealers who only sell 400-500 cars per year.
/ Dealermatch goal
Reducing the need for the auction middleman and developing a strong business relationship between dealers.
— Customer Persona
Stage 3:
Design
Preliminary tasks
During user testing, many new design elements were requested to accommodate the growing needs of our intended user.
During user testing, many new design elements were requested to accommodate the growing needs of our intended user.
Starting the design
After creating the design system, I was tasked to create basic wireframes before adding new UI elements to the design. It was important to track the needs of the dealer industry with insight from auction siblings Manheim and the mass inventory of Auto Trader. This would ultimately help to further determine the needs of our target users and what usability elements to add to the application.
All final visual designs were completed by Matt Wolpers.
Web application screens
The final design focused on the main concepts of the application and further insights for the research team. More users wanted a way to edit documents live and be as detailed as possible. The two screens below show the login page for existing users and a chat screen that shows communication for a group project.
Stage 4:
Analyze (again)
Final results & takeaways
Always be as thorough as possible
The problem lies in their limited amount of tools to accomplish this objective. Many, if not the majority of middle and high school students of the information age, would respond quickly to notifications of internships geared towards their prospective focus.
Try to focus on having a
strong team comradery and vision rather than a larger focus on visual design. Although a product’s visuals will attract target users, the backbone is contingent on exceeding the user’s needs and conveying that within the application.