american
fastbacks.

My role: UI design, sketching and prototyping
Tools used: XD, Photoshop

the challenge

In an already competitive Jeep market, how do you help potential custom clients understand your upfitting Jeep and parts business, stand out from your competition, and increase web traffic?

the design process

I started the project off with some competitive research in order to capture details on the available custom Jeep sites and come up with another layer to encourage customers to purchase customized Jeeps and parts. 

Another part of the process was attending the SEMA Show, the premier trade show for custom cars and parts. Even though the show leans towards the manufacturing and retail sectors, there are outdoor features and attractions that draw in potential clients who are looking to upgrade their Jeeps. I was able to get market report from the show that shared consumer insights. I also interviewed 12 people who’ve already upgraded parts on their current Jeep or who were looking to purchase a customized Jeep in the next 6-12 months.

Here are some to the questions that were asked:

  • Why do you own or are interested in Jeeps?
  • What types of things do you do with your Jeep?
  • Which is more important the way your Jeep looks or performance?
  • Where do you look for Jeep/parts information?
  • Why do you buy parts for your Jeep?
  • What type of parts do you purchase?
  • Where do you purchase your parts? 
  • Are you comfortable installing your own parts and accessories?


Here are some of the findings that came from the interviewees/market report:

  • Were mostly under 40
  • Enjoyed working on their Jeep
  • Bought parts for comfort and personalization
  • Preferred buying external accessories
  • People liked to buy parts and buy online

From the findings mentioned above, I flushed out some of the needs of the users in order to create an all-in-one solution. Users would be encouraged to purchase Jeep aftermarket parts if there was a website that:

  • made their Jeep’s stand out
  • featured products that aren’t complicated to install
  • made the online shopping and shipping experience super simple 
  • included a relationship to brick and mortar retailer for those who aren’t comfortable shopping online
  • included a strong marketing and social media strategy to reach their demographic
     

Creating user personas and brainstorming creative solutions happened after the interviews. This data helped drive the ideation for wireframes, mockups and final designs. During the process I incorporated a design/test/feedback loop in order to refine the design.

PERSONA

the ideation

Based on the research findings, there were several rounds of brainstorming which helped me ideate and see how we could best structure this experience. After getting feedback from team members and users, we were able to narrow down goals, and create more refined sketches.

Items to be included in design:

  • Multiple hero images of customized Jeeps in action, in different off-road locations
  • A search function, so that users could find specific parts, e.g. Hoods, rims, fenders
  • A gallery of images showing featured products, to help drive user interest to incorporate a new upgrade
  • A newsletter sign-up area for users to receive information on new products, features and events
  • Support information, to help users get information they need about delivery, warranties, setting up an account, etc…
  • Social media buttons at the top and bottom of the page, so users can follow the company events and customer product shots

WIREFRAME AND FINAL MOCK UP

After a few rounds of ideation, I worked up to medium fidelity mockups and were starting to feel solid in our direction. As we were going to high fidelity mockups, we learned that we needed to rework our mockups to allow for an additional feature. We needed our users to determine what their immediate needs were? Were they looking for pre-built Jeeps or where they looking for Jeep parts? In order to help users quickly get to the products they cared about, we added a Builds and Parts buttons on the hero images.

KEY FEATURES OF THE FINAL PRODUCT

In the end, we were able to create a Jeep custom parts/build site that was competitive, informative and facilitated the way users could locate the products they wanted to customize their Jeep.

 Key attributes include:

  • Placing the Builds or the Parts buttons on the hero image to help users find products quicker 
  • Multiple ways for the user to find products by using the Search feature or scroll down to the Products section
  • Various ways for the users to make contact, by using the Support feature or pick from other options in the footer
  • Purchase can be made online, and shipped to their homes
  • Social media icons are easily accessible, so that we can be followed by users on number of channels
  • A future release will show dealers where products can be purchased in-store

product value

  • To give users access to a multitude of products nor necessarily found at their local parts store
  • To facilitate the way users purchase customized Jeep products, either online or in-store
  • To show users a new and exciting ways to customize their Jeeps
  • A resource to educate users on new trends, events, features and products pertaining to Jeeps

learnings

Through the research and interview process, I was able to better understand the user/Jeep enthusiast. Jeep owners belong to a culture where individualism is welcomed and expressed. When someone purchases a Jeep, there is a high probability that the owner is going to customize it in some way, as a form of their own expression. A jeep owner can spend hours looking through magazines, online stores and social media channels, obsessing over what other owners have done to enhance their vehicle. With this site, we have given users a quick and easy way to access, purchase, and receive inventive enhancements for their mobile canvases.