Revving Up the VW America Inventory Experience

SUMMARY

Comprehensive optimization of the VW.com inventory experience to boost online purchasing funnel. Collaborating with product, business, data, and development teams, we redesigned the platform through usability testing and rapid iteration. This process ensured a more user-friendly interface and a streamlined car-buying journey.

MY ROLE

Product Designer 

  • UX Research 

  • Product Design

  • UX/UI Design

  • Prototyping 

TASK AT HAND

In 2021, Volkswagen launched the ACCELERATE strategy, emphasizing e-mobility and improving online vehicle sales. We were tasked with validating internal research by conducting user testing on the VW.com inventory experience. Our goal was to identify opportunities to increase the likelihood of customers continuing the buying process with dealerships, and to design solutions that would enhance the chances of a purchase flow starting online.

Core Challenges + Solution Overview

We engaged with key stakeholders and users, conducted user testing of the old inventory experience, noting major pain points and moments that needed clarity in a very high cost buying decision. Our goals ultimately centered around:

  • optimizing the essential filter component that could retrieve personalized options

  • a revamping of the information architecture for the vehicle Detail Pages

  • providing comparison tools to allow informed and simplified decision-making

  • create result cards that had the most relevant content

Below is a snapshot of key problems and solutions, with detailed insights and visual representations in the following sections.

🚨

Suboptimal Filter Hinders Navigation to Personalized Results

Filters were divided into four sections, helping users personalize results more effectively. The separation and overlay reduce information overload, allowing better focus on each criterion. User testing confirmed that the new placement and sticky scroll feature improved the overall experience.

A robust filter component

✅

Content and tools insufficient to support informed decision-making.

🚨

Optimized cards and added a comparison tool

✅

We validated the most pertinent user-centric info to display on the result cards and added a carousel with thumbnails to choose from.

The comparison tool helps buyers make more informed decisions by visually evaluating differences and similarities between their top choices.

The detail pages provided “too much detail” yet lacked the key insights users needed and wanted

🚨

Revamped information architecture for better clarity and user understanding. 

Enhanced vehicle detail pages with additional photos, in-depth feature descriptions, and customer reviews. Added recirculation to similar vehicles and available offers for a more engaging and seamless browsing experience, helping users make better-informed decisions.

✅

Mapping the Customer Journey

Understanding customer touchpoints and navigation flow in browsing inventory on VW.com allows the team to pinpoint pain points, minimize friction, and enhance the overall user experience. This insight helps streamline the browsing process and ensures a smoother path from exploration to purchase.

User Testing Unearths Pain Points

We compiled a list of findings and compared them with user inputs from testing, giving the team deeper insights into the usability score and helping prioritize the redesign efforts.

PROBLEM

Location & Dealerships

Previously, users didn’t understand how entering their zip code would aid in their car search. Adding a dropdown label and sub-labels clarifies the purpose of each filter element.

Now, they can not only enter their zip code but also set a search radius and select specific dealerships within their region, offering more flexibility and control in their search.

Primary Features

Users who previously struggled to find vehicles matching their exact specifications can now leverage a comprehensive set of clearly labelled filters. We structured the filter menu based on prioritization exercises with key stakeholders.

SOLUTIONS

A Robust User-Centric Filter

Filters were brought to the top, divided into four sections, and now stick during scrolling, allowing users to personalize their results more efficiently while reducing information overload. 

The separation and overlay reduce information overload, allowing better focus on each criterion. User testing confirmed that the new placement and sticky scroll feature improved the overall experience.

Vehicle Models

Previously, users would have to go back to the landing page to look for different models. Now, in the “Vehicle Models” section, users can look for other models, trims, and years on the results page. 

More Filters

Although this set of filters was deprioritized so we could deliver an MVP, we found through research and user testing that adding secondary features helped facilitate a more comprehensive customer filtering experience.

Suboptimal Filter Hinders Navigation to Results

  • Filter terms are confusing to users, poorly organized, and lacking user-centric nuanced criteria.

  • The left rail location takes up valuable screen space, limiting the number of vehicle listings displayed at once.

  • The zip code search input has no label for context.

  • Users were unclear about how entering their zip code in the filter would help with their vehicle search.

Optimized Result Cards

We validated the most pertinent user-centric info to display on the result cards. Users expressed a desire to easily view different views of the vehicles so we added a carousel with thumbnails to choose from.

A compare now checkbox fulfills a major user need to make informed decisions with ease.

SOLUTION

A New Comparison Tool

Adding a comparison tool allowing the selection of up to three vehicles helps buyers make more informed decisions by visually evaluating differences and similarities between their top choices.

We simplify decision-making, save the customer time, and reduce the cognitive load by presenting the most important details in a clear, organized format, ensuring users feel confident about their final choice.

PROBLEM

Lack of Comparison

Users had trouble comparing key features, specifications, and pricing between multiple selected vehicles without having to constantly switch between individual car pages.

More Filters

Flexible Viewing Modes

Added ‘default’ and ‘grid’ view options to allow users to choose the display format that best suits their preferences.

PROBLEM

Lacking Useful Details

When we spoke with users, we heard:

  • the detail pages provided “too much detail” yet lacked the key insights users needed and wanted

  • terminology was hard for the user to understand

  • information and CTAs left more questions than answers for users 

SOLUTIONS

A Comprehensive Detail Page

  • Revamped the information architecture for better clarity and user understanding. 

  • Enhanced vehicle details with more photos, comprehensive feature descriptions, and customer reviews. 

  • Added recirculation to similar vehicles and available offers for a more engaging browsing experience.

Projections

While it’s challenging to measure the direct impact of our redesign on the VW Inventory Experience due to handoffs from digital to dealerships, VW of America has seen steady business growth since launching their ACCELERATE strategy in 2021. This strategy focuses on e-mobility and improving online vehicle sales. Our redesign, delivered in late 2021, implemented in early 2022, contributed to enhancing the digital experience, aligning with VW’s broader goals of increasing online engagement and vehicle sales.

North American YoY Deliveries (Q1 2022- Q2 2023)

Increase of 17.9 percent to 993,100 vehicles.

At 713,100 vehicles, the USA accounted for the largest share. This corresponds to an increase of 13.0 percent compared to the previous year.

Volkswagen of American Sales (Q3 2023 - Q3 2024)

Increase of 6% YoY compared to 2023

Credits

DESIGN

Addi Hou
Vidia Anindhita
Juan Larrazábal 

TOOLS

Sketch
Miro
User Testing
Jira

Explore similar projects

B2C | LEAD UX DESIGNER

Digital Innovation Meets Trusted Coverage for Berkley Insurance

Starting with the foundation, our team revamped the digital experience and visual identity for Berkley, a Fortune 500 insurance company.

MOBILE APP | CX DESIGNER

Shaping the Future of Online Grocery Shopping

Walmart needed to establish new processes and shape customer behaviors, so they turned to us to transform their business with present and future concepts.

B2C | LEAD UX DESIGNER

Taking Travel Booking to New Horizons

A complete redesign of the Vacations by Marriott website, focusing on enhancing the digital booking experience with fresh design templates and a user-centered approach.