Car Care Onboarding

Car Care is a car maintenance service that makes it easy for users to track their vehicle history and stay on top of service reminders.

Over the past year, my focus has been on refining this product, with a major emphasis on improving the onboarding experience on the app.

Lead Designer Product Design Design Enhancement User Research

Overview

Car Care is not 100% accurate in its alerts unless a user provides or confirms data CARFAX has on VINs. The information users provide is a vital part of how the app works. When we have accurate data, we can deliver timely and reliable maintenance reminders that help keep their cars service up to date.

Project Goals

How can we provide an experience that will help users easily provide or confirm data Car Care needs to be accurate?

  • Create delightful and insightful for users

  • Lead users to provide missing information or confirm current data

  • Decrease the number of drop-offs during onboarding

  • Improve data accuracy

  • Engage users to provide information that might not be top of mind

Screenshots of a car maintenance app with a cartoon fox mascot, showing welcome screen and odometer review pages.

Previous Onboarding Experience

Defining the Problem

Before initiating the design phase, we conducted a design sprint to address and resolve diverse onboarding challenges faced by both new and returning users.

User Problems

  • Why are we asking users specific questions? Why do you need this information.

  • What’s the product?

  • Current onboarding isn’t user friendly

  • Data is incorrect

  • What are the benefits

  • Doesn’t know information

User Problems

User Problems

A digital whiteboard with various colored sticky notes, text comments, and emojis discussing data accuracy, data use, and communication in a professional setting.

CARFAX Problems

Towards the conclusion of the design sprint, we engaged in a brainstorming session, framing our discussions around "How Might We" questions. The focus was on channeling feedback towards direct solutions.

In this sprint, we specifically addressed questions like "How might we enhance onboarding engagement to reduce drop-off?" and "How might we effectively communicate the value of Car Care to first-time users?".

Some Takeaways

  • Explain why we need their information

  • Only use mission-critical data

  • Educate about maintenance features

  • Add gamification/awards

Dashboard with sticky notes in various colors outlining a process, including steps for providing walkthrough, explaining steps and value with plain language, and requesting more data.

New Users

Colorful sticky notes displaying tips and strategies for vehicle health score, gamification, providing options, adding stats, and leveraging emails in a process diagram.

Returning Users

Design

Following the design sprint, we identified several key themes that we aimed to further develop and expand upon. (listed above)

Our goal was to craft an onboarding experience that is concise and direct, showcasing the offerings of Car Care while avoiding information overload. We initiated the process by designing a welcoming screen, followed by the development of a straightforward, step-by-step questionnaire to guide users seamlessly through the onboarding journey.

Solution

  • Only ask for the most crucial information: Odometer & Miles driven per year

  • Offer the user to confirm more information

  • Explain the value of Car Care

  • Add gamification/awards

Screenshots of the CARFAX app showcasing car maintenance features, with a cartoon fox mascot, a white BMW M4 series convertible, and options to confirm the vehicle as home. The first screen displays alerts about oil change and vehicle history, and the second screen asks if the vehicle is the user's, with options to confirm or decline.

Get started and is this your car screens

Following the initial screens, users are guided through a three-step onboarding process. We wanted to make sure the onboarding journey is straightforward, with easily comprehensible questions.

Given all the of data Car Care offers, simplifying the onboarding process is essential to prevent overwhelming our users. By providing straightforward questions, we not only expedite the onboarding experience for users but also enhance the accuracy of our data.

Screenshots of a mobile app measuring a car's ZIP code, mileage, and annual miles driven with cartoon fox characters and various option selections.

Three-step onboarding. Zip code, Odometer, and Miles Driven Per Year

Despite streamlining the onboarding process, there remains essential data we require from users. In response, we introduced gamification elements to incentivize users to respond to questions.

The incorporation of a dashboard score serves as a visual indicator, keeping users informed about their progress in completing the questionnaire. This not only adds an engaging element but also encourages users to actively participate in providing the necessary information.

Screenshots of a car care mobile app showing vehicle details, health score calculation process, and a completion screen with a 100% score, including images of a dog mascot.

Gamification screens

User Testing

Before launch, we took each screen through user testing to see how our users interacted with the product. Here are some takeaways from testing.

Welcome Screens

The welcome stage was successful because the experience established clear user expectations through concise, informative language and visually appealing imagery.

Three Step Experience (Zip, Odometer, MDPY)

  • Users shared that they never felt overwhelmed or confused because everything was written in a way that was easy to understand.

  • Users liked the design and organization of the information.

  • Lastly, users enjoyed that the process was tailored for them

Gamification/Health Score

  • Not confusing, walks you through set up step by step

  • I like that its a percentage percentage-based so I don’t need to know what is a good score or a bad score. I like the congratulations and the confetti.

  • I like the checklist format and that you’re able to confirm the information on the previous service

Screenshots of the Car Care app, featuring a cartoon fox mascot, a white BMW M4 convertible, and form prompts asking about car details and ZIP code.
Sequence of three smartphone screens showing an app for vehicle maintenance and health score. The first screen displays instructions to confirm vehicle information for a health score calculation. The second screen shows a record of an oil change completed six months ago and asks for confirmation. The third screen indicates a perfect score of 100%, with a white sports car on a blue background and a celebration design.

Given the magnitude of this project, we opted to break it down into distinct phases. We've successfully completed phase 1 (welcome screens) and are presently navigating through the second segment of the onboarding process

Results

The redesigned onboarding significantly boosted both data accuracy and completion rates.

Completion Rates

  • Zip Code: 82%

  • Odometer: 78% (+5%lift)

  • Miles Driven Per Year: 75% (New data point)

Screenshots of a vehicle maintenance app showing steps for entering ZIP code, mileage, and annual miles driven, with cartoon fox character mascot on each screen.

Three-step onboarding. Zip code, Odometer, and Miles Driven Per Year