THE JOURNEY SO FAR

CarLotz is a car consignment store started in Richmond, VA. They have found success through a unique business model and are on the precipice of national expansion.

ROADBLOCKS

CarLotz stands at the brink of national expansion, but it faces impediments in scaling due to:

• Lack of awareness

• An incohesive store environment

• Low employee morale

OPPORTUNITY

Create a brand and experience that readies CarLotz to become a national brand

WE DECIDED A BRAND REFRESH IS NEEDED

We decided to rename CarLotz to "Steward" to convey values of trust, reliability, and a dedicated guardianship of the vehicles in their care. This name reflects commitment to providing a service that goes beyond the typical consignment experience, emphasizing a connection where customers feel assured and expertly supported throughout the entire process. "Steward" symbolizes steadfast dedication to responsible management, personalized service, and building genuine relationships with the clients. This rebrand aims to create a brand identity synonymous with transparency and dependability in the automotive consignment landscape.

The logo adopts a clean and minimalistic design, aligning with the name “Steward”, the slogan, and brand guidelines. The depiction of hands symbolizes a transparent handoff between the store and the customer, reinforcing the message of "people to people car sales."

EXPERIENTIAL ASSETS

QR CODES

Our aim is to implement a system where each car is easily identifiable through a QR code. This not only streamlines the process for employees but also provides customers with instant information about the car on their digital device, eliminating the need to seek assistance from on-site staff.

STORE DESIGN

We developed a standardized store design to harmonize their brand, drawing inspiration from an already successful dealership model. The goal is to ensure consistency in both the interior and exterior of all stores.

Click on images for full size.

TABLETS IN-STORE

Given the existing privacy limitations in their current store structure, we introduced in-store tablets to streamline the process. This not only improves the interface workflow but also empowers individuals to maintain privacy with their information and makes the overall user experience smoother.

BRANDING

WELCOME PACK

Upon joining CarLotz, each employee receives a welcome pack. The practice enhances consistency and makes company expectations transparent to the employees. This eliminates misleading commitments, like the initial promise of "paid vacation every month" made by the company. The welcome package also comes with branded content (please refer to section below for branding decisions).

MERCHANDISE

Due to the high level of customer employee interaction in the store, we aim to provide guests with a clear distinction between staff and other individuals. To enhance consistency, employees will be equipped with a uniform consisting of black pants and a simple shirt featuring the company logo. We found this useful as the current store did not have uniforms.

COMMUNICATIONS

PRINT

Using billboards along the road for a car consignment store is an agile way to connect with the right target audience. These billboards give drivers a straightforward and clear message, aiming to deliver valuable information with ease. The design emphasizes clarity, simplicity, and a unique aesthetic to ensure the message is easily understood and engaging. The use of concise copywriting maintains a conversational tone, making the interaction more human and approachable for a diverse audience. The overall experience is crafted to be inclusive, adaptive, and memorable, aiming for a smooth and enjoyable encounter for drivers on the road.

MEDIA

We took a thoughtful approach to connect with our target audience through social media GIF ads. Our focus on user experience principles ensures that the ads are accessible and inclusive, providing a quick and engaging experience. Iterative feedback played a key role in achieving a clean and minimalistic aesthetic that resonates with our brand's personality. Incorporating motion elements creates a universally appealing experience through the media channels.

RADIO

Nowadays, people often tune in to the radio while driving, making it an opportune platform for a targeted radio ad within a 50-mile radius of Steward. It was essential for us that the ad aligns seamlessly with the overall tone of the rebranded experience.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Furthering consistency and creative choices, the brand guidelines are not to be changed.

RESEARCH BEHIND THE WORK

For CarLotz, integrating consumer journeys and creating user personas alongside comprehensive research is pivotal in the UX/UI design process for several reasons:

1. Understanding Car Sellers' and Buyers' Needs: Consumer journeys and user personas provide an in-depth understanding of the unique needs, behaviors, and pain points of both car sellers and buyers throughout their interactions with CarLotz. This knowledge is crucial for tailoring the design to address specific requirements and challenges in the car consignment process.

2. Empathy and Human-Centered Design: Developing user personas fosters empathy by humanizing the experiences of car sellers and buyers. This approach ensures that designers maintain a focus on the real people involved in the car consignment process, leading to more empathetic and user-centered design solutions.

3. Tailoring Design Decisions to CarLotz's Audience: User personas and consumer journeys help in tailoring design decisions to match the preferences and expectations of different user segments within the car consignment context. This ensures that the final design aligns seamlessly with the needs and goals of CarLotz's target audience.

4. Aligning Stakeholder Vision for CarLotz: Creating user personas and mapping consumer journeys serves as a visual representation of the diverse users within CarLotz's ecosystem. This helps align stakeholders, including CarLotz's design, development, and leadership teams, on a shared vision of the users' roles and experiences within the car consignment journey.

5. Problem Solving and Iterative Design for CarLotz: By examining consumer journeys and user personas, designers can identify pain points and areas of improvement specific to the car consignment experience. This information is instrumental for iterative design, allowing the CarLotz team to continuously enhance their platform based on user feedback and evolving needs in the automotive consignment landscape.

6. Enhancing Communication within CarLotz: User personas and consumer journeys serve as powerful communication tools within the CarLotz design team and across various departments. They provide a shared language and understanding of the diverse users involved in the car consignment process, fostering collaboration and consensus among team members.

Overall, integrating consumer journeys and user personas into CarLotz's research process enhances the design strategy by offering insights, fostering empathy, guiding design decisions, aligning stakeholders, facilitating problem-solving, supporting iterative design, and improving communication within the CarLotz team. This approach ensures that the UX/UI design is tailored to the unique needs and experiences of both car sellers and buyers in the consignment journey.

Here is what we found:

THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND OUT

The consignment model stands out as CarLotz's most distinctive feature, yet the meaning of consignment in the car space is often misunderstood.

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Once sellers become acquainted with and comprehend the consignment model, they feel at ease selling their vehicles through consignment. However, potential buyers harbor reservations and lack trust in the process.

STORE VISITS INSIGHTS

The comprehensive strategy behind this project centers on providing a seamless private selling and used car buying experience, deeply embedded in UX and UI principles, as part of the rebrand from CarLotz to Steward. By delving into research and gaining a profound understanding of user behavior, our team focused in emphasizing Steward’s commitment to tackling challenges related to accessibility, inclusivity, and adaptability, ensuring a smooth and valuable interaction for both sellers and buyers. We incorporated agile development and iterative design to steer the development of a unified digital platform that is not only distinctive but also emotionally compelling. The strategy places a strong emphasis on transparency, communication, and nurturing personal connections with users to surmount challenges and guarantee a seamless journey. As Steward transforms, it upholds ethical considerations and a commitment to universal accessibility, positioning itself as a disruptive and distinctive force in the national automotive market.

TEAM

Jose Jones (AD)
Rachel Street (CBM)
Hannah Barr (ST)
Lars Johnson (CW)
Linda Kirova (XD)
Melissa Thiemen (XD)