An overview of car rental app design
PROCESS HIGHLIGHTS
Design challenge and responsibilities overview
Challenge
Design an app that provides a seamless, user-friendly experience for customers seeking to rent a car quickly and efficiently.
Opportunity
Develop an integrated platform to optimize rental processes, enhance user retention, and maximize operational efficiency.
Responsibilities
UX Research
Prototyping
UX/UI Mobile Design
User Interface Design
Tools
Figma
Adobe Creative Suite
Procreate
Slack
Prototyping
Disciplines
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
BACKGROUND
Our Vision
Recognizing that the world of transportation is rapidly evolving, we envision a future where every journey is personalized and seamlessly connected. Through our app, we strive to empower users in several key ways. These include providing effortless access to a diverse range of vehicles, enhancing engagement with tailored experiences and real-time support, rewarding sustainable choices, gathering valuable feedback through interactive surveys, and fostering genuine relationships within our community of drivers and renters.
The Process
1
Research
Identifying Problems
Desk Research
Competitor Analysis
User Surveys
2
Synthesis
Persona
User Journey
3
Ideation
Developing a Solution
Moodboard
Low Fidelity
Mid Fidelity
High Fidelity
Major Improvements
4
Final Designs
Design System
UI for Launch
5
Reflection
Post Designs
Post Thoughts
RESEARCH
Initial Problem Discovery
After closely examining the current landscape of personal transportation, we noticed significant challenges within the car rental industry that impact users' experiences. Traditional car rental processes often involve long wait times, complicated paperwork, hidden fees, and limited vehicle choices, leaving customers feeling frustrated and disconnected. These outdated practices fail to meet the needs of modern consumers who seek convenience, transparency, and flexibility in their journeys.
Moreover, while car rental apps have emerged to streamline some aspects of the process, many still lack personalized experiences, real-time support, and a sense of community among users. They often provide generic services without addressing individual preferences or fostering meaningful connections between drivers and renters. Recognizing these shortcomings, we set out to address these issues with Hola Fleet. Our goal is to revolutionize the car rental experience by offering a seamless, user-friendly platform that not only simplifies the rental process but also builds genuine relationships within our growing community
RESEARCH
Desk Research
To build a strong foundation for the design phase, I first immersed myself in focused desk research on the car rental industry and the use of car rental apps. Utilizing websites, industry reports, and recent articles, I aimed to identify key statistics and insights specific to consumers renting cars through apps and the challenges faced by car rental companies in the digital landscape.
User’s Perspective
Inadequate support and slow response times leave users feeling frustrated.
Users often face lengthy and complicated booking procedures.
Hidden fees and unclear pricing structures make it difficult for users to anticipate the total cost of a rental.
Rental services often fail to offer personalized recommendations.
Brand’s Perspective
The rise of ride-sharing platforms increases market competition.
Companies find it difficult to build loyalty due to lack of personalized experiences.
Implementing new technologies for booking, fleet management is challenging and costly.
Without robust data analytics, companies struggle to understand customer behaviors and preferences.
83%
customers are willing to pay more for a car rental app that offers a better customer experience.
80%
users express a strong preference for car rental apps that provide transparent pricing and eliminate hidden fees.
70%
of consumers are more likely to use a car rental app that provides real-time customer support and assistance.
RESEARCH
Competitor Analysis
Successful platform requires not only addressing user needs but also standing out in a competitive market. To design a platform that truly stands out, it’s essential to first examine the existing players in the market. For this purpose, I compiled general insights into the services, features, and user experiences offered by key competitors.
Traficar is a car-sharing company primarily operating in Poland. It offers a convenient, app-based service that allows users to rent vehicles on-demand for short periods, paying only for the time and distance used.
Kaizen Rent is your trusted partner for seamless and convenient car rental services. Embracing the philosophy of continuous improvement, we offer a diverse fleet of well-maintained vehicles to meet your travel needs.
Panek is a prominent Polish car rental and car-sharing company. It offers a diverse fleet of vehicles accessible through an app-based platform, enabling users to rent cars on-demand in major cities across Poland. Panek focuses on providing convenient, flexible mobility solutions to meet the varying needs of its customers.
RESEARCH
User Surveys
In this section, I share the results of these surveys, which highlight key pain points in the car rental industry and shed light on what users truly value in a mobile app. These findings have been instrumental in shaping Hola Fleet into a solution designed to simplify the rental process, address common frustrations, and provide an exceptional user experience.
User Pain Points
And after these 100 surveys, we can conclude that:
30%
of users are frustrated by hidden fees or unclear pricing, which makes it challenging to anticipate the total cost of a rental.
25%
of consumers highlight long wait times at pick-up and drop-off locations as a significant inconvenience.
20%
of users report inadequate customer support as a major pain point, leaving them feeling unsupported during the rental process.
15%
of users find complicated booking procedures to be a barrier, preferring simpler and more intuitive systems.
10%
of users express dissatisfaction with the poor condition of vehicles they rent, emphasizing the need for better maintenance and quality checks.
SYNTHESIS
User Persona
I wanted to truly understand the people we’re serving with Hola Fleet. To do that, I dove into everything—from real customer stories to competitor insights, distilling the highs and lows of the car rental experience. By blending these findings into one vivid, human-centered persona, my goal is to shape a design that speaks directly to their needs, easing their frustrations and celebrating the moments that make their journey great.
SYNTHESIS
User Journey
I developed a user journey map that outlines the key stages of a typical car rental experience, researching and booking, vehicle pick-up, using the car, and returning it. In doing so, I revealed the points where customers often face confusion, frustration, and delays. These include hidden fees, lengthy procedures, and inadequate support, as well as the emotional shifts from hopeful optimism to eventual disappointment. By pinpointing these problem areas and proposing targeted solutions, such as transparent pricing, simplified check-ins, improved vehicle maintenance, and more responsive customer service.
IDEATION
Developing a Solution
Drawing from the insights gleaned from the user journey and the pain points identified at each stage of the rental experience, the next step is to propose a comprehensive, user-centric solution. This solution aims to reduce friction, enhance transparency, and ensure that customers feel supported and valued throughout their entire journey. By addressing the root causes of frustration and dissatisfaction, we can pave the way for a more seamless, trustworthy, and enjoyable rental experience.
Design Goals:
Upfront Cost Calculations: Integrate a clear pricing calculator that shows all fees and taxes early in the booking process.
Guided Booking Wizard: Implement a simplified, step-by-step booking interface with progress indicators, autofill features, and context-sensitive help prompts.
24/7 Customer Support: Expand support channels to include live chat, swift callback services, and dedicated help lines. Allow users to request assistance directly from the app, ensuring timely resolutions.
User Profiles and Preferences: Allow customers to set preferences (e.g., vehicle type, pick-up style) so the system can tailor recommendations and offer relevant upgrades or incentives.
IDEATION
Low-Fidelity
In this section, I present my initial low-fidelity wireframes, which outline the core layout and functionality of my app. These sketches represent the early stages of my ideation process, helping me visualize the user experience, key interface elements, and overall structure before moving on to higher-fidelity designs.
IDEATION
Mid-Fidelity
In this section, I present my mid-fidelity wireframes, developed during the 'Ugly Duckling' stage to refine the user experience of my app. This phase was crucial in ensuring that the design aligns with users' needs in terms of usability and functionality. These wireframes represent a more detailed version of the app’s structure, helping me test interactions, layouts, and navigation before moving on to high-fidelity designs.
Design Decision (Color)
A key design decision I made was selecting the color scheme for my app. After researching color theory, I chose blue as the primary color, symbolizing trust, reliability, and professionalism—key qualities I wanted my app to reflect.
FINAL DESIGNS
Typography
In this section, I present the typography system I developed for my app. Establishing a clear and consistent typography hierarchy was essential to ensure readability, accessibility, and visual harmony across the interface. I carefully selected font sizes, weights, and styles to create a balanced and structured design.
REFLECTIONS
Post Designs Outcome
My Key Takeaways
It is always important to understand who your target audience is
Taking inspiration from other companies is okay
How time consuming the wireframing process is
Understanding physical components