Knapp Chevrolet
Ownership
Companion App
A Connected Vehicle Experience Concept
Case Study
The project context, design challenge, objectives, my role, and the user research that informed the final experience.
Project Overview
This concept project explores how a dealership-focused mobile experience could improve the vehicle ownership journey after purchase. Many customers struggle with scheduling services, tracking maintenance, and communicating with dealerships through fragmented systems that rely heavily on phone calls and disconnected tools. Informed in part by my experience creating marketing and visual assets for automotive dealerships through Market Doctors, an automotive digital marketing agency, this project examines opportunities to improve post-purchase customer interactions. Over a period of 6–8 weeks, I designed an end-to-end mobile app experience aimed at simplifying service interactions, increasing transparency during vehicle maintenance, and strengthening long-term customer relationships through a centralized digital platform.
The Problem
After purchasing a vehicle, customers often lose connection with the dealership and face difficulties when scheduling services or tracking vehicle maintenance.
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Common issues include:
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Service scheduling feels complicated or unclear
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Customers must call the dealership for updates
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No centralized place for vehicle information
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Lack of transparency during vehicle servicing
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Weak long-term engagement between dealership and customer
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As a result, customers experience frustration and dealerships lose retention opportunities.
User Research Summary
Since this was a concept project, research was conducted using:
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Analysis of dealership websites and workflows
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Reviews from dealership customers online
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Automotive service experience patterns
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Industry UX benchmarking (vehicle ownership apps)
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Key insight: Customers interact frequently with dealerships after purchase, yet digital tools supporting this phase are limited or fragmented.
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Users value:
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Convenience
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Transparency
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Time savings
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Clear communication
User Pain Points
Pain Point 1: Service Scheduling Confusion
Users are unsure which service option to select and often must call for clarification.
Pain Point 2: Lack of Status Visibility
Customers do not know what is happening to their vehicle during servicing.
Pain Point 3: Communication Friction
Phone calls are inconvenient and time-consuming.
Pain Point 4: Scattered Information
Maintenance history, appointments, and reminders exist across emails, paperwork, and websites.
Pain Point 5: Weak Dealership Relationship
After purchase, engagement with the dealership drops significantly.
Project Goals
Design a mobile app that:
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Simplifies service scheduling
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Provides real-time service updates
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Centralizes vehicle ownership information
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Reduces phone dependency
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Builds ongoing customer engagement and loyalty
Role and Responsibilities
Role: UX Designer, UI & Visual Designer
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Responsibilities:
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Defined product goals and problem framework
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Conducted user research and competitive analysis
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Created personas and user journey maps
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Designed information architecture and user flows
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Developed wireframes and high-fidelity UI designs
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Built interactive prototypes
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Applied visual design principles to create a cohesive and brand-aligned interface
Project Context
Developed as a portfolio product-design project using Knapp Chevrolet as the real-world dealership context. The concept explores how a connected ownership experience could bring vehicle information, service scheduling, maintenance history, communication, and ownership resources into one unified digital experience.
Asset Attribution
Chevrolet vehicle imagery, logos, and other brand assets shown in this case study remain the property of their respective owners. These assets are used for illustrative purposes within the design concept and are not original photography or artwork created by me.
User Personas
The project context, design challenge, objectives, my role, and the user research thatinformed the final experience.
Alex Martinez
Busy Professional
Alex notices that his car is overdue for maintenance but keeps postponing it because he doesn’t have time to call the dealership during work hours. One morning, his dashboard warning light turns on, forcing him to take action. He visits the dealership website but feels unsure which service to select and worries about how long the process will take. After finally booking an appointment, he spends the day wondering about the status of his car, checking his phone for updates that never come. By the time he picks up the vehicle, the lack of communication leaves him frustrated and less likely to return to the same dealership.
Age: 38
Occupation: Project Manager
Alex Martinez
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Schedule service quickly
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Avoid phone calls
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Stay informed about vehicle status
Goals
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Waiting for callbacks
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Unclear repair timelines
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Forgetting maintenance dates
Frustrations
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Quick booking
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Notifications
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Transparency
Needs
Problem Statement
Alex is a busy professional who needs a fast and reliable way to schedule vehicle service and stay informed about its progress because his limited time and reliance on phone-based communication make the current process frustrating and inefficient.
Sarah Nguyen
First-Time Car Owner
Sarah recently purchased her first car and wants to take good care of it, but she feels overwhelmed by maintenance requirements she doesn’t fully understand. When she hears a strange noise, she becomes anxious and searches online for answers, unsure if it’s something serious. She attempts to schedule a service but is confused by technical terms and service options. During the appointment, she worries about unexpected costs and wishes someone would guide her through the process in a simple, reassuring way. Afterward, she feels uncertain about what was done and when she should return for her next visit.
Age: 27
Occupation: Marketing Coordinator
Sarah Nguyen
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Understand maintenance needs
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Feel confident about car care
Goals
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Doesn’t know what services mean
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Anxiety about unexpected costs
Frustrations
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Guidance
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Simple explanations
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Reminders
Needs
Problem Statement
Sarah is a first-time car owner who needs a simple and reassuring way to understand and manage vehicle maintenance because her lack of experience and unclear service information create anxiety and uncertainty during the process.
User Journey Map
Visualizing the end-to-end user journey to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Stage | User Action | Experience | Pain Points | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Need Service | Notices an issue | Unsure what to do next | Confusion | Guided flow |
Booking | Visits website | Multiple steps | Simplified scheduling | Simplified scheduling |
Waiting | Drops off vehicle | No updates | Anxiety | Status tracking |
Communication | Calls dealership | Frustration | Frustration | Messaging feature |
Pickup | Returns to dealer | Limited clarity | Transparent summary | Transparent summary |
Competitive Analysis
Analyzing competitor strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to identify areas for product differentiation.
Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|
myChevrolet | Vehicle diagnostics, remote control, maintenance alerts | Limited dealership-specific communication, no real-time service tracking | Integrate dealership communication and live service updates |
CarFax Car Care | Maintenance tracking, service reminders, history records | No direct dealership interaction, limited personalization | Connect users directly with dealership services and messaging |
RepairPal | Repair cost estimates, trusted shop recommendations | No vehicle-specific tracking, no service progress updates | Combine cost transparency with real-time service tracking and vehicle data |
Core User Journey
Users start from the dashboard and choose between managing vehicle information or scheduling service.
The flow prioritizes quick access to vehicle ownership tasks while maintaining a simple and intuitive experience.
Information Architecture
The structure prioritizes frequent user actions such as service booking and status tracking for quick access.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Early concepts were explored through low-fidelity sketches to quickly evaluate layout, information hierarchy, and user flows before moving into digital wireframes.
Prototype Testing
Interactive prototypes were created to evaluate core user journeys and ensure a seamless service experience.
Schedule Service Flow
Vehicle Management Flow
Stakeholder Feedback and
Design Refinements
Feedback from a dealership stakeholder helped validate key design decisions andhighlighted opportunities to further improve the service experience.
Feedback
Service department systems don't always synchronize reliably with customer-facing apps.
Design Response
Considered adding clearer status indicators and last-updated timestamps to improve transparency around service information.
Feedback
Customers would benefit from knowing upcoming maintenance needs before visiting the dealership.
Design Response
Validated the inclusion of an Upcoming Maintenance feature and refined it to better communicate service based on mileage.
Accessibility Considerations
Design decisions that improve readability, usability, and inclusivity while aligning with accessibility best practices.
During the design system review, I evaluated key UI components against accessibility guidelines and refined the interface to create a more inclusive user experience. Color contrast, typography, touch targets, and visual hierarchy were reviewed to improve readability and usability across the app.
Key Considerations
✓ Color Contrast: Refined the light theme color palette to improve text and button contrast based on WCAG guidelines.
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✓ Touch Targets: Designed interactive elements with a minimum 44 × 44 pt touch area for comfortable mobile interaction.
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✓ Typography: Established a clear type hierarchy with readable font sizes, consistent spacing, and sufficient line height.
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✓ Icons & Labels: Paired icons with descriptive labels to reduce ambiguity and improve recognition.
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✓ Visual Hierarchy: Used spacing, contrast, and component elevation to help users quickly identify important information and actions.
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✓ Error & Status Feedback: Designed alerts and validation messages using both color and descriptive text to communicate system feedback clearly.
Key Takeaways
Reflecting on the design process, lessons learned, and opportunities for future improvement.
Designing with Purpose
Research helped me move beyond visual design and focus on solving specific user problems.
Simplifying Complexity
Breaking the service journey into clear steps helped create a more approachable experience.
Designing for Real-World Use
The project reinforced the importance of accessibility, consistency, and scalable design systems.