The personas translated recurring interview patterns into distinct decision-making profiles, moving beyond a single generic "Brand Lover" to account for different needs, priorities and behaviours across the journey.
As the family grew, I needed more room. I looked around, but Fiat still made the most sense.
The 500 is part of Italian culture. And somehow, whoever drives one just looks cool.
We've always had Mercedes in my family. I know the brand well, and I know what I'm looking for.
swipe →
really need.
Jobs-to-be-done captures the progress users seek. The statements follow the journey from discovery to conversion and remain grounded in the participants who expressed each need.
Car as a tool. Fast comparison, immediate price, zero friction.
Car as self-expression. Brand and aesthetics before specs.
Arrives with brand decided. Site confirms, not discovers.
When I don't know where to start, I want to find a meaningful starting point, so that I don't leave for a competitor before I've even begun.
When I start searching, I want to describe what I need in my own language, so that I don't have to translate it into specs I don't know.
When I need to choose, I want to compare on the dimensions that matter to me, so that the tool adapts to how I decide.
When I return, I want to pick up where I left off, so that I don't have to start from zero again.
When I'm ready to take the next step, I want to approach the dealer on my terms, so that I'm not contacted before I'm ready.
testing.
Four core sections personally designed, prototyped in Figma, and tested with users. Each addresses a specific research finding: entry intent, natural language search, frictionless comparison, and guided matching.
Entry redesigned around intent. Search and Quiz are equally prominent; an editorial section below the fold replaces the usual spec-dump.
Budget histogram replaces the 0–450k slider. AI autosuggest accepts natural language. Automatic and other drive types surface as categories, not buried options.
Side-by-side card swipe. The compared specs are customisable: each user decides which items to show. Comparisons save to profile without a form.
Six visual questions translate lifestyle preferences into a ranked match. Optional weighted-criteria mode (app style swipe) for users who want more control.
The prototype was tested with three users (two original interviewees and one new participant) and presented to stakeholders. Users responded most strongly to the budget histogram, customisable comparison, visual quiz, and sharing saved comparisons. The stakeholder discussion also explored commercial opportunities around brand pages and editorial content.
Try it yourself — open the prototype (it's a prototype: some flows are fixed, not all paths are clickable).
Four principles emerged from research, giving users control over the information they see, so they arrive at the dealership enriched rather than overwhelmed.
Tools
The product shifted from asking users to know what they want (fuel, trunk size..) to helping them articulate it through lifestyle, values and priorities. The same logic shaped the Quiz, editorial homepage, AI autosuggest and customisable filters.
Match between system and real world · Recognition rather than recall
The redesign lets each user decide which dimensions matter: customisable columns in the comparator, selective filters in search, lifestyle-first content on the homepage. Less noise, more signal, more confidence.
User control and freedom · Aesthetic and minimalist design
"I need to see it and touch it": true across all three personas. The platform prepares the user (configuration done, price known, appointment booked) so they arrive at the dealership enriched, not overwhelmed.
Visibility of system status · Match between system and real world
Lead capture moved from the price page to the booking step. Saving vehicles and comparisons gives users a genuine reason to register, widening the lead pool. Brand pages and editorial content open a parallel commercial channel alongside dealer leads.
User control and freedom · Flexibility and efficiency of use
"Complex things can be made understandable: that is the role of good design." - Don Norman
This became the approach for the project: using research to understand what matters, then designing around that understanding to help people navigate complexity with confidence.
✔ reduce cognitive load
✔ increase user agency (a background in anthropology helps!)
✔ open new commercial opportunities for the platform
