The Challenge
"Redesign our 3 brand websites from a centralized template platform, and optimize our customers' entire journey to an e-commerce experience."
Map the complete orientation and purchasing customer journey of our customers, and discover opportunities for improvement.
Apply a complete redesign to our VW, Seat and Skoda brand websites with a comprehensive template and component library.
Translate our unique brand experiences of the 3 brands into the experience of each website.
Mobile first product experience
Family-owned company PON, importer of VW, Seat, Skoda, and many other brands in the Netherlands, is gearing up for a future of online car sales. They challenged us to redesign their website from a 'mobile-first' perspective and create a uniform platform for all their car brands. To get to this point, we started by getting to know the user first and mapping their specific user journeys.
Small things can make a difference
The entire project started small, as is often the case. We were asked to take a fresh look at the 'test drive planner' module on the VW website, which exhibited a noticeable number of dropouts. However, we quickly realized that this was not necessarily related to the module itself but more to the interconnection of features during the customer journey. The various functionalities on the VW website, encountered by a visitor in their search for a potential new car, were not well-aligned and consequently created unnecessary obstacles and frustrations for visitors in that journey. Later, it turned out that this was an example of how the website reflected the organization's structure – commonly known as 'inside-out' thinking.
Service blueprint
Clearly, there was more at play than just dropouts with the test drive planner. To gain a better understanding, we delved into researching, experiencing, and mapping the complete customer journeys of the chosen key personas and their needs. Starting from a Google search term to physically signing the purchase contract at the dealer, and everything in between. The end result was a comprehensive service blueprint of both business and private personas with all desires, needs, emotions, and touchpoints with one of the brands presented in a complete overview.
Opportunity Mapping
With insights from the service blueprint, we could begin thinking about solutions based on opportunities. The advantage was having the complete picture in front of us, allowing us to think on a larger scale about solutions that transcended touchpoints.
After a concept and exploration phase, during which we designed and tested various solutions, we had enough knowledge and confidence to commence the overhaul of the three brand websites. The Volkswagen website would be tackled first as an example, designed from a 'mobile-first' perspective.
Creating a design system
Volkswagen.nl is component-based and built upon the principles of atomic design: it all starts with atoms that form into molecules, organisms, templates and finally pages. We created a pattern library so our designers could quickly design new templates and pages. Ultimately, there is ample freedom for the other brands in the Volkswagen portfolio to plug their own content in and come out with a totally different look.
The biggest challenge
The biggest challenge of this project: achieving an optimal customer journey almost always has an impact on how the organization works (together). This requires buy-in from the organization at the highest level to succeed.
My role and accountabilities
Product Design Lead
Business development
Translate client request in project plan
Creation and facilitation of workshops
research lead and design direction
Team motivation and inspiration
Stakeholder management