Elevating car selling experience for 4lakh+ users on CARS24 app

Monika Maharana
6 min readAug 5, 2024

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As a part of the 10kDesigners cohort on Product Design, I explored this problem statement brought to us by CARS24 for the capstone project.

Duration : 1 week
Tools: Figma, Miro

🚗Context

Cars24 is a leading auto-tech company that simplifies the selling, purchasing, and financing of pre-owned cars in India, Australia, Thailand, and the UAE. Users can easily sell their cars through the app by providing details and receiving an estimated price range. The app manages the entire selling process, from scheduling inspections to finalizing prices and transactions, making it convenient and efficient for users to sell their vehicles.
Cars24 offers two main products:

  • Consumer App: This app serves two distinct target audiences:
    -Car owners are looking to sell their vehicles.
    -Individuals interested in purchasing used cars.
  • Partner App: This app is designed for registered car dealers who wish to participate in purchasing used cars through the auction method.

In this project, I revamped the process for selling used cars and redesigned the user interface.

📝Problems in the existing app

During our initial call with the design team, they provided us with a comprehensive overview of the current challenges within the seller journey of the app. The key issues highlighted were:

Seller Journey
  • Users often feel disconnected and unaware of the overall process, unable to complete most activities seamlessly.
  • Poor process visibility leads to user dependency on retail associates or incomplete information disclosure.
  • Building user trust and understanding the context of the process and action requires effective strategies.

Redefining the problem statement

Problem Statement

✅Goals

User Goals

  • Smooth Selling Process: Users want an easy-to-follow process for selling their cars.
  • Personalized Experience: Tailored interactions that meet their specific needs.
  • Clear Understanding: Users want clarity about the entire selling process, regardless of where they start.

Business Goals

  • Scalable Process: The business aims to create an efficient selling process that works for various user demographics and market conditions.
  • Optimized Platform: The goal is to minimize user confusion and maximize conversion rates for more profitability.

Research

User Research

Existing app flow

To gain a better understanding of the issue, I conducted user interviews with people who have sold their cars through Cars24 and its competitors.

Interview Questions

These interviews gave valuable insights into their experiences, highlighting pain points and preferences. The feedback revealed specific areas where users felt disconnected and helped identify features they appreciated or desired.

Research Insights

Critical User Review

As part of my research, I examined user feedback on platforms such as the Play Store and Reddit to understand the current user experience (UX) and identify pain points.

Play Store Reviews:
I identified common issues and positive feedback. Key findings included complaints about the complexity of the process, issues with the final offer prices, and praise for the convenience and speed of the service.

Playstore Reviews

Reddit Discussions:
I analyzed discussions and posts about CARS24 on Reddit. Users often highlighted the lack of transparency in the pricing mechanism and the need for better customer service.

Reddit Reviews

Competitor analysis

I considered Spinny and Car Dekho as potential apps to study how similar apps were addressing certain issues. To gain direct insight into the user experience, I booked a selling experience. This hands-on approach provided valuable insights into the overall UX and key functionalities.

Insights from CarDekho & Spinny

Here are some important findings from the competitive analysis:

  • Many apps show the remaining steps and use a progress bar to guide users through the selling process.
  • Some platforms combine location and address entry into a single step to streamline the process.
  • The selling process is divided into milestones or a roadmap on platforms. This approach enhances user understanding and engagement by informing them of their progress.

Redesigning the Experience ✨

Visual Moodboard

Wireframes

Onboarding

  • The redesigned onboarding flow for Cars24 ensures a seamless and engaging user experience. It introduces users to the app with a welcoming tone and highlights key features through informative screens.
  • Progress indicators and microcopy build trust, while the skip option provides flexibility. Secure OTP login, location sharing for localized offers, and clear navigation for selling or buying a car ensure a smooth and intuitive journey.

Home

  • The updated Cars24 home page offers better guidance with clear car number input instructions and prominent CTAs.
  • Users can easily navigate between Buy and Sell options, and the hero section now features a catchy design with an illustration and a clear CTA, making it more engaging. Visual updates and user review photos enhance credibility.

Seller Journey

The revised car-selling process on Cars24 is straightforward and user-friendly. It includes clear instructions, a progress bar, simplified UI, real-time updates during price calculation, and a final screen with the car price and a CTA for scheduling a free inspection.

Inspection Booking

The booking process is simplified by combining date slot and address entry, with a clear confirmation page featuring the next steps and CTAs.

Learnings⏭️

User-Centered Design: Prioritizing user needs and feedback is crucial for creating effective solutions.
Importance of transparency: Clear communication and transparency build trust and enhance user experience.
Simplification is key: Streamlined processes and interfaces reduce user frustration and improve engagement.
Iterative testing: Regular testing and feedback collection are essential for refining features and meeting user expectations.

That’s a wrap!

😃Working on this project was a fantastic experience, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. I would appreciate your feedback to help me refine and grow my design skills.

🤝 I am actively seeking Product Design opportunities. If you’re hiring and like my work, let’s connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Behance.

🎉 Thank you for staying with me until the end. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance. 😊📚

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Monika Maharana

Designer thriving on problem-solving and collaboration.