Chevrolet - Makine
Client: Chevrolet - Makine
Role: UI/UX Designer
Year: 2018
Makine is an official Chevrolet dealership with over 15 years of experience and three specialized branches in Lima, Peru. Throughout its history, it has positioned itself as one of the most solid references in the automotive sector, distinguished by its operational excellence and customer service.
Project Goals
Design an e-commerce platform that acts as the brand's main digital communication hub, with the goal of strengthening its branding, updating its visual identity, and optimizing the customer experience. The solution aims to enable the agile and simple online purchase of vehicles, aligning the digital offering with the brand's values of accessibility, and efficiency.
As a starting point, it was decided to analyze customer behavior in their purchasing environment in order to obtain relevant information on descriptive data, interests, purchasing motivations, and pre- and post-sale behavior.
Also, direct communication was established with the dealership team, which allowed for the collection of key quantitative data related to general customer preferences (such as the most sold vehicle, the most requested services, and the types of information most consulted during the sales process).
Communication with the user
Direct customer interaction and observation in physical dealerships allowed us to identify behavioral patterns and preferences linked to the visual experience of the shopping environment. At the same time, relevant user data was obtained, such as purchase history, opinions on quality and service, and other metrics linked to the sales process.
Physical Survey
in store
Virtual survey via zoom
Interviews with workers/clients
Desk Search
Over a 10-day period, nearly 40 random physical surveys were conducted among dealership visitors to gather initial data on the demographic profile and user interests related to the product and brand.
This initial approach allowed for a more precise view of the target audience and the development of initial design hypotheses, aligning strategic decisions with real user expectations.
8 individual virtual interviews (one-on-one) were conducted via the Zoom platform, focused on deepening customer perceptions. Through conversations and open-ended questions, we sought to understand users' opinions, expectations, and general thinking regarding their experience with the brand.
Users purchase vehicles for work use, with taxi drivers being the predominant segment.
WhatsApp is the preferred means of interaction, both for inquiries and for follow-ups during purchasing process.
Users make more than one fisical visit before purchase.
Seeing the vehicle in person and current promotions are the main incentives for visiting the physical dealership.
These actions allowed us to evaluate the current customer experience, identifying frustrations, pain points, and opportunities for improvement. These findings made it possible to prioritize key features and align them with real user needs.
Construction of structure
To develop the competitive map, a research process focused on a detailed analysis of the sector's main competitors was conducted. The objective was to gather key information and establish a comparative ranking based on the services offered and the way they communicate through their digital channels.
This exercise allowed us to identify concrete opportunities for improvement essential for strategic differentiation, as well as to prevent risks in the design process.
* The competition was chosen taking into account: Products offered (Chevrolet and related brands), geographic location, economic level and prior knowledge (interviewees).
Once the service categories were defined, the process of creating the preliminary content and functionalities of the digital product began.
To organize the information, an internal card sorting process was implemented, focusing on the site's main navigation. This activity was carried out in collaboration with brand collaborators, allowing the structuring decisions to be aligned with an operational and strategic perspective.
The client's business objectives also influenced the prioritization and final grouping of the cards, ensuring that the architecture was aligned with both the business logic and the user experience.
Design
The goal was for navigation to be highly intuitive and distraction-free, focusing on the sales and display of vehicles. Therefore, a clean, straightforward interface and a modular structure based primarily on informative and interactive blocks were chosen.
Every detail was carefully considered to preserve the brand's essence and respect its institutional aesthetic. The palette (yellow, with grays and black) also helped create the brand's touch of elegance and modernity.
The work followed the parameters and limitations of the HubSpot platform (the client notified us almost at the end of the design process :P ). The tool operates under a drag-and-drop system and has code limitations, which forced me to redesign within certain technical rules and adapt components and items to achieve a visually appealing and functional result without affecting the compatibility.
To achieve this, I relied a lot on images as the main resource. I also applied subtle details such as shadows, thin borders, and color filters to backgrounds that helped separate sections and create more dynamism in the visuals.
Throughout the process, I took great care regarding the integration of images and external components across different device sizes. We knew HubSpot could behave differently across formats, especially on mobile, so we optimized proportions, spacing, and styles to ensure the experience remained consistent across all screens.
*HubSpot is a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) focused on inbound marketing. Designed for business growth, it offers diverse functions for marketing, sales, design, operations, and more.
