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 and develop an e-commerce platform as the brand's central digital hub for communication. The goal is to strengthen the brand, update its visual identity, and optimize the customer experience. The solution aims to enable simple, agile online vehicle purchasing, aligning the digital offering with the brand's values of accessibility, efficiency, and proximity.
As a starting point, it was decided to analyze customer behavior in their purchasing environment to obtain descriptive data on interests, purchasing motivations, and pre- and post-sale behavior.
Direct communication was also established with the dealership team, which enabled the collection of key quantitative data on general customer preferences, such as the most-sold vehicle, the most-requested services, and the types of information most frequently consulted during the sales process.
Communication with the user
Our interactions with customers and observations in physical dealerships enabled us to identify behavioral patterns and preferences related to the visual experience of the shopping environment. Additionally, we gathered important user data, including purchase history, product quality, service feedback, and other sales process metrics.
Physical Survey
in store
Virtual survey via zoom
Interviews with workers/clients
Desk Search
Over 10 days, we conducted nearly 40 random surveys among dealership visitors to gather initial data on their demographic profiles and product- and brand-related user interests.
This initial approach clarified the target audience and helped us develop preliminary design hypotheses, ensuring that strategic decisions aligned with user expectations.
Eight individual virtual interviews (one-on-one) were conducted via Zoom to deepen customer perceptions. Through conversations and open-ended questions, we aimed to understand users' opinions, expectations, and overall perceptions of their experience with the brand.
Users purchase vehicles for work use, with taxi drivers being the predominant segment.
WhatsApp is the preferred channel for inquiries and follow-ups throughout the purchasing process.
Users make more than one physical visit before purchase.
Seeing the vehicle in person and current promotions are the main incentives for visiting the physical dealership.
We evaluated the current customer experience to identify frustrations, pain points, and opportunities for improvement. This analysis enabled us to prioritize and align key features with user needs.
Construction of structure
To create the competitive map, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the sector's main competitors. Our goal was to collect essential information and establish a comparative ranking based on their services and communication strategies across digital channels. This process allowed us to identify specific opportunities for improvement that are vital for strategic differentiation and mitigate risks during the design process.
* The competition was chosen taking into account: Products offered (Chevrolet and related brands), geographic location, economic level, and prior knowledge (interviewees).
After defining the service categories, we started developing the initial content and features for the digital product. We conducted an internal card-sorting exercise focused on the site's main navigation to organize information effectively. This activity required collaboration with brand partners to ensure that our structural decisions aligned with both operational and strategic perspectives.
The client's business objectives played a crucial role in prioritizing and finalizing the card groupings. This ensured that the architecture was consistent with business logic while enhancing the user experience.
Design
The objective was to create an intuitive, distraction-free navigation experience that emphasizes vehicle sales and display. To achieve this, we chose a clean, simple interface with a modular structure composed of informative, interactive blocks.
Every detail was carefully considered to preserve the brand's essence while respecting its institutional aesthetic. The color palette, featuring yellow, gray, and black, added a touch of elegance and modernity to the brand.
The project followed the parameters and limitations of the HubSpot platform, which the client informed us about only toward the end of the design process. The platform uses a drag-and-drop system with certain restrictions on code. This required me to redesign elements within specific technical guidelines, ensuring components and items were adapted to achieve an aesthetically pleasing, functional result without compromising compatibility.
To accomplish this, I relied heavily on images as my primary resource. I also incorporated subtle details, such as shadows, thin borders, and background color filters. These elements helped differentiate sections and add more dynamism to the visuals.
I carefully integrated images and external components for various device sizes during the process. We understood that HubSpot could display differently depending on the format, especially on mobile devices. Therefore, we optimized proportions, spacing, and styles to ensure a consistent experience across all screens.
*HubSpot is a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) focused on inbound marketing. Designed for business growth, it offers a range of functions for marketing, sales, design, operations, and more.
