Project timeline
Goal
Aug 23 - Mar 24
Increase order conversion rate
Product design
PM
Frontend Engineer
Backend Engineer
Other Contributor
My role
What is charter service?
Renting a driver and a car for your trip.
It offers flexible trips within a specified time and mileage range, with additional charges applicable for exceeding the set limits.
Package =
Time
Miles
+
The status quo
Home page
Select Pick-up & Drop-off
Select Start Time
List page
Select Time & Mileage Package
Select Car Type
Select Supplier
Order page
Check out
Enter Passenger Information
Select Additional Services
Understanding PM’s Goal to get alignment
"We want to lower friction for users when choosing the package, but our ultimate goal is always to have a higher oder conversion rate.
Decrease information density
Reduce confusion and streamline price checking
Other problems along the way
Goals overview
Make it easier for users to decide on mileage
Lower friction on user path so they can order more
Focus: package selection
Design
PM
Order Conversion
GMV
(Gross Merchandise Value)
The scenario
Users visiting our page typically have a rough itinerary and are close to their departure date, so they likely want to secure the service quickly.
With itinerary
93%
Charter car user survey, 2023
Booking in advance <2 days
78.9%
Order data
Challenge 1 - HMW make package easier to select?
Define challenge with data & research
41% of users find the packages unreasonable, and 29% of interested users don’t know how to choose a package.
Charter car user survey, 2023
User report
Data shows that orders with excess mileage fees outnumber those with overtime fees.
Order data
Insight: Users don't have any idea of how far the distance will be.
Quick usability testing
Rather than package, it’s extremely hard for users to decide on miles
Design approach
Separate the package, reduce task in list page
The original UI was tailored for Chinese users, and I translated it for a broader audience, so it appears to be a little crowded in english. Happy to discuss how info density across languages shapes our UX differently!
Using scenarios to reduce learning cost
Warning Guidance
When buying actually saves user’s money
What happens if I exceed the limit?
Use scenarios to help user choose
Impacts
Order conversion rate
11.3%
GMV
4.88%
Prices dropped as users chose shorter service times to match their true needs.
Challenge 2
Confusion and Frictions
Home
Repeating title
Confusing subtext
Outdated color & friction
New users want to check products ASAP
Our quick usability testing revealed that users often rush to the list page to understand the service, sometimes entering a fake destination just to get there quickly.
Design approach
Shorter flow for checking prices
Reduce visual noise and confusion by replacing destination with a switch*
When no fields are filled, clicking "check prices" should directly trigger a pop-up.
Data behind this decision: over 65% users don’t ever put in destination
*
Before
After
Impacts
The numbers are surprising, highlighting users' struggle with "destination" and show the potential impact of applying research insights.
Order conversion rate
13.9%
Information piling on each other
Challenge 3
Checkout
Tons of hierarchy and color
Takes too much space for first screen
Design approach
Reorganize information in the way that matters to user
The car user just selected
The schedule
The supplier and its service
Service package selection
Select passenger、Additional service、Notes、Invoices
Provide Charter duration to assist with decision
Checking information
Actions
Bottom bar (payment)
Reduce visual noise
Before
After
Impacts
Order conversion rate
3.5%
The results were positive, but we received complaints that the pricing policy was hard to find, so we made it more visible. Lesson learned: visuals should never compromise usability.
Overview
Made miles easier to choose +11.9%
Reduced confusion +13.9%
Decreased noise +3.5%
Order conversion rate
31.9%
Hard lessons
Moving forward with escalation
In Challenge 1 alone, we went through a wild ride with 14 design iterations — 4 of those due to shifting product requirements, which led to quite a bit of design burnout.
The breakout point was PM insists on solution that damages user experience (negative prices), so I asked my manager for help, calling directors on both sides to talk about the problems with this project and the way we collaborate in the future.
In the meeting, we agreed that engineers and operations should handle these problems, not pass them onto users.
Afterward, we refined our process: the product team would clarify requirements and costs before involving design. Since then, the collaboration has gone much more smoothly.
A fluent motion experience
A service that user can pick how long they use and how far they wanna use, price is relatively high
Typical user
Chinese
31-55 years
58%female
Middle class
Scenario
Reserve charter service for travel or business.
x Charter service