Automotive Service Design
Introduction
Background:
Service information in traditional car repair is scattered and disconnected. From dropping off the car to waiting in the lounge, the entire process relies on manual work.
Our goal was to build an all-in-one digital system for luxury car brands. By connecting the dealership's Web platform with the car owner's LINE LIFF, we turned messy offline workflows into a clear and efficient service loop.
Team members:
Product Designer *1
Product Manager *1
Front-end Engineer *1
Back-end Engineer *2
QA *1
My Responsibility:
AI-Assisted Scoping:
Used AI tools early on to gather messy requirements, clarify project goals, and align the team on the right direction.
System Integration:
Evaluated existing system limits with the PM and front-end engineers to make sure all designs were technically practical.
Fast Delivery & Mockups:
Delivered high-fidelity mockups in fast 1–2 week sprints, helping the team review flows and validate user interactions quickly.
Target audience:
This project is designed for two key user groups in the luxury automotive service loop:
Luxury Car Owners:
High-income car owners who own 1–3 premium vehicles and expect transparent, reliable updates on vehicle repairs without messy phone calls.
Dealership Service Staff:
Frontline service advisors working in fast-paced environments who need clear vehicle histories, owner preferences, and real-time repair tracking to prevent mistakes during peak hours.
Business & Operational Challenges:
Disconnected Systems:
Dealership tools, legacy DMS data, and owner platforms did not talk to each other, forcing staff to work across scattered screens.
Heavy Manual Tasks:
Without basic automation, staff spent too much time manually updating statuses and coordinating tasks, especially during peak hours.
Fragmented Experience:
Dealerships lacked unified customer profiles, making it hard to track owner preferences and provide a consistent, premium service.
Rigid Architecture:
The old system was hard to scale or modify, slowing down fast prototyping for new luxury client pitches.
Design Goal:
Unify dealer and customer platforms for a seamless service journey
01.
Booking & Preparation
Low-Barrier Booking Process for Car Owner
Pain Point
The official brand app lacked dealer-specific booking, and the website required a tedious sign-up. Dealers had to rely on phone calls or SurveyCake, leading to scattered records and no clear confirmation for car owners.
Solution
Designed a lightweight Web and LINE booking flow with no sign-up needed, paired with LINE Flex messages to instantly deliver clear booking details.
Capacity & Calendar Overview for Service Advisor
Pain Point
Advisors relied on a legacy PHP scheduling tool—an isolated system that couldn't sync with the DMS and was rigid to scale, forcing staff to manually duplicate records across platforms.
Solution
To respect frontline habits aligned with the client, we kept the core matrix structure and focused on refining the workflow while seamlessly integrating new features.
From Feature Request to Streamlined Flow
What client asked
The client requested a standalone search bar to check for duplicate bookings.
Solution
Integrated real-time duplicate checks directly into the "New Booking" modal. As advisors type the license plate, instant lookup results appear below the input, eliminating a disconnected two-step flow.
Future-Proof DMS Quick-View
Pain Point
Legacy DMS lacked real-time data sync before appointments.
Solution
Added a quick-action button on the service card. A dropdown allows advisors to instantly jump to records using License Plate, VIN, Contact Name, or Mobile Phone. This eliminates manual searches and preps for future data integration.
02.
Welcome & Service
Welcome Screen Redesign
Pain Point
The old welcome screen was static. During busy hours, when cars arrived one after another, staff easily missed the screen updates and greeted the wrong customers.
Solution
Redesigned the screen layout and added clear transition animations. When a new car arrives, the screen visually catches the staff's attention, helping them greet the right person at the right time.
Real-Time Tracking & Overtime Alerts
Pain Point
After a car arrives, staff often lose track of its location. Service stages easily run overtime without being noticed, causing delays.
Solution
Created an all-in-one service card. Advisors can quickly see basic vehicle info, service requests, exact location (building and floor), overtime alerts, and quick contact buttons in one place.
Streamlined Progress Tracking for Car Owner
Pain Point
The old mobile system had real-time updates, but the screens were too crowded and hard to navigate, ruining the premium brand feel.
Solution
Redesigned the layout with simple progress bars and clean cards. Fixed broken user flows and applied a luxury visual style to create a smooth, premium experience on LINE LIFF.
Premium &
Scalable Visuals
Premium Tone
Inspired by luxury automotive brands, the UI utilizes a sleek, minimalist black-and-white foundation to deliver a high-end experience.
Highly Scalable
This neutral base acts as a "white-label" canvas, allowing future B2B clients to seamlessly plug in their own logos and brand colors.
03.
Hospitality & Live Overview
Lounge Ordering & Seating Management
Pain Point
Using a third-party ordering tool created a disconnected user journey for car owners. It also prevented the dealership from keeping valuable customer data and preferences for future business analysis.
Solution
Built a 0-to-1 backend system for bar staff to easily manage seats and menus. For car owners, I redesigned the existing ordering interface to match the owner platform. This ensured a consistent premium experience and kept all service data in-house.
Seamless QR Code Ordering
Pain Point
The old ordering flow felt disconnected and did not match the premium aesthetic of luxury car brands.
Solution
Redesigned the ordering interface to fully match the owner platform's visual style. Car owners can easily scan a QR code at their seats and order meals via LINE, enjoying a smooth and consistent premium experience.
Product Onboarding & Training Materials
Context
To ensure frontline staff could smoothly adopt the new lounge ordering system, I created the training presentation and user manual.
Deliverables
A viewable PDF of the presentation deck is provided below. Please note that detailed operational documents and release notes are excluded to comply with data security and confidentiality policies.
Lounge Live Overview
Pain Point
While this dashboard was a standard requirement by BMW headquarters, the legacy version was static. It lacked a responsive design for different screen orientations and offered no space for brand advertisements.
Solution
Upgraded the dashboard with a hardware-adaptive layout. Vertical screens now display immersive brand ads at the bottom, while horizontal screens automatically hide ads to maximize text readability, fulfilling both operational and marketing needs.
Workshop Live Overview
Pain Point
Managers used to manually export DMS data to Excel every day. They lacked a real-time data to easily track daily capacity, completed payments, and overtime issues.
Solution
Designed a live control dashboard to replace manual reports. The data table features a responsive auto-carousel layout that automatically adapts to any screen size. This keeps the view clean for large teams and lays a highly scalable foundation for future expansions.
04.
Brand Experience Activation
& Business Pitches
Porsche Exhibition Queuing System
Pain Point
Traditional exhibitions relied on manual paperwork and verbal calls, making it hard for staff to manage queue sequences and resulting in poor visitor experiences.
Solution
Designed a digital ticketing system with a simple, intuitive interface and smooth queue management. It allows visitors to check in easily while helping on-site staff track attendance and manage waiting lists in real time.
Localization Strategy
To build trust with local users, the UI color palette was derived from popular Malaysian apps (e.g., TNG eWallet, local airlines) and carefully blended with the target enterprise's official brand colors.
Malaysia Insurance Integration
Market Insight
WhatsApp is the most popular communication app in Malaysia. However, we also needed to support users who prefer searching via browsers or processing complex claims on home desktops.
Proposed Concept
Designed a hybrid "WhatsApp-to-Web" claim flow. Owners can easily initiate a claim by typing keywords to an official WhatsApp chatbot. The bot then redirects them to a responsive Web platform, allowing them to smoothly take photos of car damage and upload documents across any device (mobile or desktop).
05.
Impact & Key Takeaways
Business & Operational Impact
Boosted Frontline Efficiency
Replaced fragmented manual tasks with a unified workflow, significantly reducing cognitive load and error rates for staff during peak hours.
Elevated Owner Experience
Upgraded the progress tracker into a frictionless, brand-consistent journey matching luxury standards.
Increased Market Adoption
The flexible, white-label design easily fits luxury brand styles. This makes the premium car market much more willing to use our product for local and overseas projects.
Key Reflections
Balancing Legacy & UX
I learned that a full redesign isn't always the answer. Respecting staff habits and system limits ensures a much smoother experience.
Function to Brand Experience
In premium markets, basic features are not enough. The real value of design is upgrading those features into a smooth, brand-aligned journey.