Creating a product vision for one of LATAMs leading car rental apps.
How we created a product vision that allowed the company to prioritize what users actually wanted from the app.
My role
As the first designer on the app squad I conducted a discovery process that led to a revised product vision and roadmap aimed at creating a unique user experience that helped users throughout the whole rental journey, moving away from a price comparison tool.
The goal
Rentcars was set to make the app their main booking channel, drive conversion up and reduce uninstalls.
The problem
At the time there was one big question I set out to answer: ‘why would our clients book on the app instead of the website’.
People were downloading, but uninstalls were at 70% even with bookings growing. When I asked people what the value of using the app to book, all I got was a blank stare. So, I set out to understand how our users used the app, what their expectations were and where they actually saw value in our solution.
While we offered a price comparison tool, our users expected a full rental experience, no reason for the user to keep the app on their phone.
While we offered a price comparison tool, our users expected a full rental experience, no reason for the user to keep the app on their phone.
Our biggest finding: there was no reason for the user to keep the app on their phone.
We had been focused on only booking for 16 years and our app reflected that positioning. No features for pickup, no digital voucher, no rental status notifications and no real way to make the users life easier after booking. And that was where the real value proposition was. The user did not have their computer or even good internet connection during their trip and only the app could help them with their post booking journey. And THAT was not a bonus, it was a basic requirement. Not doing so meant a clear uninstall.
We had been focused on only booking for 16 years and our app reflected that positioning. No features for pickup, no digital voucher, no rental status notifications and no real way to make the users life easier after booking. And that was where the real value proposition was. The user did not have their computer or even good internet connection during their trip and only the app could help them with their post booking journey. And THAT was not a bonus, it was a basic requirement. Not doing so meant a clear uninstall.
Usability testing showed us our listing page had too much information and the rental configuration page was too confusing to drive conversion up.
Usability testing showed us our listing page had too much information and the rental configuration page was too confusing to drive conversion up.
Improvements in the listings page drove conversion up 0,5% and redesign of configuration page drove superior coverage attachment rate by 13%.
We set up a series of usability tests with users from our main locations: Brazil, USA and Europe. We found that our user journey had two main problems: our listings page had too much repeated or irrelevant information that was ignored by users and our rental configuration page confused, more than clarified. People did not understand our loyalty program and where their cashback would be deposited - which was quite concerning since the program is one of our main value propositions.
We set up a series of usability tests with users from our main locations: Brazil, USA and Europe. We found that our user journey had two main problems: our listings page had too much repeated or irrelevant information that was ignored by users and our rental configuration page confused, more than clarified. People did not understand our loyalty program and where their cashback would be deposited - which was quite concerning since the program is one of our main value propositions.
In a market where price speaks louder, we wanted to be the solution that guided the user to the best choice and not the lowest price.
In a market where price speaks louder, we wanted to be the solution that guided the user to the best choice and not the lowest price.
We decided to elevate the user experience through microinteractions, motion design and design patterns that created a top notch user experience that differentiated Rentcars from other players.
We decided to elevate the user experience through microinteractions, motion design and design patterns that created a top notch user experience that differentiated Rentcars from other players.
Design needed to follow that vision in order to create a compelling and unique experience for the app. We decided to elevate the user experience through microinteractions, motion design and design patterns that created a top notch user experience that differentiated Rentcars from the rest of the market.
Design needed to follow that vision in order to create a compelling and unique experience for the app. We decided to elevate the user experience through microinteractions, motion design and design patterns that created a top notch user experience that differentiated Rentcars from the rest of the market.
Understanding how the app could help the business.
Understanding how the app could help the business.
I ran various meetings, workshops and interviews with stakeholders and country managers to understand how our app could help them achieve their business objectives.
I ran various meetings, workshops and interviews with stakeholders and country managers to understand how our app could help them achieve their business objectives.
Marketing
From a marketing perspective I wanted to work together to create an app focused strategy for ads and product positioning. This would help us differentiate the app from the web experience in every touch point.
From a marketing perspective I wanted to work together to create an app focused strategy for ads and product positioning. This would help us differentiate the app from the web experience in every touch point.
Sales
Our country managers had concerns about the listing page in their country. I had to understand their specific business objectives to create a dynamic offer listing that could change based on the user´s country.
Our country managers had concerns about the listing page in their country. I had to understand their specific business objectives to create a dynamic offer listing that could change based on the user´s country.
Customer Happiness
I need to understand what app users' most common complaints and pain points were in order to create a backlog that could address these problems.
I need to understand what app users' most common complaints and pain points were in order to create a backlog that could address these problems.
We enabled clear direction for the product, rooted in customer needs.
We enabled clear direction for the product, rooted in customer needs.
We developed a product vision grounded in customer needs, expanding the app’s role beyond booking to supporting customers throughout the rental journey. This vision informed a roadmap focused on delivering value beyond the transaction, identifying opportunities to make the rental experience easier and drive continued app engagement. While the vision itself did not immediately translate into shipped features, it established a strategic direction that guided feature discovery and prioritization in the following months.
We developed a product vision grounded in customer needs, expanding the app’s role beyond booking to supporting customers throughout the rental journey. This vision informed a roadmap focused on delivering value beyond the transaction, identifying opportunities to make the rental experience easier and drive continued app engagement. While the vision itself did not immediately translate into shipped features, it established a strategic direction that guided feature discovery and prioritization in the following months.
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