Caha! App
Situation
At Caha!, there was an opportunity to develop a new product, a comprehensive car-management app, from scratch. This required creating a design system that could streamline the development process and ensure a cohesive user experience across both iOS and Android platforms.
Determining features for v1 through user testing & prototyping
In order to determine what features should be in the v1 of the product we needed to balance effort to build, customer value and customer demand. In order to do this effectively we created rapid prototypes using Figma to validate key features of the Caha! app early in the design process.
These interactive prototypes allowed stakeholders and potential users to engage with core functionalities like car management, maintenance tracking, and notifications as if the app were fully functional. By sharing these prototypes for feedback, we were able to iterate quickly based on user insights and plan out a effective roadmap.
To ensure the features were well-validated, we conducted multiple rounds of user testing, where users performed specific tasks within the app. Observing their interactions helped identify pain points and usability issues, which informed continuous refinements, ensuring the final design was both intuitive and aligned with user needs.
Breaking down core sections of the app to prototype and validate through user testing. This example is of our sign-up process.
Learnings from User Teting
We recognized that the sign-up process was crucial, but testing revealed that users were much more engaged when we included small nuggets of value early on. Instead of simply requesting all personal details upfront, we started by confirming the user's car information and the data we had about it, adding personalized details such as the car's type, colour, and transmission. This approach made the sign-up process feel less like a data capture and more useful to the user.
Card Sorting To Understand Value
To better understand how users prioritize features within the Caha! app, we conducted a card sorting exercise. We gathered a diverse group of participants and provided them with a set of cards, each representing a different feature of the app. These included core functionalities such as budgeting tools, savings goals, expense tracking, and notification preferences.
Participants were asked to organize the cards from "most valuable" to "least valuable," based on their personal preferences and how they anticipated using the app. This exercise helped us gain insights into which features users considered essential for their financial management needs, as well as which aspects were seen as less critical. The results allowed us to prioritize future development efforts and refine the user experience by focusing on the features that provide the greatest value.
UI Design
Designing the UI for the Caha! car management app centered on creating a cohesive and user-friendly experience across both iOS and Android platforms. The process began with developing a comprehensive design system that ensured consistency in visual elements, such as iconography and reusable components, while maintaining platform-specific aesthetics. By establishing a solid foundation, the app could provide a unified brand experience across devices, while still adhering to the distinct design principles of each operating system.
Scalability and flexibility were central to the design approach. The component-based system ensured that future updates or new features could be integrated easily without disrupting the UI’s consistency. This approach not only streamlined development but also ensured that the app remained visually appealing, intuitive, and future-proof across both platforms.
The results
Successfully established a robust design system that guided the development of the Caha app, ensuring a consistent and high-quality user experience. The iterative feedback and user testing led to a well-validated product, ready for market introduction with increased confidence in its usability and functionality.