Next Gen Automotive Check-out
Overview
Rescuing an Underperforming E-Commerce Infrastructure
Nissan Canada had a fully functional "Reserve Online" e-commerce tool that our users were simply missing. With engagement stalling, internal stakeholders wanted either an expensive overhaul or to pull the plug on the program entirely. We shifted the strategy away from a costly re-brand and instead proved we could drive conversions by embedding lower lift, tactical and contextual entry points along the existing car-buying journey. We focused on meeting users naturally where their intent was highest in their purchase journey instead of forcing them into a disconnected checkout.
Goal
Prove the value of e-commerce program through micro-elevations
Create a series of high-fidelity proof of concepts that demonstrated how we could pull the e-commerce offering out of its corner and into the user's natural path. By identifying key points in the existing journey, we aimed to increase visibility, boost engagement, and provide the client with the evidence needed to keep the program funded and functional.
Challenge
Elevate a siloed experience within strict tech requirements
Because of specific tech requirements that needed to pull real-time vehicle data, the e-commerce experience lived in a black box makin it difficult to integrate the experience naturally into the rest of the site. Additionally, we had to convince stakeholders that a lighter tactical approach would be more effective than their proposed plan for a standalone branded program.
Discover
Before starting design, we needed to outline and align business goals and user needs. Our goal was to assist in distinguishing what our client stakeholders thought they wanted, and what the consumer actually demanded. This phase was about stripping away assumptions to see where the real opportunity lived.
Client Workshop - Identifying the Friction
We kicked off with a collaborative workshop to get the client wish list out in the open. What we discovered was a tension between the desire for a massive, branded "E-commerce Experience" and the reality of their technical constraints that confined the reservation program to a single part of the journey.
Through a series of "How Might We" framing, our workshop focused on open ended statements in the themes of boosting awareness, website experience, dealership transition, loyalty & returning consumers.
Competitive Audit - The White Space Opportunity
Our look at the competition confirmed a hypothesis that most brands are struggling with the same siloed e-commerce experiences. While a few leaders (Hyundai, VW, Toyota) executed seamless reservation flows with branded e-commerce, the majority still had a massive gap between browsing and buying.
We realized that the most premium thing we could do for the user wasn't to build a new sub-brand, but to make the path to purchase feel invisible and effortless.
Define
Identifying our High-Intent Audiences
To fully build out our concepts, myself and my strategist partner mapped out the various user types, their motivations, and the type of e-commerce they were trying to engage with. Not every user visiting a car site is ready to drop a deposit. We categorized our users into four distinct shopping mindsets to ensure our tactical placements spoke to their specific needs:
The Custom Builder: Looking to "Build & Price" their dream car from scratch.
The Ready-to-Buy: Searching local inventory for a car they can drive today.
The Early Adopter: Focused specifically on pre-ordering the newest, unreleased models.
The Returner: Someone who started a flow and needs a frictionless way to jump back in.
Elevating Journey Touchpoints
We also audited the existing journey to see where e-commerce was currently hidden and where it should have been. Since the current experience had e-commerce contained to a single journey point, our strategy shifted toward creating micro-entries; subtle, informative triggers in all parts of the journey to create awareness early in the shopping flow.
Key Experience Buckets
To give the client a clear track of our concept directions, we organized our proof-of-concepts into three Experience Buckets. It categorized our range of solutions while staying within the boundaries of their existing tech and also mapping our designs to user needs.
1. Seamless Elevation
The problem - The e-commerce flow feels like a detour rather than a destination.
How Might We - integrate e-commerce into the buying flow so it feels parallel to a natural buying journey
2. Process Transparency
The problem - Users abandon online reservations, or don't engage at all, due to uncertainty about next steps
How Might We - Provide clear, contextual cues that outline next steps and post purchase expectations
3. Reason to Believe
The problem - Why should I reserve this car, this way, right now ?
HMW - Highlight program benefits that appeal to different personas and motivations
Final Concepts
1. Seamless Elevation - Integrating Commerce Site-wide
Instead of treating e-commerce as a detour after customizing a vehicle, we elevated the purchase journey more directly into the core buying path.
Key Call-outs:
A. Persistent cart: Introduced a subtle, persistent cart drawer that reinforcing the retail capability without disrupting the browsing experience
B. Language signaling: Updated site-wide calls to action to include "reserve" to drive early awareness of the e-commerce "action"
C. Contextual pathing: Made high-intent vehicle imagery directly shoppable with inline "Reserve This Vehicle" CTAs, turning passive browsing into a quick path to checkout
2. Process Transparency - Clarifying the Post-Reservation Journey
To eliminate the anxiety of entering a financial transaction online, we provided bite-sized messaging around the reservation process.
Design Call-outs:
A. Familiar Cart: Modeled the offer summary after standard checkout carts to lower cognitive load and accelerate decision-making
B. Contextual Program Explanation: Include digestible, clear blurb that clearly answered critical user questions upfront
C. Deposit Clarity: Added plain-language breakdowns of refundable deposit terms directly in the checkout flow, removing financial hesitation
D. Next Best Actions: Included additional actions that allow a softer path forward if a consumer is not currently ready for purchase
3. Reasons to Believe - Creating Tailored Value Propositions
We replaced generic marketing copy with targeted programmatic benefits that communicated exactly why a user should reserve online right now.
Design Call-outs:
A. Incentivized Micro-Messaging - specific incentives contextualized to journey point and user intent
B. Personalized Nudge Messaging - Personalized, distinct value pillars based on browsing behavior and user journey stage
Final Impact
Executive Reception
The proof-of-concepts were met with good reception from the client team. Our Experience Bucket framework helped tie show a clear path towards increasing engagement without breaking the existing tech infrastructure. By visualizing tactical micro-elevations instead of a massive, risky rebrand, we shifted the conversation from whether the e-commerce program was viable to how we could strategically improve knowledge of its existence.
The Long-Game Strategy
While the designs aren't live on the site just yet, the project the gave our clients substance to make a case internally for the program’s future. Our concepts served as the foundational roadmap for the 2026 Fiscal Year planning, with several of our "Seamless Elevation" and "Process Transparency" modules currently being prioritized for the next major site update.
Reflection
This project taught me that UX design is often as much about internal advocacy as it is about the end-user. By meeting the client where they were, acknowledging their technical constraints and internal pressures, we were able to save a struggling program and turn it into a potential pillar of their digital future.