CDK Global / Consumer Vehicle Product Experience
CDK Global is the global industry leader in car buying backend and frontend software. Following its merger with Roadster, I served as the consumer experience UX lead since 2020. Together, we transformed the car buying journey by making the digital retailing experience accessible to dealerships of all sizes, enhancing convenience, efficiency, and customer satisfaction across the automotive retail landscape
I collaborated closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and analysts. Using a data-driven approach, we continuously validated our assumptions through data and customer feedback. The greater challenge lay in unifying direction across departments while navigating the varying regulations across cities, states, and countries.
Vehicle Product Page
Through user testing and dealer feedback, the vehicle detail page requires many UI improvements. A modern look can create trust when consumers enter the site (“The white makes it look like a fake scam website,” one user said during the test). The improvements on the deal builder, include the use of rounded corner cards, shadows, and arrows that clearly indicate what to expect after the click - all of these new UI elements create a clear information separation between the product description and deal builder while the “realistic” cards are inviting to the consumers.
Search Result Page Update
The old search results page has multiple problems. It is not mobile-friendly, shows the result in three categories (new make and model, new VIN, and used), and does not have a fluid layout, which makes it hard for users to find what they want through excessive eye movements…
In my new design, I created a results page with customizable categories that are more familiar to the consumers (like continue browsing, most popular in your area, best in class). I removed the header banner to minimize distractions, especially on mobile. Key features such as filter, sort, and compare are sticky on the top with the header, allowing users to easily adjust their search preferences. For the result cards, I placed the image at the top since it's the most important content for car shoppers and proven by the analytic data. A primary button is added to clarify the action, and secondary information is hidden until hovered.
