AutoZone Loan-A-Tool® Concept - Case Study

PROBLEM

Finding automotive tools that can be rented and delivered to the door of an automotive DIY enthusiast is not currently available though many auto part retailers. While many tools are available through retail stores, there are an array of vehicle specific tools may be available to simply borrow from the automotive DIY community.

ACTION

To address the current challenges presented, a project brief was developed outlining details for the project, This included specifics about the user base, competition, proposed functionality the application would support. Based on preliminary research (including reviewing competitor applications), several artifacts were created early in the process including flow diagrams and wirerframes. Several iterations of wireframes (static through functional) were created in lo-fidelity then posted internally for stakeholder review. This was to foster further refinement with the intent of leveraging them for usability testing.

RESULT

As the wireframes were refined and additional screens were developed, feedback from stakeholders came in which was very positive. Many found the concept quite intriguing but also were helpful in identifying some gaps in execution that needed to be addressed prior to conducing further usability testing. Even though it was clear that the UI patterns and the visual affordances leveraged were understood, it was equally clear more research was going to be needed.

LESSONS LEARNED

From this project I found the automotive parts landscape to be much more complex than originally expected. After going through this exercise, I felt bringing these features into the current retail application would have made it overly complex to use and I'm glad it had focus in a separate application. Though feedback was obtained early, it was clear that more extensive research would really need to be conducted to determine if rental tool delivery is truly viable.

During this project I was was able to create several reusable components in Adobe XD which helped drive a good bit of consistency in my prototype. Having a reusable library of assets or a design system is key in building something with any amount of complexity.

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