Project Overview
Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD), one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States, relied on a 10-year-old dashboard to provide data and analytics insights across their organization. Built on ASP .NET, this tool had become outdated and could not meet its users’ growing needs. This project aimed to design and develop a modern dashboard using Next.js and React, supported by a scalable design system that could be applied across multiple enterprise applications.The audience for this dashboard was diverse, ranging from C-suite executives and Regional VPs to dealership staff such as General Managers, Sales Managers, and accounting personnel. This diversity required a flexible design approach that could accommodate high-level strategic insights for executives while providing granular, actionable data for operational staff. The varied needs influenced decisions around data visualization, user permissions, and customizable dashboard features, ensuring relevance for all user groups. Each group had unique workflows and used the dashboard in distinct ways, presenting a complex design challenge.
Problem Statement
The existing dashboard struggled to meet the evolving needs of its diverse user base. Over the years, features have been added reactively, resulting in inconsistent patterns and a fragmented user experience. These inconsistencies created confusion, increased task completion times, and challenged training new users. Additionally, the lack of support for mobile devices limited accessibility for users who required real-time data on the go.
For C-suite executives, the inability to access high-level performance metrics quickly hampered strategic decision-making. At the same time, dealership managers found it difficult to customize their views to focus on day-to-day sales data. The dashboard’s outdated structure and lack of a cohesive design system further compounded these issues, leaving users frustrated and less efficient.
Addressing these challenges required reimagining the user experience to prioritize accessibility, consistency, and relevance for each user group. The project required a technological overhaul and a user-centered approach to uncover and address the unique needs of its varied audience.
Approach and Process
Identifying the Users
One of the early challenges was the limited resources and availability of the users for conducting user interviews. With a diverse audience that included C-suite executives, regional and dealership managers, and office staff, understanding their distinct needs and workflows was critical.
I leveraged ChatGPT as a supplementary tool to simulate user group feedback to overcome this limitation. This approach added value by accelerating proto-persona development, enabling us to gather initial insights without extensive resource investment. Compared to traditional methods, using ChatGPT provided rapid hypotheses about user goals, frustrations, and workflows, which we validated and refined during subsequent interviews and observational sessions. This exercise led to developing proto-personas for each key user group, which detailed their Goals, Frustrations, Needs, Motivations, and Top Activities.
These proto-personas provided a foundational understanding of how each user group interacted with data and analytics tools, enabling the team to focus on specific, high-priority user groups.
Refining Insights
The new dashboard was designed to address the challenges of the old system while providing flexibility to meet the diverse needs of its users. For example, a key feature was the introduction of customized dashboards, allowing users like dealership General Managers tailored views to focus on real-time sales data. At the same time, C-suite executives were prioritized high-level performance metrics across regions. Key features included:
- Identify pain points in the existing dashboard.
- Observe how users interacted with the tool in real-world scenarios.
- Gather actionable insights to inform design decisions.
Building the Solution
The new dashboard was designed to address the challenges of the old system while providing flexibility to meet its users’ diverse needs. For example, a key feature was the introduction of customized dashboards, allowing users like dealership General Managers tailored views to focus on real-time sales data. At the same time, C-suite executives prioritized high-level performance metrics across regions.
One of my significant contributions was the creation of a branded design system. While other modern applications in the ecosystem used out-of-the-box Material UI React, I designed and, in part, developed a custom-branded design system. This involved building a Figma component library and utilizing Material UI’s theming capabilities to ensure visual consistency and scalability. The design system was crafted to standardize patterns across the dashboard and be reusable for other enterprise applications within the Lithia & Driveway ecosystem. Key features for the solution included:
- A modern design system to alleviate inconsistent patterns and improve the overall user experience.
- A Next.js and React technology stack for improved performance and maintainability.
- Customizable features tailored to specific user workflows, ensuring relevance for all user groups.
- Full responsiveness to enable seamless access on mobile devices, addressing the growing need for on-the-go data access.
Outcome
The redesigned dashboard successfully addressed the shortcomings of its predecessor, providing a modern, scalable solution tailored to the diverse needs of its audience. Implementing a design system helped standardize patterns across the platform, improving usability and consistency. Mobile responsiveness expanded accessibility, enabling users to access critical data anytime and anywhere. Additionally, adopting modern technology ensured the dashboard was equipped to handle future scalability and performance needs.
Lessons Learned
This project highlighted the importance of adaptability and creative problem-solving. Leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT proved invaluable in overcoming resource limitations and provided a unique approach to understanding user needs. The iterative process of combining proto-personas with user interviews and observations ensured that the final design was both user-centric and aligned with business objectives.
