Product Design
Toyota OneApp
Zero to one financial services app
ROLE: Lead UX Designer
COLLABORATIONS: Product Owner(s), Product Manager(s), Business Analysts, Engineering, Legal
DURATION: April 2022 - August 2023
TOOLS: Figma, Miro, Photoshop
SUMMARY
The Toyota OneApp is a user-first platform giving customers complete control over their vehicle, with features like remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle tracking, and service scheduling.
However, its financial features were fragmented in both design and experience, leading to reduced customer engagement—particularly among users seeking intuitive self-service solutions.
MY CONTRIBUTION
I led the redesign of the financial segment’s integration into the OneApp, crafting an enhanced, cohesive user experience.
THE FOCUS
Our focus zeroes in on three transformative experiences:
The OneID Program: Enabling seamless, universal account authentication.
A Streamlined Payment Process: Simplifying financial transactions.
AI Toyota Assistant: An innovative concept I developed, reimagining how users interact with their vehicles.
OUTCOMES
While the feature hasn't officially launched yet, intercept studies + user testing as yielded great and positive results that aligned with our hypotheses.
To deepen my understanding of the authentication process, I collaborated closely with a product architect over an extended period. Together, we meticulously dissected the inner workings of our technology stack, analyzing how it seamlessly interacts across various domains. This thorough exploration allowed us to uncover the intricate details that power our authentication system.
Everything above the mention of “Toyota App” represents the user-facing experience.
The diagram above depicts the architecture connecting Toyota Financial Services and Toyota Motors North America, highlighting four abstraction layers—from APIs to the user’s visual interface. Gaining a clear understanding of these layers was pivotal in shaping the design and user experience.
With the visual architecture and interaction flow firmly established, I moved into the design phase, ensuring every element remained consistent with the original framework, delivering a seamless and cohesive experience.
USER TESTING
To challenge potential assumptions or biases, we utilized UserTesting to conduct a task analysis assessment, focusing on the OneID login account merge experience. This approach provided valuable insights into user interactions and validated the design's effectiveness.
Typically, I bypass wireframes when a mature design system is in place. However, for this project, which involved building an entirely new experience, I strategically opted to use wireframes. This approach allowed for rapid iteration and adaptability, anticipating potential stakeholder feedback or directional shifts, ensuring the design evolved efficiently with their input.
USER TESTING
After numerous design iterations and explorations, the team and I narrowed it down to the two options above. To mitigate biases and evaluate how effectively these designs support task completion, we conducted an A/B user test, ensuring data-driven validation of our approach.
RESULTS
Following user testing, while some metrics were close, Option 2 consistently outperformed Option 1 across all measurements. This validated that the design effectively supported the user’s primary objectives—selecting payment types and completing payments with ease.
INSPIRATION
After exploring various digital wallets and their design patterns for inspiration, I found Apple Wallet to be the gold standard. Its design exemplifies industry benchmarks, serving as a foundation that many apps adapt and refine in their own unique ways.
APPLYING
Considering the universal design patterns in digital wallets and drawing inspiration from Apple Wallet, it’s crucial to maintain a sense of familiarity and repeatability, as emphasized by Jakob's Law. With stakeholder considerations in mind, I incorporated these principles into the design to ensure consistency and user alignment.
