Redesigning the Honda connected car app: HondaLink
Honda had been using UIEvolution’s in-car technology for several years. They came to UIEvolution and asked our design and engineering team could redesign their existing app.
MY ROLE
Design manager
CHALLENGES
Improve the existing app user experience, overall. The store app rating was a 1 out of 5.
Upgrade the existing visual design to be more on brand.
IMPACT
Conducted customer research and heuristic evaluations that resulted in a score of 7.8 out of 10 with our user base.
Competitive Analysis
We started by conducting a competitive analysis of all their competitors. Criteria we shared for each competitor: all the pertinent links to their solutions, key features, the model of the car they supported, app store ratings. We did this for over 40 car competitors. We then bound all this information into a beautiful book that we ended up sharing with all of our clients, not just Honda.
Our team created a future of connected car experiences poster that Honda employees hung up in their offices.
Final IA for the new HondaLink app. Thoughtfully reduced the number of screens from 70 to 42.
Below are key images from the HondaLink app style guide.
Addition of the Prime Video tile on the FireTV landing page. Netflix paid to be the first tile in the row.
Below are the screens used to guide users into how to connect their HondaLink app to their car.
We conducted a user study with 20 testers that were split 50/50 male, female and by their technology skill level, advanced and average. Overall, the app tested very well. When a tester gave the app a low score it was usually related to the prototyping tool and not the app experience. Out of ten points total, the Advanced group gave the app a score of 7.5 and the Average users total was 7.8.
The visual design was close to receiving a 100% in positive feedback. Only one user did not like the visual style. But, he was the only tester that gave the app a zero. He did not like much of anything.
“The visual design was simple and effective. Good graphics, big buttons and good fluidity. Overall a really nice layout.”
“I would say so, as it mostly uses very simple design aesthetics. Large text, easy menus, and clickable features historically work very well. I could particularly see this app having a use for an older audience, which tends to benefit from ease of use.”
“Yes, it's very simple without being boring.”
“The design appeals to me, it is a very simple, but elegant design that makes the app easy to use and also looks very well designed.”
