​Lever Auto Dealers provides inventory financing and dedicated resources to help dealers grow and manage their businesses more effectively. I was entrusted with designing their application from scratch, including the dealer onboarding process—a critical entry point for dealers to access Lever's services.

This process required balancing ease of use with the complexity of gathering necessary information. By adhering to user-centric design principles and iterating through multiple feedback loops, I delivered a seamless and intuitive dealer registration experience.

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Objectives

1. Simplify Onboarding

   • Make the process user-friendly while ensuring all required data is collected without overwhelming the user.

2. Reduce Drop-offs

   • Create a clear, step-by-step registration process to reduce user frustration and abandonments.

3. Enhance Brand Trust

   • Use design elements to reflect Lever’s professionalism and commitment to supporting dealers' growth.

4. Ensure Scalability

   • Design a system flexible enough to accommodate additional features or changes in the future.

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Challenges

1. Complex Information Requirements

   • The registration process required gathering extensive data, including business details, financial information, and compliance documentation.

2. Diverse User Base

   • Dealers had varying levels of technical expertise and comfort with online systems.

3. Brand Messaging

   • The design needed to reflect Lever’s dual promise of financial growth and dedicated business resources.

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Research & Insights

User Research

• Interviews: Conducted interviews with potential dealers to understand their pain points and expectations during onboarding.

• Competitor Analysis: Analyzed similar platforms to identify best practices and areas for differentiation.

• Journey Mapping: Mapped out the typical onboarding journey to pinpoint areas of friction.

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Key Findings

• Dealers preferred a guided, step-by-step process over a single long form.

• Many users wanted progress indicators to track their completion status.

• Trust signals, like data privacy assurances, were critical for users sharing financial details.

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Design Process

Information Architecture

I structured the onboarding flow into logical, digestible sections:

1. Basic Dealer Information (e.g., name, contact details)

2. Business Details (e.g., dealership name, location, type of vehicles sold)

3. Financial Details (e.g., inventory turnover, financing needs)

4. Document Upload (e.g., business licenses, tax identification)

This approach ensured users were not overwhelmed by too much information at once.

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Wireframes & Prototyping

• Created low-fidelity wireframes to outline the structure and navigation.

• Developed interactive prototypes in Figma for usability testing.

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Usability Testing

• Tested prototypes with a diverse group of dealers to ensure clarity and ease of use.

• Iterated based on feedback, refining button placements, label clarity, and field instructions.

 

Key Features

Step-by-Step Process

• Progress Indicators: Users could see where they were in the process and how much was left to complete.

• Save & Continue Later: Dealers could save progress and return at their convenience.

Form Design

• Dynamic Fields: Displayed relevant fields based on user responses to minimize clutter.

• Inline Validation: Provided real-time feedback to users, ensuring data accuracy.

Visual Hierarchy

• Used clean layouts, intuitive spacing, and a clear call-to-action to guide users effortlessly.

Trust Signals

• Displayed privacy assurance badges and a brief explanation of how data would be used, reinforcing user confidence.

 

Results

1. Improved Onboarding Completion Rate

   • The streamlined process reduced drop-offs by 30%.

2. Positive Feedback

   • Dealers appreciated the clarity and simplicity of the registration process.

3. Scalability

   • The modular design allowed Lever to easily add new features, like multi-dealer account management.

 

Key Learnings

1. Iterative Design Matters

   • The multiple iterations based on user feedback were essential in delivering a polished, user-friendly experience.

2. Empathy is Key

   • Understanding the dealers’ challenges and addressing their specific needs led to a design that resonated with the target audience.

3. Trust Cannot Be Overlooked

   • Incorporating trust signals had a significant impact on user confidence, especially when dealing with sensitive financial data.

 

Tools & Techniques

• Figma: For wireframing, prototyping, and design handoff.

• Miro: For brainstorming and mapping user journeys.

• Slack & Jira: Facilitated seamless communication with stakeholders and developers.

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The dealer registration design for Lever Auto Dealers reflects my commitment to creating user-centered designs that balance simplicity, efficiency, and trust. This project was a rewarding experience in transforming complex requirements into an intuitive onboarding flow, ensuring every dealer feels supported from the start of their journey with Lever.