Avis App
Unsolicited redesign for a hassle-free car rental journey
OVERVIEW
In the modern world where quality time spent with family and friends is highly valued, I have planned a service targeting people who want to avoid the hassle of waiting in line at rental pick-up and drop-off, focusing on Avis, one of the top rental services in the US.
Problem
As one of the top rental companies, Avis is missing a streamlined reservation, pick-up and drop-off process.
Role + Process
I analyzed the research conducted from my team members, with a focus on Avis’s reservation process. Throughout the project, I created flowcharts, wireframes, UI designs and prototypes, refining them based on testing insights. As the team leader, I also coordinated meetings, oversaw project planning and ensured a consistent, coherent final design.
Potential Impact
Improve conversion rate and retention, increasing revenues and gaining advantages from competitors
Team
Edward Tsai, Coco Fan, Nicole Su
Disclaimer: This is a personal project. We were not commissioned by Avis to redesign their app.
OUR FOCUS
How might we reimagine the rental journey to streamline the process of reservation, pick-up and drop-off, eliminating wait time at the counter?
SOLUTION OVERVIEW
1. Vehicle Reservation
The redesign aims for an intuitive layout with filters for an easier searching experience.
Redesign
Original
2. Fast Pick-Up
Introducing fast pick-up with clear vehicle collecting info for an efficient rental process.
3. Fast Drop-Off
Similar to the fast pick-up, renters can easily drop off the rental car on their own by providing the necessary information.
So, how did we get there?
RESEARCH + ANALYSIS
Round One: Market Research
We started out by conducting market research to understand user pain points.
Brand Recognition
Source: Statista
Average Weekly Rental Prices
Source: Nerdwallet
As one of the top rental companies, positioning as a premium car rental brand with an average weekly rental price of $570, Avis ranks only 4th in brand awareness. Why isn't Avis the market leader? What could be the gap between Avis and its competitors?
Round Two: Competitor Analysis + Interviews
With these questions in mind, we analyzed the competitors and conducted interviews.
Interviews
Competitor Analysis
Insight
From our research, we've analyzed the following key pain points.
Few Filtering Options
Interestingly, not many companies include filters, making it hard for users to find vehicles within their budget
Unclear Instructions
While most companies offer express services, users still have a hard time locating vehicles in the parking lot
Lack of Photo References
Users often forget to take pictures of the rental vehicle, leading to being falsely charged for damages
Constraints
In our research, we found many complaints regarding customer services. While we tried to address the issue, we realized that we could only redesign the app’s flow and interface, not the quality of service.
DEFINE + IDEATE
Based on our insight, we established below problem and solutions to ensure a simple rental experience.
HMW
How might we reimagine the rental journey to streamline the process of reservation, pick-up and drop-off, eliminating wait time at the counter?
Solutions
Thorough Filters
Users need filters to quickly find rental vehicles that best fit their budget
Clear Instructions
Users need to easily locate rental vehicles and parking spots for contactless service
Proof of Car Condition
Photographing rental cars for condition verifying prevents false charges
User Flows
We also developed flowcharts, focusing on pick-up and drop-off to define the solutions.
Obstacles
During the process, we discovered that Avis offers a Quickpass service for contactless pick-up using QR codes; however, this is only available at select locations with keyless cars. It’s also not clearly promoted, even our interviewees who recently rented from Avis did not know of the service.
Recognizing this opportunity, we adapted to focus on implementing a similar process for non-keyless vehicles. By using QR codes to exit the parking lot, renters can retrieve keys from the rental car upon pick-up, ensuring a fast and contactless experience.
AB TESTING + DESIGN DECISION
After testing the initial wireframes, I designed a few more versions and conducted A/B testings to achieve the best result.
1. Red vs. Black
We eventually chose black as the primary color to match Avis’s premium status and used Avis’s red to highlight key elements
✅ Version A (Final)
Clean interface and eye-catching “Top Choice” icon
vs.
❌ Version B
Red is easily confused for destructive actions
2. Upcoming Rental Card
To highlight “Upcoming Rental”, I minimized search bar for users to choose a different drop-off location after tapping the bar
✅ Version C (Final)
Organized typographic hierarchy in the card
vs.
❌ Versions A,B,D
Lack visual focus
3. Filters
The goal is to clearly show selected elements
✅ Version B (Final)
Clear selected states
vs.
❌ Versions A,C
Unbalanced or eye-straining
VISUAL ELEMENTS
Iconography
Inspired by Airbnb, I drew most of the icons in the project for visual clarity and friendliness.
FINAL DESIGN
CONCLUSIONS
This Avis redesign is a collaborative effort to enhance the user experience of the car rental journey, helping build trust between users and the business to create a better rental experience for prospective, returning and long-term customers.
🧠 Learnings
I adapted to overcome challenges. Not only did we think creatively to revise ideas when we discovered Avis’s Quickpass service, we also had to collaborate across time zones. As team leader, I regularly checked in with each member to oversee project progress.
As designers, we must prioritize usability alongside aesthetics, complying WCAG standards for legibility, especially with the use of gray fonts.
Importance to consider the product’s scope. For example, we can improve the way customers contact supports, but we can't change the quality of service.
⚡ Next Steps
Looking forward, even though we cant control the quality of service, we could introduce an online customer service platform with live chat features on the website or app that could better address to renter’s issues.
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