Zero-emissions
car rental
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Client
- Beast
- Tallinn, Estonia
Industry
- Car Rent
Services
- User Experience
- User Interface
- Branding
Starring
- Mashatov Ruslan
- Usatenko Vlad
- Kovalsky Stas
Challenge
Beast is an ambitious carsharing project from Estonia that presents a range of exclusive Tesla models.
Inspired by Tesla, their approach and desire is to serve the mission of reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the environment. The Beast team envisioned their goal as a way to break the stereotype that electric car rental is expensive and impractical.
That’s why working with the Beast team was more than just an app and branding design. It was a challenge for us to implement ambitious plans and innovative approach into a visual interface and promote the Beast brand the best way possible.
Solutions we provided for the Beast:
- Found an approach to the consumer by breaking the stereotype that Tesla cars are beyond the reach of the majority of users
- Created a simple and practical interface where functionality covers both basic and unique user needs.
- Translate the idea through branding design that car rental can be affordable and easily used for everyday commuting.
Research
Estonia is a small but innovative country with ambitions. Tallinn, the Estonian capital, plans to substitute all public transport with fuel engines to electric alternatives by the end of 2035.
160
Electric charging
stations nationwide
40-60 km
Average distance between
charging stations
5%
Annual increase in the
number of electric cars
2021
The year of expected
breakthrough for electric cars
In 2020 the number of registered electric vehicles in Estonia has significantly grown compared to 2019
210%
Increase in electricaly chargable vehicles (ECV) registration
182%
Increase in battery electric vehicles (BEV) registration
325%
Increase in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) registration
Wireframes
One important focus we had on is that it should be easy and affordable to rent a car for the user's daily rides. Prototypes are an important step in implementing those requirements.
Each scenario of a user activity needs to be considered before starting the UI design. We covered not only the main user scenarios but more complex flows as well. Indeed, flows where the use of the application can eliminate the need for googling or contacting technical support.
Customer journey map
The customer journey is the sequence of steps the user goes through when using the application. Visualizing the customer journey helps us understand which steps can be simplified or which of the flows should be restructured to make the product even better.
Colors
The strict black and white color scheme were chosen to emphasize uncompromised minimalism. The accent colors are made to focus attention on important elements of the interface, which are useful for the driver if he or she needs to get important information while driving.
Typography
If minimalism can be emphasized with colors and strictness, then conciseness should be shown through fonts. That's why we have chosen a combination of Montserrat and Muli.
Icons
By exploring the idea of clarity and minimalism, we have chosen outlined icons for this project. This style of icons looks elegant and neat while retaining good readability and clarity.
Car Search Flow
The main flow is to find and rent a car. Our user needs to know everything about the car and the route to it before making a decision and starting the trip. We show user the parameters of the car as well as all stages of the route.
Radar
If there is no car nearby, this should not be a barrier for the user to use the application. Radar is a flow that allows the system to search for cars and automatically book a car if one appears available within the specified radius.
This will help the user not to be distracted by the smartphone and focus on other tasks. All that remains is to wait for the notification about the found car and automatic booking in the searched radius.
Car Statistics and Maps
Time, price, vehicle data and route are the essentials that can take user's attention away from the road for a few moments. That is why we decided to remove redundant elements from the interface and give access only to the necessary information while driving.
To save the driver from using third-party apps for maps or traffic, we've designed route scenarios, where the system selects the path to a charging station in advance in case of a lack of car’s charge for the entire route. This will help user to save time and explore the options they have with Beast.
System illustrations and the wheel of fortune
For clear and more successful communication with users, we have developed several easily scalable illustration templates, that show important changes in trip and car status.
Car damage reports
To maintain the fleet condition and maximize driver comfort, we have implemented a vehicle condition report function. Before each trip, the driver is prompted to inspect the vehicle. If the damage is found, the driver can take a picture, describe the problem, and then send it to the company for review.
A library of components
The design system was assembled according to the principle of atomic design with an emphasis on practicality. The design is simple and flexible in terms of scaling and various scenarios.
Branding
Initially, there was no request to implement corporate identity. However, the Beast team proposed an initiative to design posters and t-shirts for branding efforts.
We are not a full-service agency and rarely take on such challenges. But given our successful cooperation with Beast, we decided to give it a try.
Client’s words about work with Glow
Anna-Maria
Co-Founder, Electric Beast OÜ
Glow Design Agency designed an app for a self-service car rental app. They provided a competitor's analysis, wireframes, and UI concepts for all screens. During the final stages, they presented a prototype.
