Overview
I redesigned HK Rides’ website to build trust, improve mobile usability, and help a small dealership grow.
Working within DealerCenter’s WordPress constraints, I streamlined the vehicle browsing experience, clarified the Apply flow, and created a consistent visual system—from logo to layout—to support business goals and user needs.
My Role
UX Designer
Visual Design
Branding
Web Implementation
Tools
Figma
WordPress
DealerCenter
Timeline
April 2025 - Present
THE WHAT
THE WHY
THE HOW
HK Rides is a Los Angeles-based used car dealership focused on offering affordable luxury vehicles. As the sole designer, I was responsible for transforming a dated and unclear website into a trustworthy, conversion-driven platform. The goal was to improve how users browse inventory, understand financing options, and feel confident reaching out—all while working within the limitations of DealerCenter’s plugin system.
Most of HK Rides’ visitors are first-time customers discovering the business through search or ads. If the website fails to build trust in seconds, the user leaves. The previous site lacked clarity, visual polish, and straightforward navigation—especially on mobile. For a newer dealership trying to grow in a competitive LA market, every bounce was a missed lead.
I approached the problem by combining light user research with competitive analysis. I mapped out content and UX gaps, created wireframes to test new layouts, and applied a clean, mobile-first UI system to improve credibility and flow. I also adapted branding—logo, typography, and color—to build a visual identity that supports HK Rides’ mission: affordable luxury for everyday drivers.
RESEARCH METHODS
INTERVIEW INSIGHTS
KEY MOTIVATIONS
THE DESIGN
I conducted 38 interviews, both in person and remotely via Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet. The goal was to better understand:
Who the clients are
What challenges they face
What tools and processes they currently use for financial and banking tasks
How they respond to the proposed concept
User interviews revealed key frustrations:
“I want to know the price and mileage before clicking anything.”
“If a site looks sketchy, I won’t even reach out.”
“I couldn’t figure out where to apply or if financing was even offered.”
This pointed to a need for:
Clear vehicle previews
Trust-building design
A simplified financing process
User Motivations
Quickly find pricing, mileage, and accident info without clicking into each car
Browse vehicles easily on mobile
Feel confident the dealership is legitimate and responsive
Understand financing options clearly
Access Apply and Contact actions without hunting for them
Business Motivations
Establish trust with first-time site visitors to improve conversions
Compete visually with larger LA dealerships
Support advertising efforts with a clean, modern website
Reduce drop-off by improving CTA visibility
Build a consistent brand identity across digital touchpoints
Based on our research, one of the biggest pain points was the difficulty users had browsing vehicles and identifying key details like price, mileage, and accident history. To address this, I redesigned the homepage and inventory layout to prioritize clarity and reduce distractions. Each vehicle is now presented with essential information up front, allowing users to scan and compare easily.
From a visual standpoint, I refreshed the brand identity to feel more trustworthy—introducing a clean, modern logo and a cohesive color and type system. I also restructured the Apply flow, placing clear calls to action at both the top and bottom of each vehicle detail page to reduce friction. All design decisions were implemented within the constraints of WordPress and DealerCenter, ensuring the site remained functional, scalable, and easy to manage.
