ACV Auctions
Challenge
The spark of an idea. From 0-60. We met with the co-founders, months before they started the company to hear their plans for disrupting the automobile auction industry. What they presented to us was a problem that we didn’t know existed, and a potential solution that had us intrigued.
Solution
We began working with the founders using our design process to start building their company. Staying agile and turning insight into a functioning application We immersed ourself in the auction environment to learn and document all of the processes within a car dealership. An absurd amount of questions were asked and video footage was meticulously watched so that we could understand what current car auctions looked like. Mapping these processes to a digital representation would become incredibly important. We used what was learned to design how the application interface would work. We designed a number of features and mobile screen views in collaboration with the early development team. By documenting workflows we were able to identify friction in the process and subsequently reduce frustration by giving users the proper information when they needed it. Our goal was to simplify a complex process and allow people to have a sense of clarity and confidence as they purchased cars at auction.
Results
Shipping features and moving metal Within a few months we had designed a directed version one of the ACV mobile product. Dealers were signing up and we were transacting cars in an online wholesale auction. It felt great! The team continued to design and push new features, iteratively delivering more value through new features. The future is bright for ACV Auctions and Helm is happy to continue to be a part of their journey to modernize a stagnant industry. ACV is the kind of company we love to work with. They came to us with a simple idea and after a few months of work we had launched a website and mobile app that would power this disruptive business. Through our design process Helm was able to produce everything ACV needed to go to market; a brand identity, marketing website, and a mobile app that was all created under a cohesive user experience.
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