Overview
Lave Me is an innovative and eco-friendly car wash service that prioritizes sustainability by significantly reducing water usage and eliminating harsh chemicals. The service offers customers the flexibility to book a nearby provider or request a home service, making it convenient and accessible while contributing to environmental conservation.
Team
Worked alongside founders and developers as the first UX/UI designer at Aurum Sistemas
The Challenge
Traditional car washing methods consume large amounts of water and release harmful chemicals that pollute water sources. While eco-friendly alternatives exist, there was no on-demand service available in the city. The client saw an opportunity to introduce an app-based, door-to-door eco-friendly car wash service
Key Pain Points:
Conventional car washes waste up to 300 liters of water per wash.
Runoff water from traditional car washes contains pollutants harmful to aquatic ecosystems.
Home car washing consumes excessive amounts of water (6,720 liters annually per vehicle washed once a month).
Customers in Brazil were hesitant about allowing service providers into their homes due to trust concerns.
Research & Discovery
To validate the business idea, I conducted market research, user interviews, and competitor analysis, uncovering key insights:
No local competitors offered a fully on-demand, eco-friendly car wash service.
Some traditional car washes were introducing eco-friendly options, but these were limited to their facilities.
Despite growing awareness of environmental impact, many customers preferred established car wash centers over inviting providers to their homes.
Key Learnings:
The original assumption that an on-demand eco car wash was a unique innovation was incorrect.
Customers valued trust and reliability over mere convenience when it came to home services.
The service needed to expand beyond just car washes to include maintenance and check-ups to gain market traction.
Defining the Solution
Based on research findings, we redefined the business model to address user concerns and improve adoption.
User Goals:
Effortless Booking: A simple, guided process for scheduling services.
Transparency & Control: Clear access to personal data, payments, and schedules.
Personalized Experience: Dedicated profiles for customers and service providers.
Multiple Payment Options: Cash and credit card support.
Business Goals:
Scalable Model: Expand service offerings beyond car washes to increase revenue.
Cross-Platform Development: Ensure compatibility with Android and iOS.
Future-Proofing: Build a flexible framework to support additional automotive services.
Design Process
Wireframing & Prototyping
To align stakeholders, I developed low-fidelity wireframes using pen and paper for initial discussions. Balsamiq was later used to refine the wireframes and present micro-interactions. This iterative approach facilitated clear communication between stakeholders and ensured that product goals aligned with user needs.
After initial research and reviewing the goals of both stakeholders and users, I began the wireframing process to demonstrate to our client the necessary features and design needed to achieve their objectives. This approach allowed for open feedback and discussion to ensure that the vision for the product was aligned with their needs and expectations. To accomplish this, I utilized a combination of traditional pen and paper during stakeholder meetings, as well as Balsamiq to enhance clarity and present micro-interactions that couldn’t be achieved with pen and paper. The resulting wireframes provided a comprehensive visual representation that the client could share with potential customers and partners.
Key Screens:
Home Screen: Central hub for booking services.
Provider Selection: Enables users to choose trusted service providers.
Service Scheduling: Users can pick a time slot that fits their schedule.
Payment & Checkout: Offers flexible payment methods and discount options.
Checkout Process
Choose Provider
Confirm Payment
Share and Earn
Choose Services
Service on the way
My account
Appointment Details
UI Design
Once wireframes were approved, I focused on designing an intuitive interface that supported scalability.
Clean & Minimalistic Layout: Prioritizing ease of navigation.
Seamless Booking Flow: Reducing cognitive load for users.
Integrated Notifications: Helping users stay updated on their appointments.
Main funcionalities
The main focus of the app is to schedule car wash services, which is reflected in the home screen.
To access other functionalities, such as scheduling other services, checking schedules, viewing the user’s account, and adjusting settings, the menu is located on the left side of the app’s interface.
Home Screen
Menu
Furthermore, users can receive notifications in the app about upcoming schedules. These notifications are located at the bottom of the screen, as shown in the example below.
Tell us about your vehicle
We asks users to provide information about their vehicle during the registration process. This includes details such as make, model, and license plate number. By doing so, we enable our service providers to quickly and easily locate the customer’s car, saving them time and effort. This also ensures that there is no need for unnecessary phone calls to the customer, which can further improve the overall user experience.
Choose your service
Discover the services that we offer with ease by searching for them or browsing our selection of most common services. Our app allows you to view detailed descriptions and information about each service, such as the products used and the estimated time required to complete the service.
Book the best time for you
Scheduling your car services has never been easier. With our app, you can choose the date and time that works best for you and receive an estimation of when the service will be completed. That way, you can plan your day accordingly and enjoy your freshly-cleaned vehicle without any worries.
Choose how to pay
In our platform, we provide flexible payment options for your convenience. You can opt to pay either with cash or credit card. Additionally, we offer various discount options, including applying discount codes or sharing your referral code with friends and family to receive discounts on your services.
Booking a Service
Our booking process is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, with clear and easy-to-follow instructions. Users can select the service they need, choose a date and time that suits them, and confirm their booking with just a few taps. By simplifying the booking process and offering the option to save customer data, we have created a hassle-free experience for our users, making it easier than ever to book the services they need.
Choose your vehicle
Add your location
Choose services
See providers
Checkout & Payment
Review your order
Confirmation
Results & Insights
This project was a pivotal learning experience in my UX career, providing valuable insights into product strategy, research, and stakeholder management.
Key Takeaways:
Validated Business Model: Research helped shift the focus from an on-demand model to a trusted service subscription model.
Gained Stakeholder Trust: Presenting data-driven insights enabled me to influence strategic decisions.
Design Challenges: While I had limited control over branding, collaborating with another designer improved my ability to adapt and refine UI elements within existing brand constraints.
Final Thoughts
Lave Me demonstrated the importance of aligning business strategy with user needs. Although I wasn’t involved in defining the initial product vision, my research helped refine the model into a more viable, scalable solution. This project strengthened my ability to translate research insights into actionable design decisions, setting the foundation for my future UX work.
