dealer navigator
SAAS B2B DASHBOARD
© 2024 Luis Mendoza
ROLE & DURATION
UX & PRODUCT DESIGN
MARCH 2021 - AUGUST 2024
KEY DELIVERABLES
User Research, Information Architecture, Wireframes & Prototypes, Visual Design
COLLABORATORS
PEYTON DOYLE (PRODUCT)
CHASE PARETI (DEVELOPMENT)
TOOLS
FIGMA
Mural
ROLE & DURATION
UX & PRODUCT DESIGN
MARCH 2021 - AUGUST 2024
COLLABORATORS
PEYTON DOYLE (PRODUCT)
CHASE PARETI (DEVELOPMENT)
KEY DELIVERABLES
User Research, Information Architecture, Wireframes & Prototypes, Visual Design
TOOLS
FIGMA
Mural
Dealer Navigator is an internal application from Capital One used by car dealerships to track vehicle sales, analyze lead generation and conversion, manage contract funding, and oversee vehicle inventory.
It features a tiered system called the Diamond Program, which is based on the volume and type of contracts sent to Capital One, different benefits as well as different contract goals come with each of the tiers.
For example a dealership on the highest tier may have higher and more exclusive benefits such as flexibility on APR for car loans, but they have a higher contract goal to meet in order to maintain those benefits.
Although they primarily use Dealer Navigator to run their core business, dealers also use it to track their goal progress. They find the current iteration to be a powerful tool, however there are still significant opportunities for improvement.
01 problem
In their day to day dealers spend up to 85% of their time on tasks that could be automated. A lack of trust in the data also leads to manual calculations to ensure accuracy.
The initial state of the application also missed basic but necessary functionalities such as alerts and notifications. Instead the Dealer Navigator would send emails containing some kind of reporting, but unfortunately as I later discovered, those emails would end up in dealers’ spam boxes.
As a result, they struggle to find the time needed for meaningful operational analysis and to make informed, data-driven decisions, hindering their success at times.
Imagine a General Manager logging in to their computer to check the performance of their dealership early in the morning, they only have about 10-15 minutes to spare before the chaos of their day begins. They realize its the end of the month and they are not on track to meet their contract goal, they now have to scramble and try to figure out how to remedy the situation and get back on track.
02 solution
In March of 2021 I joined Capital One and led the end-to-end design transformation of 3 major components of the Dealer Navigator experience. Through this nearly 4 year journey I have been able to iterate and refine design and functionality. Building upon my successes and failures to bring a much more useful tool to our dealers.
This new version of Dealer Navigator significantly improves efficiency, reduces the time and effort for our dealers to run their business and has contributed to a better work/life balance, while enhancing the overall customer experience for car buyers.
Additionally, these enhancements have enabled a new monetization model, generating new revenue for Capital One and increasing market growth.
03 Identifying opportunities
Immediately at first glance I noticed some opportunities for improvement. The initial state of the design when I joined in March of 2021, while not completely terrible, certainly had some major issues. So I set out to learn the history of the application, why it was built and the decisions that led to the current state that it was in.
Performance dashboard in Dealer Navigator in 2021
04 User Research
I began my research process with some empathy sessions and design led workshops with different KDM’s (key decision makers such as General Managers & Finance Directors) at dealerships and sales representatives from Capital One that work closely with them.
My research covered:
Understanding our dealers, market and their business needs.
Identifying pain points, barriers to entry, and motivations.
Day to day tasks, the different roles and their responsibilities.
Although realistically I couldn’t create a solution that addressed every pain point in one iteration, I wanted to create a viable MVP that tackled the most pressing frustrations, and then create a roadmap for enhancements that didn’t make it to the MVP and continue to improve the application.
How might we statements from the design thinking workshop, April 2024
Sorting exercise from the design thinking workshop, April 2024
05 KEY FINDINGS
A few things have come to light about where the platform stood, and how our dealers fared with it.
time is a commodity
Dealers want to avoid clunkiness, they value a good flow to understand data presented and because of the little free time they have during the day they don't want to dig for important data. Even if it is data that they care about.
visual data presentation
They value simplicity in the way data is presented to them while still wanting a reason to look at the report in the first place. Graphs are good for trends, to spot anomalies, take action, or make business decisions.
great relationships are important
Understanding the type & volume of business between them and Capital One is highly relevant. Dealers want to know that they are getting the most out of the relationship. Because they are "only going to make time for lenders that make their life easy".
Focused on goals and competition
Dealers want to have a goal or direction on what they should achieve and an easy way to see how they're trending toward those goals. They want to use historical data to set these goals/context (previous month, or same time previous year).
06 Cross-functional collaboration
After my product manager and I synthesized research findings and then shared them with our immediate teams and stakeholders, we met with our development team to assess feature feasibility, effort and project scope. We ensured open communication between teams and different lines of business through daily huddles, sprint ceremonies, JIRA stories, and weekly design reviews.
We then defined a roadmap with a realistic timeline and outcomes, to track our progress and ensure that we are meeting our objectives.
We also secured buy-in from leadership, stakeholders, customers, and other internal teams through regular calls and updates. This collaboration helps us identify dependencies and allocate resources effectively, enabling us to launch a well-tested, validated MVP and allows us to validate our assumptions, gather user feedback, and refine our designs.
White-board collaborative session - Design, Product & Development
07 Design: Low-fidelity
I used data gathered from research to assess our current functionalities and structure. To enhance the experience, I first focused on developing a clear and intuitive information architecture, content layout and hierarchy.
This involved conducting additional interviews with dealers and redesigning the IA from scratch to group similar data types together in a way that made sense to them.
I then began testing with initial user flows, sketches, low-fidelity wireframes, and prototypes. With these lo-fi designs I quickly validated any assumptions and uncovered any new pain points that were not identified earlier in the design process.
Dealer Navigator site map, May 2024
Dealer Navigator wireframes, May 2024
08 branding & design system contribution
Capital One has a design system called Gravity, and was built primarily for consumer facing products. Enterprise products use a subset of the Gravity system called the FS (Financial Services) Design System. In 2022, Gravity received a substantial facelift, with a much more modern design.
The enterprise version however, did not receive the same improvements as the consumer version, leaving it with the legacy design. As part of the redesign effort of Dealer Navigator I wanted to tap into the new Gravity system to truly round off the re-imagining of the Dealer Navigator experience.
I conducted a thorough evaluation of our existing visual elements and design system to identify areas for improvement. My goal was to align with brand guidelines while ensuring inclusivity through ADA compliance.
I realized that some existing components were not ideal for our use case, so I created new ones based on existing design elements. These components were later reused by other teams with similar needs.
Working closely with the marketing team, the ADA team and the Gravity design team and I was able to contribute new components to our design system and bring in some of the elements from the consumer version to enterprise for a much cleaner look and feel.
Side navigation component contribution to the FS Design System, June 2024
09 Design: HiGH-fidelity
After testing, integrating feedback and refining initial low-fidelity designs I felt confident to proceed with higher fidelity mock-ups.
With the higher fidelity designs I was able to showcase a visual hierarchy that effectively highlights critical information, making it both accessible and actionable while enhancing readability and intuitiveness.
In addition to the design improvements, my teams and I have been able to implement new or improved features and functionalities to deliver a truly elevated experience to our dealers nationwide.
This gets us much closer to giving dealers a complete application with information that is clear, concise and accurate using new visualizations that are easy to understand and interpret. As well as providing a comprehensive view of their operations, allowing easy comparison to peers, regional benchmarking, and directional feedback from Capital One.
Dealer Navigator high fidelity mock-ups, July 2024
10 insights & Takeaways
Since joining Capital One in March 2021, I saw the potential for Dealer Navigator to become a truly valuable tool for our network of dealerships. My goal was to design a solution that would address their most pressing pain points and frustrations.
However, early in the research phase, I discovered a significant gap between what dealers said they needed and how they actually behaved when using both the initial and updated versions of Dealer Navigator. This realization prompted a shift not only in my design approach but also in how I engaged with them.
As a designer, I initially thought I had the answers. But there were moments when I felt stuck and realized I needed to step back and genuinely empathize with the dealers. It wasn’t about imposing my solutions—it was about understanding why any of this should matter to them. Them asking me that simple yet powerful question, “Why should I care about any of this?” led to more thoughtful, user-centered design decisions.
11 results
We launched the new version of Dealer Navigator in 3 phases, with phase 1 going live in February 2024. Since then, we’ve seen significant improvements in key metrics across our dealer network.
User engagement with the platform increased by 60%, and dealers reported greater trust in the data, leading to a reduction in manual calculations and time spent on routine tasks.
This redesign has not only enhanced the user experience for our dealers but also enabled a new monetization model for the platform. Dealer Navigator transitioned from a completely free product to a subscription-based application with a free tier. Dealers can now choose between staying on the free version or subscribing for additional features.
As of February 2024, we have 5,000 subscribed dealerships, ranging from small independent dealers to large franchises like AutoNation. On average, each subscription brings in approximately $2,500 per month. Adoption is growing quickly, and we aim to onboard another 2,000 dealerships by the end of the year.
ADOPTION
48
+
%
ENGAGEMENT
60
+
%
RETENTION
86
+
%
PROJECTED REVENUE IN Q3 2025
$17.5M
+
12 NEXT STEPS
Moving forward, we plan to continue gathering feedback from dealers to further refine Dealer Navigator. As we collect more usage data, we’ll be able to identify additional areas for improvement and optimize the platform’s features for even greater efficiency. Our goal is to enhance the reporting and analytics capabilities, ensuring that dealers have easy access to the real-time insights they need to make informed, data-driven decisions.
Additionally, we’ll explore expanding the platform’s functionalities to better support emerging needs in the automotive industry. This includes enhancing integration with other dealership management systems like RouteOne, and exploring how we can further automate time-consuming tasks. By continuing to focus on user feedback and staying ahead of industry trends, we aim to make Dealer Navigator an indispensable tool for dealers nationwide.
We have some enhancements planned for our 2025 roadmap starting in early Q2:
Data Accuracy and Reliability: Continue refining data processes to achieve even greater precision and trustworthiness.
Chart Interactions: Develop clearer and more intuitive interactions for chart-based data to make insights more accessible.
ROI Transparency: Provide better visibility into return on investment metrics to help dealers understand their performance.
Personalizing and Customizing the Experience: Expand the platform to offer more tailored experiences with general and role-specific data sets and content.
Exploring a Mobile Version or Companion App: Create a mobile-friendly version or companion app to enhance accessibility and usability for dealers on the go.
Want to collaborate or just say hi?
luis.mendlendez@gmail.com
luis.mendlendez@gmail.com
© 2024 Luis Mendoza
dealer navigator
SAAS B2B DASHBOARD
Dealer Navigator is an internal application from Capital One used by car dealerships to track vehicle sales, analyze lead generation and conversion, manage contract funding, and oversee vehicle inventory.
It features a tiered system called the Diamond Program, which is based on the volume and type of contracts sent to Capital One, different benefits as well as different contract goals come with each of the tiers.
For example a dealership on the highest tier may have higher and more exclusive benefits such as flexibility on APR for car loans, but they have a higher contract goal to meet in order to maintain those benefits.
Although they primarily use Dealer Navigator to run their core business, dealers also use it to track their goal progress. They find the current iteration to be a powerful tool, however there are still significant opportunities for improvement.
01 problem
In their day to day dealers spend up to 85% of their time on tasks that could be automated. A lack of trust in the data also leads to manual calculations to ensure accuracy.
The initial state of the application also missed basic but necessary functionalities such as alerts and notifications. Instead the Dealer Navigator would send emails containing some kind of reporting, but unfortunately as I later discovered, those emails would end up in dealers’ spam boxes.
As a result, they struggle to find the time needed for meaningful operational analysis and to make informed, data-driven decisions, hindering their success at times.
Imagine a General Manager logging in to their computer to check the performance of their dealership early in the morning, they only have about 10-15 minutes to spare before the chaos of their day begins. They realize its the end of the month and they are not on track to meet their contract goal, they now have to scramble and try to figure out how to remedy the situation and get back on track.
02 solution
In March of 2021 I joined Capital One and led the end-to-end design transformation of 3 major components of the Dealer Navigator experience. Through this nearly 4 year journey I have been able to iterate and refine design and functionality. Building upon my successes and failures to bring a much more useful tool to our dealers.
This new version of Dealer Navigator significantly improves efficiency, reduces the time and effort for our dealers to run their business and has contributed to a better work/life balance, while enhancing the overall customer experience for car buyers.
Additionally, these enhancements have enabled a new monetization model, generating new revenue for Capital One and increasing market growth.
03 Identifying opportunities
Immediately at first glance I noticed some opportunities for improvement. The initial state of the design when I joined in March of 2021, while not completely terrible, certainly had some major issues. So I set out to learn the history of the application, why it was built and the decisions that led to the current state that it was in.
Performance dashboard in Dealer Navigator in 2021
04 User Research
I began my research process with some empathy sessions and design led workshops with different KDM’s (key decision makers such as General Managers & Finance Directors) at dealerships and sales representatives from Capital One that work closely with them.
My research covered:
Understanding our dealers, market and their business needs.
Identifying pain points, barriers to entry, and motivations.
Day to day tasks, the different roles and their responsibilities.
Although realistically I couldn’t create a solution that addressed every pain point in one iteration, I wanted to create a viable MVP that tackled the most pressing frustrations, and then create a roadmap for enhancements that didn’t make it to the MVP and continue to improve the application.
How might we statements from the design thinking workshop, April 2024
Sorting exercise from the design thinking workshop, April 2024
05 KEY FINDINGS
A few things have come to light about where the platform stood, and how our dealers fared with it.
time is a commodity
Dealers want to avoid clunkiness, they value a good flow to understand data presented and because of the little free time they have during the day they don't want to dig for important data. Even if it is data that they care about.
visual data presentation
They value simplicity in the way data is presented to them while still wanting a reason to look at the report in the first place. Graphs are good for trends, to spot anomalies, take action, or make business decisions.
great relationships are important
Understanding the type & volume of business between them and Capital One is highly relevant. Dealers want to know that they are getting the most out of the relationship. Because they are "only going to make time for lenders that make their life easy".
Focused on goals and competition
Dealers want to have a goal or direction on what they should achieve and an easy way to see how they're trending toward those goals. They want to use historical data to set these goals/context (previous month, or same time previous year).
06 Cross-functional collaboration
After my product manager and I synthesized research findings and then shared them with our immediate teams and stakeholders, we met with our development team to assess feature feasibility, effort and project scope. We ensured open communication between teams and different lines of business through daily huddles, sprint ceremonies, JIRA stories, and weekly design reviews.
We then defined a roadmap with a realistic timeline and outcomes, to track our progress and ensure that we are meeting our objectives.
We also secured buy-in from leadership, stakeholders, customers, and other internal teams through regular calls and updates. This collaboration helps us identify dependencies and allocate resources effectively, enabling us to launch a well-tested, validated MVP and allows us to validate our assumptions, gather user feedback, and refine our designs.
White-board collaborative session - Design, Product & Development
07 Design: Low-fidelity
I used data gathered from research to assess our current functionalities and structure. To enhance the experience, I first focused on developing a clear and intuitive information architecture, content layout and hierarchy.
This involved conducting additional interviews with dealers and redesigning the IA from scratch to group similar data types together in a way that made sense to them.
I then began testing with initial user flows, sketches, low-fidelity wireframes, and prototypes. With these lo-fi designs I quickly validated any assumptions and uncovered any new pain points that were not identified earlier in the design process.
Dealer Navigator wireframes, May 2024
08 branding & design system contribution
Capital One has a design system called Gravity, and was built primarily for consumer facing products. Enterprise products use a subset of the Gravity system called the FS (Financial Services) Design System. In 2022, Gravity received a substantial facelift, with a much more modern design.
The enterprise version however, did not receive the same improvements as the consumer version, leaving it with the legacy design. As part of the redesign effort of Dealer Navigator I wanted to tap into the new Gravity system to truly round off the re-imagining of the Dealer Navigator experience.
I conducted a thorough evaluation of our existing visual elements and design system to identify areas for improvement. My goal was to align with brand guidelines while ensuring inclusivity through ADA compliance.
I realized that some existing components were not ideal for our use case, so I created new ones based on existing design elements. These components were later reused by other teams with similar needs.
Working closely with the marketing team, the ADA team and the Gravity design team and I was able to contribute new components to our design system and bring in some of the elements from the consumer version to enterprise for a much cleaner look and feel.
Side navigation component contribution to the FS Design System, June 2024
09 Design: HiGH-fidelity
After testing, integrating feedback and refining initial low-fidelity designs I felt confident to proceed with higher fidelity mock-ups.
With the higher fidelity designs I was able to showcase a visual hierarchy that effectively highlights critical information, making it both accessible and actionable while enhancing readability and intuitiveness.
In addition to the design improvements, my teams and I have been able to implement new or improved features and functionalities to deliver a truly elevated experience to our dealers nationwide.
This gets us much closer to giving dealers a complete application with information that is clear, concise and accurate using new visualizations that are easy to understand and interpret. As well as providing a comprehensive view of their operations, allowing easy comparison to peers, regional benchmarking, and directional feedback from Capital One.
Dealer Navigator high fidelity mock-ups, July 2024
10 insights & Takeaways
Since joining Capital One in March 2021, I saw the potential for Dealer Navigator to become a truly valuable tool for our network of dealerships. My goal was to design a solution that would address their most pressing pain points and frustrations.
However, early in the research phase, I discovered a significant gap between what dealers said they needed and how they actually behaved when using both the initial and updated versions of Dealer Navigator. This realization prompted a shift not only in my design approach but also in how I engaged with them.
As a designer, I initially thought I had the answers. But there were moments when I felt stuck and realized I needed to step back and genuinely empathize with the dealers. It wasn’t about imposing my solutions—it was about understanding why any of this should matter to them. Them asking me that simple yet powerful question, “Why should I care about any of this?” led to more thoughtful, user-centered design decisions.
11 results
We launched the new version of Dealer Navigator in 3 phases, with phase 1 going live in February 2024. Since then, we’ve seen significant improvements in key metrics across our dealer network.
User engagement with the platform increased by 60%, and dealers reported greater trust in the data, leading to a reduction in manual calculations and time spent on routine tasks.
This redesign has not only enhanced the user experience for our dealers but also enabled a new monetization model for the platform. Dealer Navigator transitioned from a completely free product to a subscription-based application with a free tier. Dealers can now choose between staying on the free version or subscribing for additional features.
As of February 2024, we have 5,000 subscribed dealerships, ranging from small independent dealers to large franchises like AutoNation. On average, each subscription brings in approximately $2,500 per month. Adoption is growing quickly, and we aim to onboard another 2,000 dealerships by the end of the year.
ADOPTION
48
+
%
ENGAGEMENT
60
+
%
RETENTION
86
+
%
PROJECTED REVENUE IN Q2 2025
$17.5M
+
12 NEXT STEPS
Moving forward, we plan to continue gathering feedback from dealers to further refine Dealer Navigator. As we collect more usage data, we’ll be able to identify additional areas for improvement and optimize the platform’s features for even greater efficiency. Our goal is to enhance the reporting and analytics capabilities, ensuring that dealers have easy access to the real-time insights they need to make informed, data-driven decisions.
Additionally, we’ll explore expanding the platform’s functionalities to better support emerging needs in the automotive industry. This includes enhancing integration with other dealership management systems like RouteOne, and exploring how we can further automate time-consuming tasks. By continuing to focus on user feedback and staying ahead of industry trends, we aim to make Dealer Navigator an indispensable tool for dealers nationwide.
We have some enhancements planned for our 2025 roadmap starting in early Q2:
Data Accuracy and Reliability: Continue refining data processes to achieve even greater precision and trustworthiness.
Chart Interactions: Develop clearer and more intuitive interactions for chart-based data to make insights more accessible.
ROI Transparency: Provide better visibility into return on investment metrics to help dealers understand their performance.
Personalizing and Customizing the Experience: Expand the platform to offer more tailored experiences with general and role-specific data sets and content.
Exploring a Mobile Version or Companion App: Create a mobile-friendly version or companion app to enhance accessibility and usability for dealers on the go.
dealer navigator
SAAS B2B DASHBOARD
TOOLS
FIGMA, Mural
KEY DELIVERABLES
User Research, Information Architecture, Wireframes & Prototypes, Visual Design
COLLABORATORS
PEYTON DOYLE (PRODUCT)
CHASE PARETI (DEVELOPMENT)
ROLE & DURATION
UX & PRODUCT DESIGN
MARCH 2021 - AUGUST 2024
Senior Product Designer
Dallas, Texas
Senior Product Designer
Senior Product Designer
Dallas, Texas
Senior Product Designer
Dallas, Texas
Senior Product Designer
Dallas, Texas