Background
Before this project, getting your oil changed at Walmart almost guaranteed the technician would be watching a YouTube video to locate your oil filter or drain plug. As a car enthusiast, I respect the usefulness of YouTube repair guides, but maybe not when liability is involved.
I saw this daily when conducting environmental research and contextual inquiry while replacing a 25 year old, windows 95 based system charged with the task of recording technician work for the millions of cars getting an oil change across the US at a Walmart.
It was a beautiful system. In 1995. Sorta?
Back to the future
To give credit to the designers of 1995, the system had a solid information architecture, but it suffered from poor visual clarity and an excessive number of clicks—up to 300 for a single oil change! Even experienced technicians found it frustrating. It was time to modernize, but the challenge was clear: How do you fix decades-old experience issues without alienating over 10,000 technicians, many with 20 years of experience using this system?
Considerations from Inquiry
Technicians had adapted to the quirks of this outdated system, developing workarounds, using paper notes, and even turning to YouTube for guidance. They tolerated the system's inefficiencies, but it slowed them down and increased the risk of errors, especially when interacting with customers. Modernizing this process was crucial, but we had to balance respect for their existing mental models with introducing new, more efficient workflows.
The question was: How do we build a tool that feels familiar enough to be adopted yet modern enough to improve productivity significantly?
My Design Process
I started with empathy, immersing myself and my team in the technicians’ environment by coordinating contextual inquiries in six Walmart auto centers across Arkansas, Colorado, and California. By shadowing technicians, I uncovered not just the pain points of the software but the daily challenges they faced—grease, glare, and extreme temperatures made their job harder than it needed to be when the legacy system refused to work in the demanding environment.
I also collaborated closely with hardware vendors to test ruggedized devices suited for this environment. Using Excel as a paper prototyping tool, I worked directly with technicians to test workflows, eventually choosing ruggedized iPads that could dock and undock, giving them the freedom to move around the shop and capture information without being tethered to a workstation.
Initial Screen Designs
Respecting the mental models of technicians was crucial. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I designed an experience that felt familiar but improved. By focusing on reducing the interaction cost, I introduced segmented controls to simplify inputs and integrated features like vehicle profile images, making it easy to identify the correct car and avoid costly mistakes.
The goal was clear: reduce reliance on workarounds, integrate essential resources like engine schematics, and keep technicians on task.
I developed low-fidelity wireframes and tested them repeatedly with technicians, refining the design based on their feedback. One significant insight was their reliance on shelf tags for quick information retrieval, which guided our decision to incorporate similar visual elements in the app. This approach maintained a sense of familiarity while streamlining their workflows.
Execution
The final application launched with an 80% reduction in interaction cost. Key improvements included:
- Simplifying inputs with segmented controls instead of dropdowns, making data entry faster
- Streamlining vehicle identification with car profile images to prevent service errors
- Adding features like engine schematics and damage reporting, which kept technicians focused and improved customer interactions.
Impact
By modernizing hardware and software while respecting established habits, we significantly reduced the time spent on tasks, improved accuracy, and empowered technicians to deliver better service. As a result, Walmart auto care centers experienced increased productivity, and technicians no longer relied on outdated systems or makeshift solutions.
As the lead product designer, I ensured this transformation was more than just a technological upgrade—it was about building a solution that respected the technician’s experience, simplified their workflow, and ultimately elevated the level of service they provided to millions of Walmart customers.