Vodafone Smart Tech App – Design System
A comprehensive digital solution for small fleet fuel management
Registered businesses can save up to £100 per month on your fuel spend at Shell
Each business account can have up to 10 Shell Fleet App cards. No tie-ins. Simple. Straightforward. Easy to manage.
Fleet managers were struggling with daily tasks, and adoption rates weren’t meeting expectations despite the app’s robust capabilities.
Beyond just identifying problems, they needed actionable solutions that their development team could implement in stages.
What emerged was a comprehensive roadmap for transformation which balanced quick wins with strategic long term improvements.
The Design Audit intended to uncover opportunities for improved customer experience in the following areas:
My focus was on creating sustainable processes that would enhance quality and collaboration between design and development teams.
My goal was to ensure design decisions were based on real user needs rather than assumptions about what drivers might want.
This revealed opportunities to create more accessible experiences for users with varying technical skills, languages, and working environments.
I analysed how drivers navigate through the app and complete essential tasks.
This helped us identify friction points that prevent smooth task completion, highlighting specific areas where interface improvements could save time and reduce frustration.
Walking into a project of this complexity, I knew we needed a robust framework which would give structure to our exploration while allowing us to adapt based on what we discovered.
I developed a three-phase methodology that guided our work from initial exploration through to concrete recommendations:
Analyze current user journeys, stakeholder expectations for the WIP version, and existing design process maturity.
Extract insights from Customer Operations reports to understand user sentiments, pain points and expectations. Collect design artifacts to map user archetypes, behaviors and motivations.
Define scope based on customer feedback and stakeholder priorities, identifying critical issues requiring immediate attention.
Map existing user flows and align them with the WIP version to identify gaps and inconsistencies.
Design optimised user journeys incorporating industry best practices and addressing identified pain points.
Evaluate the differences between current and proposed journeys to quantify potential improvements.
Document observations on pain points and their impact on user experience.
Provide actionable suggestions to enhance the to-be user journey and customer experience.
Outline practices for advancing maturity in user-centric design, process adaptation, inclusive design principles, and interaction usability.
User research revealed critical pain points affecting Shell Fleet drivers’ daily operations and efficiency.
My analysis of feedback from 42 drivers across 5 countries uncovered critical usability issues within the Shell Fleet App.
Drivers consistently reported frustrations with complex account creation, limited map functionality, and difficult transaction history access.
The findings were transformed into a strategic roadmap prioritising both quick wins and fundamental improvements by organising issues according to their business impact.
This approach allowed Shell to understand how specific user experience limitations were affecting key business metrics, particularly in driver retention and transaction frequency.
The review identifies critical UX improvements to transform the Shell Fleet App from merely functional to truly exceptional for drivers.
Design assessment highlighted inconsistent navigation patterns, confusing information architecture, and accessibility barriers impacting daily driver operations.
I developed actionable design principles focused on simplicity, consistency, and driver centric workflows to guide all future development efforts.
This approach creates immediate value while building toward a fully reimagined experience that supports Shell’s digital transformation objectives.
The UI analysis uncovered inconsistent design patterns and interactions that require standardisation to enhance usability and strengthen brand perception.
Screen by screen analysis revealed cluttered layouts, confusing navigation patterns, and missed opportunities for visual hierarchy to guide users through key workflows.
Priority is given to information clarity, task efficiency, and visual simplicity while maintaining Shell’s brand identity across all touch points.
These visual enhancements directly support key business objectives by reducing support calls, minimizing user errors, and increasing overall satisfaction and engagement.
This comprehensive review of the Shell Fleet App identified significant opportunities to enhance user satisfaction and retention through targeted improvements to onboarding processes, interface design, and development workflows.
The systematic evaluation revealed that while the app demonstrates good foundational usability, addressing inconsistent interface elements and streamlining the onboarding experience will significantly improve user engagement and reduce friction points.
Additionally, the shortage of design resources, leading to role confusion and planning issues, underscores the necessity for optimised workflow management.
Implementing a more comprehensive approach to gather diverse customer data and involving designers in the CX Forum will help eliminate communication barriers and enhance transparency, while proper planning of design resources can ensure more effective results.
Users encountering difficulties in completing onboarding (e.g. due to a lack of clarity regarding ETAs and business decisions) underline the urgency of streamlining this process.
Addressing these issues will not only enhance the onboarding experience but also contribute to overall user satisfaction and trust in the application.
However, it can be perceived as confusing and frustrating.
Substantial enhancements are needed, including progress overviews, navigation, and the restructuring the onboarding sequence.
Making the onboarding experience more desirable by refining the tone of voice and adding supporting tools or widgets to help potential customers is recommended.
The interface lacks consistency, making it challenging for users to navigate seamlessly.
It’s crucial to establish a robust Design System harmonise core elements such as color palette, typography, grids, and iconography.
Addressing these UI inconsistencies will enhance visual appeal, improve user engagement.
I prepared an action plan with feasible and realistic timeframes to address the audit’s findings and proposed recommendations
Optimise Onboard Journey
Reiterate the new WIP onboarding journey, along with the recommended UX- and UI improvements.
Avoid frustration and drop-offs during the journey
Increased conversion through easy task completion
1 month
Product Designer, Front & Back End Developers, Software Testers
Design Validation & Iteration
Plan and execute formative (at design stage) and summative (after deployment) testing to realise the experience and effectiveness of the product, along with interaction via native assistive technology (accessibility) features.
Develop the practise of the improving the efficiency of design
Increased product usability through reduction in task completion time and user errors
1-2 months
Product Designer, Front & Back End Developers, Software Testers
Qualitative Human Insights
Plan and execute primary research that defines Personas (targeted user groups), Needs & Motivation, Context of usage and Pain points.
Map the user journeys.
Understand the diversity of the costumer base.
Focus on pain points and factors that impedes a valuable and efficient employee experience.
Inclusive design that caters to diversity of the costumer base.
Increased user adoption and engagement along with increased satisfaction.
2-3 months
User Researcher, Service Designer, Accessibility SME
The review identifies critical UX improvements to transform the Shell Fleet App from merely functional to truly exceptional for drivers.
Rather than simply applying visual band-aids, we addressed the structural issues that were creating friction.
What made this project particularly successful was the close collaboration between design and development teams throughout the process.
Similarly, by keeping the lines of communication open with actual users, we were able to validate our assumptions and refine our solutions based on real-world feedback.
Perhaps the most valuable outcome wasn’t just the improved metrics or the more intuitive interface, but it was the shift in how Shell approached product development.
As fleet management technology continues to evolve, this foundation will allow Shell to adapt and grow their platform while maintaining the usability improvements we established, ensuring the app remains both powerful and accessible for businesses of all sizes.