Sr. UX/UI Designer
Making public EV charging easier to start, track, and trust
Redesigned the public charging experience in the myAudi app so drivers can find, start, and pay for charging with confidence.
Role
Product Designer
Platform
iOS, Android
Duration
8 Weeks
Client
Audi
TL:DR
🔍 Problem
Audi drivers couldn't reliably start a public charging session from the myAudi app, and many didn't realize they had free Electrify America credits to use.
🙋🏼♀️ My role
I led the UX/UI design strategy and supported on research. I owned the user experience, and visual design from end-to-end and partnered with UX research to craft user driven experiences for real users.
🚀 Outcome
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In the first 30 days: 2,636 sessions from 524 users, with Plug&Charge up 64% from 8%.
Context
As more drivers switch to Audi EVs, public charging becomes a daily need, and many don't know how to use it or how to take advantage of perks like free Electrify America credits. The goal was to make charging simple to start and manage while bringing it in line with Audi's design language.
the problem
Charging in public meant guessing
Audi's electric vehicles come with free Electrify America charging credits, but using them meant leaving the myAudi app's main experience and working through an inconsistent flow, complicated navigation that left user guessing. For a driver standing at an unfamiliar charger, that's the worst moment to be unsure whether it will work or what it will cost.
the problem
What was going wrong
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The charging entry point sat outside the main charging screen, so drivers couldn't find it.
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Starting and stopping a session took too many steps.
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Credits weren't explained, so drivers didn't know what they'd be charged.
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In testing, participants couldn't find the Public Charging entry point.
the problem
The constraint
One constraint shaped everything: legal limits on how much charger information we could show meant the app couldn't access the charging ID. Drivers would have to enter it manually, so the design had to make a manual step feel quick and low-risk.
The experience just needs to be integrated a little better, like the home charging with the myAudi app, but to find a location i'm using the infotainment system, and charging via Electrify America. So maybe it should be a consolidated experience." — User #3
the problem
Starting with research
Over one week, I worked with Audi's design research team to run moderated usability testing with 10 Audi drivers on prototypes of the existing flow. We wanted to understand how people currently charge, where the experience breaks down, and what to fix first.
What we found
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The entry point was hard to find and needed grouping within the myAudi app.
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Starting and stopping sessions was harder than it should be.
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Energy credits weren't clearly explained.
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Users wanted a detailed history of past sessions.
The problem to solve
Help a driver confidently start, monitor, and pay for a public charge from the myAudi app, without access to the charger's ID.
Implimentation
Key decisions
1. Moving charging to the myAudi charging screen
Problem:
Drivers couldn't find public charging in the app. It was buried far down the home screen, and 9 of 10 participants failed to find it in testing.
Options I considered:
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Move the public charging tile to the top of the home screen, directly below the main features.
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Keep its position and rename the tile from "Electrify America" to "Public Charging."
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Move public charging into the Charging tab, below the existing charging information tiles.
What I chose and why:
My recommendation was option 3. When we asked participants where they'd expect to find public charging, they most often pointed to Charging, so grouping it there matched how they already thought about the app.
That option required development changes to a section owned by Audi Germany, and there was no budget for the work, so it was off the table. Rather than stall, I combined the other two options: I renamed the tile to "Public Charging" and moved it higher on the home screen. I also consolidated two entry points into one, so drivers had a single, obvious place to start.
Result:
In follow-up usability testing, participants who couldn't find public charging in the original version located it easily and understood what the tile would do.
What I'd revisit:
Grouping public charging under the Charging tab is still the better long-term home for it. Testing showed drivers looked there first, and placing related features together (the Gestalt principle of proximity) gives them the most direct path to public charging.
2. Charger ID input options
Problem:
Each charging station has a different location for its Charger ID. User found it difficult to locate and input the ID to start the charging session.
Options I considered:
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QR code access to allow user to take a photo and insert the Charging ID automatically
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Once the charging station was connected, allow the app to read through the vehicle infotainment system and input the Charger ID automatically.
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Create an easy to locate and input text field with Charger ID support for easy use.
What I chose and why:
My recommendation was option 2. When we asked participants what their preference was for inputing a Charger ID they stated they would prefer the app to automatically input the ID to speed up the process.
Due to legal constraints we were unable to follow through with option 1 or 2, and had to switch to option 3. In order to support our users needs I designed the input to be as frictionless as possible, by providing clear inputs, and instructions.
Result:
In follow-up usability testing, participants said they found the input to be easy to find and use, but still expressed desires to have it automatically input for them.
What I'd revisit:
Pushing for more research to be done on a users preference for Charger ID, as well as pushing the legal department to allow us to launch a beta for a small batch of users and tracking results. This could convince them to allow all users the same frictionless Charger Id input feature.
IMPLIMENTATION
Design Priorities
⚡ Easy feature access
💳 Transparent payments and credits
🔁 Consistency across providers
🧭 Simple session start/stop
📈 History and usage transparency
Highlighting the most important actions in the viewport helps users quickly understand and navigate the app with ease.
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⚡
Charging now lives on the myAudi charging screen for fast access & better grouping.
Final Design Highlights
The Solution
🧭
Clear CTAs, live session feedback, and end-charge control, give users more control.
💳
Transparent pricing, credits applied shown up front solidifies trust.
📈
Full session details, costs, and timestamps.
Results & Impact
Delivering value
Here's what shipped:
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Charging now lives on the myAudi charging screen, grouped with related features so it's fast to reach.
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Clear calls to action, live session feedback, and an end-charge control give drivers control from their phone.
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Credits are applied and shown up front, so drivers see the real cost before they commit.
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Full session history with costs and timestamps.
Results & Impact
Impact
After launch in the first 30 days we captured the following data:
Unique users
+524
Charging sessions
+2,636
Plug&Charge
+64%
Payments Captured
+$26,671.54
What improved?
I redesigned the public charging app to reduce frustration and boost confidence. Onboarding is smoother, navigation is more intuitive, and key features are easier to find and use.
How do we know?
In a follow-up survey with the same 10 participants:
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Understanding of Electrify America credits: 10% → 100% of participants
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Ability to complete the task: 20% → 100% of participants
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Frustration completing the task: 100% → 10% of participants
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Satisfaction with the look and feel: 0% → 90% of participants
Why does it matter?
Drivers charging on the go need speed and clarity. With the redesign, 100% of users (10/10) understood their credits and completed the charging task.
Reflection
Shaping future work
What I learned
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Knowing the constraints first reduces the amount of design rework
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Grouping related information helps users focus.
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Small visibility changes, like showing credits up front, can build major trust.
What I'd do differently
I'd ask harder questions of leadership at kickoff: what's out of scope, who owns each part of the myAudi app and can approve changes, and what development budget exists.
My strongest recommendation, grouping public charging under the Charging tab, was blocked after the research pointed to it, because that section belonged to another team with no budget for updates. Knowing those limits up front would have let me test realistic options earlier and bring stakeholders in before we got attached to a solution we couldn't ship
