Product Designer – UX/UI Specialist
Simplifying real-time decision-making in public EV charging
Enhancing the public charging experiences through a streamlined app—boosting confidence, supporting EV adoption, and making it easier than ever to find, start, and pay for charging on the go.
Role
Lead UI Designer
Platform
iOS, Android
Areas
Strategy, Design
Duration
8 Weeks
Client
Audi NAR app
TL:DR
🔍 Problem
EV drivers needed a faster, more reliable way to find and activate public charging stations, but existing flows were fragmented, inconsistent, and frustrating to use on the go.
🙋🏼♀️ My role
I led the strategy and UI design for key parts of the charging experience, focusing on improving usability, navigation, and cross-platform consistency.
🚀 Outcome
We reduced user friction around charger discovery and activation by simplifying workflows, improving visual clarity, and streamlining interactions across devices.
Context
As Audi electric vehicles become more mainstream, drivers face challenges navigating public charging options and maximizing benefits like free Electrify America credits. Our objective was to redesign the public charging experience to increase usability, and align with Audi branding.
Opportunity & Challenge
The opportunity
The current public charging experience offered by Audi reflected poor user experience in its navigation and lacked consistent Audi branding.
This presented an opportunity to design a solution that simplifies the charging process, enhances brand alignment, and ensures users can confidently access and utilize available resources while on the go.
Opportunity & Challenge
The challenge
A key constraint was legal: we were limited in how much information we could show users. This restricted access to the charging ID, preventing us from delivering the smoothest possible experience.
Research & Insights
Starting with research
We began with a week of focused research in collaboration with the design research team. By testing prototypes with Audi users, we aimed to:
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Understand current public charging behaviors, expectations, and pain points.
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Evaluate the usability of Audi’s charging experience for clarity, ease of use, and goal alignment.
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Develop actionable recommendations to enhance usability and improve the overall charging experience.
Research & Insights
Research results
Based on our moderated usability testing with 10 users, we identified the following actionable recommendations for the public charging app redesign:
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The app’s entry point should be properly grouped and more prominent within the myAudi app.
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Users seek a more intuitive and simplified process for starting and stopping charging sessions.
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A clearer explanation of energy credits and their usage is needed.
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A detailed history of previous charging sessions should be provided.
Design strategy & goals
The design strategy
Our UX strategy was rooted in research: we used real user data to uncover pain points and guide every design decision. The goal was clear — simplify the experience, clarify information, and create a more intuitive flow that empowered users to find charging stations and use their credits with confidence.
The design goals
Make charging easy to find and use:
Design a clear, intuitive interface so users can quickly locate stations, start charging, and manage sessions without frustration.
Show real-time status, give users control: Use smart UI patterns to surface live updates and enable remote actions like starting or stopping a charge — giving users confidence and flexibility.
Design for future growth:
Build a scalable system that supports multiple charging networks, with a consistent experience no matter the provider.
Implimentation
Applying the design strategy
Our UX strategy centered on clarity and ease of use. We restructured the information architecture to reflect real user goals, streamlining the flow from finding a station to starting a charge.
By simplifying navigation and aligning the user flow with actual charging behaviour, we made the experience faster, more intuitive, and frustration-free.
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
Our UX strategy focused on reducing friction at every step. We reworked the information architecture to align with user goals, creating a more logical and efficient flow from station discovery to session start.
On the UI side, I introduced cleaner layouts, clearer labels, and visual cues that guided users through the process with minimal effort.
The result: A faster, more intuitive charging experience that cut user confusion, improved engagement, and increased successful session starts across the app.
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Results & Impact
Impact
While the redesigned public charging experience hasn’t launched yet, early signals are promising. A follow-up usability study and survey given to 10 participants indicated higher confidence in using key features, and completion rates, suggesting stronger adoption once live.
Onboarding satisfaction
Increased
Navigation ease
Increased
User frustration
Decreased
User review
Mostly positive
What improved?
We 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 10 participants:
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Onboarding satisfaction increased
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Navigation ease improved
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User frustration dropped
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Reviews were mostly positive, with stronger confidence reported in using key features
Why does it matter?
EV drivers need speed, clarity, and control—especially when charging on the go. A confident, low-friction experience encourages adoption, reduces call center load, and strengthens brand trust before the app even launches.
Reflection
Shaping future work
At times, business objectives may not fully align with user needs, potentially resulting in an incomplete user journey. However, knowing that the redesign has significantly enhanced the overall user experience helps mitigate the impact of these limitations.
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Including data for tracking charging adds autonomy for users,
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Grouping information allows users to focus,
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Small visibility updates can unlock major user trust.
