Finance calculator
Developed a finance calculator with an easy-to-use interface to simplify planning and empower informed decisions.
Before launching the new electric Mustang Mach-E, Ford needed to determine how and where to introduce a key tool that allowed users to calculate their monthly installments based on their deposit for the vehicle they were interested in buying.
Problem space
Since this was a business requirement, we began by comparing Ford’s main competitors to better understand their finance calculator behavior: how and where they introduced it in the journey, and how easy it was for users to find and understand its functionality.
Through this analysis, we discovered that the finance calculator was commonly introduced during the vehicle configuration process, rather than afterwards. Consequently, we focused our efforts on the configuration journey and the summary page that follows. From a functionality perspective, we also examined different industries such as real estate and finance applications.
We explored various layouts and ways to introduce the finance calculator during the user’s journey on the Configurator, ensuring it allowed users to interact with it while configuring their dream car. We then created medium-fidelity wireframes to showcase different possibilities, as we were not starting from scratch. The configurator screens had already been created, and the existing finance calculator fields were in line with all legal requirements.
Solution space
We created three different prototypes (A, B, and C), each introducing and presenting the finance calculator in different ways. We tested these with six users to answer several key questions: What is the ideal journey for users—configure first or check finance first? When did users want to see finance options? Were the CTAs clear in the configuration? Could users easily find the monthly finance options and details?
One user summarised a key finding with this quote: "To be fair, it's the first thing I would check... the finance; otherwise, you might get to the point where you are configuring and you can't afford it."
Prototype C was shown to users to gather feedback and understand if they expected to find the finance calculator on the summary page. Finance was introduced as a CTA just under the total price, making it easy for users to find. It received positive feedback, as users expected to interact with finance after configuring their car.
Prototype B was considered less clear compared to Prototype A, but participants performed much better when asked to find different ways of navigating to the monthly payment and finance information or details on the page. Based on performance, we iterated on Prototype B and moved it into production.
This project was highly challenging due to the involvement of numerous stakeholders, each with distinct requirements, including the client, legal department, various EU markets, Ford’s design system team, and the accessibility reviews team.
Objectives and key results
We successfully implemented a built-in calculator that allowed users to explore various payment options for vehicles based on their budget and choose between different finance plans. As a result, users were able to make more informed decisions and select financing options that best fit their financial situation. This feature not only improved user satisfaction but also increased engagement with the financing section of our platform. While the client did not disclose specific performance metrics, they expressed full satisfaction with the results.
