HER-Mechanic
Mobile application to empower and provide community to women seeking auto repairs, so they are not put into a position to be taken advantage of by auto professionals due to their gender.
Problem Statement
“How might we reduce the number of women who are taken advantage of by mechanics”
Problem Background
The car repair process is a daunting and universal pain. When something breaks down it is both an inconvenience and a multi-step process, requiring weeks to see repairs. Additionally, auto shops, private mechanics, and car manufacturers have earned the reputation of overcharging and trying to take advantage of uninformed customers, especially women.
In 2012 Northwestern University students conducted a car quote experiment where they found on average women were quoted $13 more than their male counterparts for the same problem, and upwards to $200 more if they also appeared “poorly informed” (3).
Research Insights
User Pain Points
Conducted a combined 13 user surveys and user interviews. The questions were focused on their unique car repair experiences as women.
We found that 83% of women have felt taken advantage of by auto repair professionals, and they contributed that to their gender [2].
100 % of the women considered themselves “novice” to auto repair and car maintenance [2]. They heavily rely on their fathers for support, and have to accept whatever an auto professional tells them as true, because they lack knowledge about their car.
Many of them felt “exhausted”, “frustrated”, and “disrespected” during their car repair process.
Feedback
In addition, we found that about 75 % of participants do conduct research when they have a problem with their car, but they deemed it as a hassle because it wasn’t a centralised process. They had to use multiple search engines and manually cross reference the price of parts and service. After their research process they still weren’t sure if they were being charged fairly.
Landing on the Solution
The solution to this problem is an app that educates and empowers women through their car repair process, while providing a safe space for them to share their experiences with other women.
Here’s the 3 Key App Features:
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Curtis Barber
I’ve learned that identifying the JTBD (job to be done) is the foundation to the product management process. Understanding what causes the customer “to hire” a product, enables me to focus on solving the most important problem. The problem space is my best friend now.
I’ve also learned that customer empathy plus collaboration is key. Understanding and respecting designers and developers' work style is the only way to deliver a great MVP. In the same way understanding and respecting the user’s pain points is the only way to produce a product that is useful.
Technically I was able to:
- Determine a Problem Space
- Conduct User Surveys & Interviews
- Produce Research Synthesis Data
- Create User Stories, Product Scenarios, & Acceptance Criteria
- Produce Product Specification Document
- Collaborate with other Product Managers
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
&
As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
&
As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
&
Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
&
- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
&
All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
&
I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.