Revolutionary app for drivers
A revolutionary new mobile app for UK drivers to store car documents, find the cheapest fuel and parking, and get MOT/tax reminders. Introduced as a start-up venture under the Direct Line brand to save costs and modernise infrastructure.
Transforming a Struggling Product
Caha!'s cross-platform app faced a crisis with design flaws, bugs, and performance issues in an unscalable system, requiring a complete reimagining while preserving essential brand elements.
Rushed Development
Prioritising speed over quality created broken journeys and performance bottlenecks.
Design as an Afterthought
Early focus on technical proof-of-concept left user experience underdeveloped.
Lack of Testing
iOS-only testing created a frustrating experience for Android users.
Understanding User Needs
Testing with diverse participants revealed users prioritise vehicle visibility, practical features like fuel prices, and above all, simple navigation—though design preferences varied by demographics, with men specifically rejecting pink interfaces.
Research
Participants were asked to complete several tasks from the primary landing page for the app; each prototype consisted of the same features in a refreshed design pattern
Prototypes
Several rounds of prototypes and iterations during the research phases
The Caliper Design System
To solve these issues, I developed Caliper—a comprehensive design system with 150+ playful icons, semantic tokens for light/dark mode switching, and reusable components that improve efficiency while ensuring accessibility and scalability across platforms.
150+ custom icons
Created specifically for Caha!, with a hint of playfulness in each icon
Semantic tokens
Built to switch between light & dark modes with just a click
Reusable components
Atomic design principles enhance both speed and efficiency
Functionality with Delight
The redesigned app provides complete vehicle management, offering mobile document access, integrated maps for fuel and parking, and in-app EV charging payments, plus thoughtful features like the "wipe away" function and personalised fuel price tracking specific to each user's vehicle.
All-in-one app
Keep track of important reminders, petrol prices & store car documents
Documents
Access your documents anytime, anywhere.
Maps
Access to thousands of fuel stations, parking locations and more
Wipe away the problem
Surprise and delight even in the most frustrating situations
Fuel prices at your fingertips
Save money every time you fill up! Curated for your own vehicle
Charging
In-app payments make paying to charge your car a whole lot easier
A Transformative Impact
The third prototype excelled in all metrics, balancing functionality and aesthetics with simplified navigation, natural typography, and improved usability. This redesign transformed a problematic product into an intuitive, enjoyable experience, while Caliper ensures consistent design as the product evolves.