Reimagining the Subaru Ownership Experience

Designing connected, multi-audience automotive experiences across brand, platform, and product.

Industry Vertical:
Automotive & Mobility
Role & Expertise:
Automotive-Telematics
E-commerce
Design Systems
Prototyping
UX/UI Design
Web Design

Company Profile

Subaru of America is a leading automotive brand known for its commitment to safety, longevity, and environmental stewardship. Beyond manufacturing vehicles like the Outback and Solterra, Subaru fosters deep customer loyalty through the Subaru Love Promise. By 2026, the brand has solidified its position as a leader in rugged utility and digital innovation, maintaining the highest overall loyalty to dealers in the industry.

CLient
Subaru logo with a blue oval containing six silver stars and the word 'SUBARU' below.
Brief

Redesign the MySubaru digital ecosystem to create a unified "Connected Experience" that integrates the vehicle into the owner's daily life. Consolidate features, modernize navigation for adventure-oriented users, and align the digital interface with core brand values of safety and outdoor versatility.

Launched

2016

Role

Associate Creative Director, Designer

Website
Open Website
www.subaru.com/owners.html

Unifying the Subaru Experience

In 2016, the automotive industry saw rapid evolution with technological advancements and changing consumer expectations. Connected vehicles became a key focus, promising to transform the driving experience. Subaru, known for its innovation in the automotive sector, identified an opportunity to improve the customer journey through these new technologies. However, their current telematics system struggled to keep up with the diverse range of vehicles and evolving customer requirements. This posed a complex challenge that demanded a complete overhaul. Our team set out to revamp the Subaru ownership experience by creating a unified, user-friendly, and customer-oriented platform that harnessed the potential of connected vehicles.

Subaru faced a fragmented digital ecosystem with inconsistent user experiences across multiple platforms. The goal was to create a unified platform that addressed these challenges by:

  • Consolidating features: Bringing together key functionalities into a single, cohesive interface.
  • Enhancing usability: Improving navigation and information architecture for a seamless user experience.
  • Strengthening brand identity: Aligning the design with Subaru's brand values and visual language.

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screen captures of pre-redesign of Subaru portal displayed on laptop and mobile device.

Human-Centered Focus

The seasoned Experience team prioritized understanding the Subaru customer. Through deep research, innovative ideation, and rigorous testing, we created a platform that resonated.

Team Makeup:

  • User Researchers
  • UX Designers
  • UI Designers (my role ACD)
  • Information Architects
  • Content Strategists / Writer
  • Business Analysts

Team Makeup:

  • Empathetic Research
  • Innovation Ideation
  • Iterative Refinement
  • Delivery to Development
  • Evaluation
screen captures of the discovery artifacts produced in phase 1 of the redesign.

The Subaru Ecosystem

Create a truly Connected Experience

The goal was to create a seamless and connected experience for Subaru owners. By integrating the vehicle, MySubaru app, and customer portal, we aimed to enhance convenience, safety, and overall customer satisfaction.

MySubaru App

Providing access to vehicle information, remote controls, and personalized services.

The Connected Car

Equipped with telematics technology to enable remote features and data collection.

Owner Portal

Offering vehicle management, maintenance scheduling, and customer support.

Isometric illustration showing the Subaru connected car ecosystem, highlighting telematics connectivity between a Subaru vehicle, mobile app, and web portal.

Hybrid Waterfall-Agile Model

Our design process prioritized collaboration and repeatable iterative improvements.

Discovery & Research - This phase involves understanding the project's goals, target audience, and gathering insights to inform the design process.
Phase 2 - Design & Prototype This phase focuses on translating user research into design concepts, creating prototypes, and gathering feedback. Iterative Work: Multiple rounds of design iterations based on user testing and feedback. Team Leads: UX designers UI designers
Phase 3 - Development & Delivery This phase involves building the product based on the approved designs, testing, and launching the final product. Iterative Work: Debugging, performance optimization, and minor design adjustments based on feedback and testing. Team Leads: Developers & Testing Project managers
Phase 4 - Evaluation & Iteration This phase focuses on measuring product performance, gathering user feedback, and identifying areas for improvement. Iterative Work A continuous cycle of gathering feedback, analyzing data, and implementing improvements. Team Leads: Data Analysts User Researchers Project managers

Crafting the MySubaru Experience

To create a seamless and intuitive mobile experience, we iterated on the app and connected portal, with integrated car telematic technology design through multiple versions. This involved exploring various design concepts, incorporating user feedback, and refining the interface to optimize usability and visual appeal.

Collage of website UI design screens including subscription plans, safety features, remote services, and vehicle accessories for STARLINK and Subaru.
Multiple smartphone screens showing the MySubaru app interface including location map, vehicle status, events listings, remote services, and lock screen keypad.

MySubaru Experience

Customer Portal + Integrated App + Connected Car

The result of the new MySubaru connected experience is a unified digital ecosystem designed to integrate your vehicle into your daily life by bridging the gap between your car and your devices. This ecosystem centers on three core pillars: the Customer Portal, the MySubaru Mobile App, and the Vehicle's Telematics Integration.

Silver Subaru SUV next to digital devices displaying MySubaru app and website with mountainous landscape background.
MySubaru login screen with email and password fields, remember me checkbox, and a silver Subaru SUV on a road with mountains in the background.Red Subaru sedan driving on dirt road under the MY SUBARU app interface showing options to lock, unlock, locate, and control horn & lights, with sections for vehicle health, messages, and support.Mobile app screen showing a red Subaru sedan on a desert background with menu options for Subaru Starlink remote services, vehicle health, messages, and support.Mobile screen showing MySubaru events list with images for Salute to the Parks in Washington DC on April 13, Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival in Philadelphia PA on April 17, and another event on May 1.
MySubaru webpage showing vehicle info, service scheduling, remote services, Subaru retailer details, promotional offers, accessories, badge of ownership, Subaru Gear, Drive Magazine, build your own Subaru feature, and social media links.
MySubaru app listing showing a blue app icon with white MYSUBARU text, 4.8-star rating, free download, and option to view in Mac App Store.

Since 1916, the MySubaru app and Customer portal have evolved significantly. Initially overlooked by Subaru Dealers, the app now offers owners convenient features such as service history tracking, access to manuals and how-to videos, service scheduling, and locating the nearest Subaru Certified Service Center. MySubaru has progressed from a 1-star rating with minimal subscribers to an impressive 4.8 stars.

Contact

If you're working on something that needs clarity, care, and momentum, let's talk.

Send a message or call:

p: 404 333-4171

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