carsdirect special finance Form optimization
The Project That Sparked My UX Obsession
In 2019, while working at Internet Brands, I asked to be put on some UX projects to expand my skillset and explore the field more deeply. One of those projects was improving the conversion rate of CarsDirect’s special finance auto loan request form. What seemed like a simple assignment quickly became a turning point in my career. The goal was to reduce friction on our mobile path, creating a more user-friendly flow. The result? Not only did conversion rates improve, but dealers also reported better-quality leads, with more accurate and actionable information.
Seeing the direct impact of thoughtful UX was incredibly rewarding. It lit a fire in me to go deeper, ultimately leading me to pursue a master’s degree in UX design.
The Problem
CarsDirect’s special finance form wasn’t performing as well as it could, especially on mobile campaigns. Users were dropping off before completing the form, and the data that did come through was often incomplete or inaccurate. The form structure felt outdated, with unnecessary dropdowns and non-standard formatting that added friction. We needed to improve the user experience to increase submissions and ensure higher-quality lead data for our dealer partners.
My Role
As the UX/UI designer on this project, I created wireframes, UI designs and researched best practices in form design to inform the A/B test implementation.
Page 1 Form Comparison - Control vs variant (winner)
control vs variant path examples
I conducted a deep dive into form UX best practices, focusing on what makes forms easier or more frustrating to complete - especially on mobile. My hypothesis was that reducing effort would lead to higher submission rates by helping users feel more empowered and less burdened. I tested a variant with simplified interactions: removing unnecessary dropdowns, restructuring the address field to match familiar formats, and streamlining overall flow. The results confirmed that clarity and simplicity were key and the users responded positively to the reduced friction. Surprisingly, dealers also reported that lead quality improved. The simplified form encouraged more accurate input, making the leads more valuable and actionable.
We used SixPack (an A/B traffic splitting tool) to test the new form path against the original, allowing us to measure the impact of our changes with real user data - dates scrubbed for privacy.
