Daimler Mercedes-Benz · Vehicle Subscription Concept

Daimler Vehicle Subscription Concept

Daimler was exploring a vehicle subscription offer before the model was familiar to consumers or fully defined internally. As a supporting case, this shows how I led UX definition for a two-month concept that helped drivers understand cost, commitment, responsibility, delivery, and post-subscription management before choosing a vehicle or plan.

Best read as an earlier service-design example: I structured an unfamiliar mobility model across acquisition, delivery, and lifecycle management under senior client scrutiny.

Project type: Greenfield vehicle subscription concept
Timeframe: Two-month concept engagement
Role: Experience Design Lead, Deloitte Digital Germany
Scope: Selection through lifecycle management on desktop and mobile web
Status: Pre-launch concept, approved and tested
Outcome: Shared service model and testing findings for MVP definition

Full-width hero mockup showing repeated mobile subscription concept screens from the Daimler vehicle subscription concept. — I used the mockups to frame subscription as a service relationship: plan choice, included services, account setup, and ongoing management had to explain the model together.

The Problem

Clarifying a new subscription model end to end

The brief was as much about clarifying the product as designing the interface.

Drivers had to consider a new way to access a car: more flexible than ownership or leasing, but less familiar than either. Before they could choose a vehicle or plan, they needed clear answers about cost, commitment, responsibility, delivery, and what they would manage after subscribing.

The scope went beyond an acquisition funnel. I had to define a journey that made the service understandable from vehicle selection through delivery and ongoing management while the business requirements were still evolving. I used that journey to give users, executives, and delivery partners one structure to evaluate together.

High-level Daimler subscription flow showing the acquisition journey, checkout steps, lifecycle management, Mercedes Me management, and dealer management touchpoints. — I used this flow to connect acquisition, checkout, lifecycle management, Mercedes Me, and dealer handoffs so client teams could discuss service scope and handoff risk together.

My Role

Leading UX definition with clear ownership boundaries

I led UX definition on a small cross-functional concept team and presented the work directly to Daimler and Mercedes-Benz executives.

What I owned

As Experience Design Lead at Deloitte Digital Germany, I owned research synthesis, competitive review, journey and flow definition, wireframes, and executive presentations.

What stayed shared

The team included an automotive strategist, systems architect, UI designer, and design leadership. The business model, visual execution, and any later MVP delivery were shared or outside my direct ownership.

Key Decisions

The most important calls were about clarity and commitment

The strongest part of the work was choosing where users needed clarity, where Daimler needed certainty, and where the flow could reduce friction without hiding responsibility.

Define the full relationship, not just the signup

I treated sign-up as the first service moment. The journey connected vehicle selection, configuration, account setup, verification, delivery, Mercedes Me, dealer handoffs, and ongoing management so users and client stakeholders could evaluate one service.

Lower the barrier to commitment

The key call was to separate intent from eligibility. Users could understand and choose the subscription first; Daimler could still verify identity before delivery. That reduced early data-entry friction without removing a necessary trust and compliance step.

Use testing to tighten high-friction moments

Testing pushed specific refinements rather than broad redesign: clearer navigation, payment before review, better step progression, stronger policy visibility, and clearer explanation of lifecycle actions after sign-up.

Subscription concept screen showing included services, price summary, five-step progression, and a clear call to configure the subscription. — I kept included services, price, step progression, and commitment details visible, then moved identity verification later in the broader flow.

Outcome

What the concept clarified

The work aligned Daimler around a testable service model and exposed the points that needed refinement before MVP definition.

Testing with seven relevant participants was too light to prove market demand. It gave the team useful direction, confirmed that the service structure was understandable enough to continue, and showed where details still broke down.

Daimler left with a shared model for acquisition, checkout, delivery, and lifecycle management, plus specific issues to refine around navigation, payment and review order, policy visibility, step progression, and post-sign-up communication. Because this phase remained pre-launch, the strongest claim is validated learning: a shared acquisition-to-lifecycle model, concrete refinements, and a clearer path into MVP definition.

Testing summary slide showing the six subscription scenarios, overall task completion, and difficulty markers from participant validation. — Testing covered six scenarios and showed where users still needed clearer navigation, step progression, and lifecycle communication.

Full-width closing mockup showing the Daimler subscription lifecycle dashboard concept. — In the lifecycle dashboard concept, drivers could see the status, account, and vehicle-management surfaces they would need after checkout.