Union Motors – Mount Wellington's Digital Car Dealership Experience
Transformed a legacy car dealership into a modern digital brand by launching a high-performance, mobile-first web platform to scale visibility and customer reach across New Zealand
Role
Full Stack Designer & Developer
Skills
UI/UX Design, Responsive Frontend Engineering, Full-Stack Development, Database Architecture, Authentication & AuthorizationTechnologies
Next.js (App Router), Tailwind CSS, ShadCN UI, NextAuth.js, PostgreSQL + Prisma, Vercel
Overview
Union Motors is a professionally designed and fully responsive vehicle dealership platform built to elevate the digital presence of a long-established car dealership based in Mount Wellington, New Zealand. Founded in 2002, Union Motors had seen steady local success but lacked a modern web presence to attract a broader, digital-savvy audience across the country. As the sole designer and developer, I crafted a clean, high-performance platform that showcases the company’s inventory, reinforces its brand identity, and ensures a smooth user experience on all devices. The result is a scalable, mobile-first solution built with modern web technologies to support long-term business growth.
Challenges and goals
The primary challenge was to develop a lightweight, fully responsive platform that delivers a seamless and visually engaging experience across all devices, especially mobiles. As the sole developer, I focused on creating an intuitive UI/UX that effectively showcases vehicle listings while maintaining fast load times and accessibility standards. The backend was designed to be robust and scalable using NextAuth for secure authentication and PostgreSQL with Prisma for efficient data management. Future-proofing the platform for easy extensibility and long-term business growth was also a key objective.
Deliverbles
Dynamic Vehicle Listings
Flexible, scalable listings with detailed vehicle info.
Mobile-First Responsive Design
Elegant UI optimized for all devices.
Secure Authentication System
Robust user authentication with NextAuth.
Backend Integration and Scalability
Scalable backend using PostgreSQL and Prisma.
SEO Optimization
Improved visibility with server-side rendering.
Performance and Accessibility
Fast loading and accessible for all users.
Deployment and Continuous Integration
Automated deployment on Vercel for reliability.
Approach
Component-Driven Architecture
Built the UI using modular and reusable components with ShadCN UI and Tailwind CSS, ensuring visual consistency, rapid development, and ease of maintenance. This approach supports scalability and future feature additions.
Mobile-First and Performance-Optimized Design
Prioritized a mobile-first design strategy to deliver a seamless and engaging experience across all devices. Optimized asset loading, responsive layouts, and accessibility to enhance user satisfaction and reach.
Secure Authentication & Future-Proof Extensibility
Implemented secure authentication with NextAuth to manage user sessions and roles. Architected the platform backend using PostgreSQL and Prisma for scalability, enabling easy integration of admin and management features down the line.
SEO & Accessibility Best Practices
Applied SEO techniques including server-side rendering, semantic markup, and meta tags to improve search engine rankings. Ensured WCAG-compliant accessibility for users with disabilities.
Robust Data Management
Designed the database schema with Prisma ORM for efficient queries and data integrity. This ensured smooth handling of vehicle data and user information.
Automated Deployment & Monitoring
Configured continuous deployment pipelines on Vercel to enable smooth, automated releases. Implemented basic monitoring to track uptime and performance metrics.
User-Centric Design Process
Incorporated user feedback and usability testing during development to refine UI elements, ensuring an intuitive and satisfying user experience.
Outcome
Union Motors launched a sleek, user-friendly digital platform that significantly enhanced customer engagement and expanded their reach beyond local markets. Within six months of the website launch, the dealership experienced a 35% increase in sales inquiries and a 20% growth in vehicle sales, driven by improved online visibility and a streamlined browsing experience. The fast-loading, mobile-optimized interface elevated user experience and reinforced brand credibility. Built on a scalable backend stack with PostgreSQL and Prisma, the platform is well-prepared for future enhancements like advanced vehicle filtering, admin dashboards, and CRM integrations, supporting long-term business growth and operational efficiency.