Case Study 11
Kings Rent a Car
Redefining the Car Rental Experience
Client
Kings Rent A Car (Sri Lanka)
Type
UI-UX Design
Industry
Automotive / Car Rental
Role
UX Researcher | UI Designer | Information Architect | Interaction Designer
Introduction
Kings Rent A Car is one of Sri Lanka’s most established and trusted car rental companies, offering both self-drive and chauffeur-driven services since 1994. For this project, I worked as a UI/UX Designer, translating nearly three decades of reliability, safety, and premium service into a modern digital experience. The objective was to create a website that communicates trust instantly while making it easy for users to explore vehicles, services, and rental options across all devices.
Project Overview
The client required a professional, user-friendly website that could clearly present their extensive fleet, service offerings, and long-standing reputation in the car rental industry. My role focused on UX strategy, UI design, and interaction design, ensuring the platform feels credible, intuitive, and efficient for both local and international users.
I structured the experience around key user needs such as browsing vehicles, understanding rental options, accessing chauffeur services, and requesting bookings with confidence. Clear information hierarchy, intuitive navigation, and well-defined calls-to-action help users move smoothly through the site without confusion. The design emphasizes trust through clean layouts, balanced spacing, and consistent visual patterns that reflect the company’s operational maturity.
Modern UX principles such as clarity, accessibility, and reduced cognitive load were applied, alongside responsive design techniques to ensure a seamless experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile. Thoughtful content presentation highlights Kings Rent A Car’s in-house fleet management, 24-hour assistance, and professional support team, reinforcing credibility and transparency.
What sets this project apart is its focus on communicating reliability through design. Rather than relying on heavy visuals, the interface prioritizes clarity and confidence, supporting Kings Rent A Car’s position as a premium, dependable rental service built on trust and experience.
User Research & Pain Points
During the initial research phase, I conducted interviews and usability tests with both frequent renters and first-time car hirers to uncover challenges in the existing website experience. Several key pain points emerged. First, users found it difficult to differentiate between self-drive and chauffeur-driven services, which caused confusion and hesitation during decision-making. Second, information about the fleet and pricing was opaque; users struggled to view available vehicles, their conditions, or rental rates at a glance, making comparisons time-consuming and frustrating. Third, the booking process was cumbersome, with too many steps, leading to high drop-off rates before completion. Additionally, despite Kings Rent A Car’s long-standing reputation, the website did not effectively communicate trust or credibility — there were few client testimonials, no clear fleet ownership details, and limited trust signals. Finally, users wanted more visible and easily accessible support, particularly for emergency roadside assistance or booking clarifications, highlighting a need for better communication channels.
Key Solutions Implemented for Identified Problems
| Problem | Solution Implemented | Impact / Results | KPIs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confusing service types (self-drive vs chauffeur) | Created a clear, side-by-side service comparison with icons, descriptions, and benefits for each option | Users quickly understood the service differences, reducing hesitation during booking | +30% booking conversion on service selection page |
| Opaque pricing & fleet information | Introduced an interactive fleet gallery with filters, vehicle details, and transparent pricing | Users could easily compare cars and make informed choices | +40% engagement on fleet pages, reduced bounce rate |
| Cumbersome booking process | Redesigned booking into a streamlined 3-step flow (choose car → select date → confirm) | Faster booking completion, fewer drop-offs | Booking completion rate increased from 45% to 75% |
| Lack of trust signals | Added “Why Kings?” section: fleet ownership, 24/7 assistance, client testimonials, trust badges | Users felt confident and reassured, especially first-time renters | 50% of users viewed the trust section, reducing first-time user hesitation |
| Hard to access support | Implemented a persistent support widget and emergency contact section in the footer | Users could quickly reach support, increasing engagement and satisfaction | 30% of site visitors initiated chat or clicked support |
Technical Implementation
To bring the redesigned experience to life, I worked with the development team to implement a responsive, mobile-first design using modern web technologies. We used React for the front end, leveraging component-based architecture to build reusable UI components for the fleet gallery, booking widget, and support modules. For styling, we used Tailwind CSS to maintain consistency, scalability, and speed during development. On the backend, Node.js (Express) powered the booking API, integrated with WhatsApp API for the “confirm via WhatsApp” flow, making confirmation seamless. We implemented CMS integration (using a headless CMS like Strapi) to manage fleet data, pricing, and content so that the Kings team can update vehicle listings and rates without developer support. The site also includes Google Analytics for tracking key engagement flows (like completed bookings) and SSL encryption for secure data transmission.
Results & Key Metrics
| Metric | Impact |
|---|---|
| Booking Completion Rate | Increased from 45% to 75% within 3 months |
| Average Time to Book | Reduced from 4 minutes 30 seconds to 2 minutes 10 seconds |
| Support Widget Engagement | 30% of visitors interacted with the support widget or clicked for help |
| Trust Signals Engagement | 50% of users viewed the “Why Kings?” section, increasing confidence in services |
| Fleet Page Engagement | 40% higher interaction with the fleet gallery compared to the previous site |
After launching the redesigned website, Kings Rent A Car saw significant improvements within just three months. The booking completion rate jumped from 45% to 75%, thanks to the streamlined, three-step booking flow. The average time to book dropped by more than half, from 4 minutes 30 seconds to around 2 minutes 10 seconds, making the process much faster and more intuitive for users. The new support widget proved highly effective, with 30% of site visitors engaging with it for help or clarification. Meanwhile, trust-building elements like the “Why Kings?” section drew substantial attention — 50% of users viewed it, which helped communicate the company’s strengths in fleet ownership and 24/7 assistance. Together, these metrics highlighted not only improved usability and conversion but also stronger user reassurance and engagement.
Before
After
Working with Hasaruwan was a smooth and highly professional experience. He clearly understood our business, translated our requirements into a clean and intuitive design, and delivered a website that truly reflects our brand’s reliability and service standards. His attention to detail and user experience made a noticeable difference in how customers interact with our platform
Managing Director - Kings rent a car
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
This project highlighted the power of user-centered design combined with transparent branding. By deeply understanding user pain points (service confusion, lack of clear pricing, trust issues), we created a digital experience that feels both simple and authoritative. The three-step booking flow reduced friction, while the “Why Kings?” section reinforced credibility and legacy. Integrating a support widget addressed a real need for immediate help, enhancing customer confidence. Technically, adopting a component-based React architecture and a headless CMS setup enabled faster updates and greater flexibility. The positive impact on key metrics (booking rate, time-to-book, trust engagement) confirms that design-driven changes can directly influence business goals. Ultimately, the project demonstrated that clarity, trust, and speed are crucial for converting first-time visitors into loyal customers in the rental industry.
