NEW CAR TEST DRIVE CENTER

In late 2025, Carvana made an important decision to venture into the sale of new vehicles on their platform. This aligned with the organization’s objective to introduce a brand new way to buy a brand new car, marking a significant milestone in Carvana’s history that would propel the business further into the future.

With this new priority, the Visual Design team’s goal was to provide a strong structural foundation for various touchpoints to stand/expand on. This involved important decisions around scalability, brand recognition, technological capabilities, and overall customer experience.

PROJECT TYPE

Branding, Asset Production, Product, Wayfinding

TEAM

Visual Design

Establishing the system

The visual approach was largely influenced by the concept of a “stage” and providing customers with a novel, more innovative “playground,” in which they have more control over their shopping experience. The vehicle takes center stage for dramatic visual impact, enveloped in Carvana’s already recognizable brand environment. The visual language for these projects was further sharpened by implementing the Carvana Design System Library.

Let's get physical

Translating the design system to a physical space required large-scale coordination between teams. With the concept of the “playground” in mind, Visual Design crafted a large array of assets, including themed wayfinding, special test-drive areas, and exclusive operational materials. All of these assets were launched as part of Carvana’s New Car Test Drive Center.

Seamless digital experience

The New Car Test Drive Center challenges the conventional understanding of the traditional dealership experience by seamlessly incorporating the customer’s device as a core arbiter of the experience. Visual Design synchronized the physical and digital spaces through a series of digital vehicle tours, each with their own narrative thread and trim-accurate imagery*. 



*Each vehicle tour contained imagery created using generative artificial intelligence tools, with a keen emphasis on 100% visual accuracy.

The New Car experience provides the customer with tools to be the main character in their car buying journey —  and delighting them with salient visuals along the way.