B2B · SaaS
Silenta GPS: Vehicle Fleet Tracking
The goal of the project was to create a fleet tracking module that shows where vehicles are, whether they are moving or stopped, and which routes they have taken. The module was built as part of Silenta, but from the beginning, it was also planned as a separate product for any company that needs to track its vehicles. I designed two versions: a detailed desktop version and a quick, easy-to-use mobile version.
Key Goals
Show the status of the entire fleet in real time, on both desktop and mobile.
Provide easy access to vehicle history and routes.
Design a solution that is flexible enough to work in other industries, not just the funeral industry.
My role
As a freelance UX/UI Designer, I was responsible for the entire module: research, competitor analysis, UX, and UI design for both desktop and mobile.
The product owner shared the business need with me, and we worked directly together. After the research, we discussed my idea for the solution and checked if it matched his expectations. Only then did I start designing.
I delivered a complete design file with all screen states and user flows.
design challenges
Challenge 1: The data that matters. Fleet tracking systems show a lot of information. Which data is really important, and how can we organize it without overwhelming the user?
Challenge 2: A small map and many vehicles. How can we show vehicle locations, their status, and routes on a phone screen, so the user can understand the situation with just one tap?
Challenge 3: Two devices, one product. How can we design desktop and mobile versions that work well together instead of doing the same things?
Challenge 4: Flexibility. How can we design a tool that works well for funeral homes, but also for any company with a fleet of vehicles?
Research & Analysis
Research Methods
There are not many GPS tracking tools made for the funeral industry, so I looked at fleet management solutions from other industries.
Desktop research. I checked how other tools show vehicle lists and real-time vehicle information. I also looked at which data is most important: fuel level, stop time, speed, mileage, and status.
Mobile research. I studied dashboard layouts, vehicle tracking on small screens, and what users see when they tap a vehicle on the map: route, status, speed, and fuel consumption.
Testing existing tools. I had access to demo versions of different tools, so I could test how they worked in real life, not just how they looked in screenshots.
Vision meeting with the client. After the research, I shared my ideas with the product owner. We discussed the solution and checked if we had the same vision.
Research Findings
Status colors are a standard. In all the tools I researched, vehicle status was shown using three colors: green (online), yellow (stopped), and red (offline).
The same data appears in different tools. Most tools showed average and maximum speed, fuel consumption, estimated and actual arrival times, mileage, and the planned route. They also showed where the driver started, where they needed to go, and whether they arrived.
user problems
Hypotheses based on research, not on user interviews.
Lack of fleet visibility: It's difficult to see in real time which vehicles are moving and which are stopped.
Difficult to react to changes: Without real-time fleet information, it's hard to decide whether to change a route.
Route tracking: Without route and stop history, it's hard to check how a trip went.
business problems
Delays: Being on time is very important in the funeral industry, and without proper fleet tracking, delays can happen.
Operating costs: Poor use of vehicles and a lack of route information increase costs.
A product for other companies: The module had to be flexible enough to work outside Silenta and be sold to other companies.
Design process
Key changes
Desktop
Vehicle list and real-time tracking:
I designed a vehicle list with the most important information and quick access to details.
In the vehicle profile, I showed fuel level, speed, mileage, the next oil change date, and how long and when the vehicle was stopped.
History and routes:
When users open a vehicle profile, they can see its history and total mileage.
Users can open a specific trip and see its details, including the route and stops marked on the map.
Mobile
Dashboard:
The main screen shows how many vehicles are moving, how many are stopped, and the latest trip.
Map:
Users can switch to a map showing the locations of active vehicles.
When users tap a vehicle on the map, they can see its current route, history, maximum and average speed, travel time, and an option to track the route.
Vehicle list:
The vehicle list shows each vehicle's status (tracked or offline) and a short summary of key information.
When users open a vehicle, they can see its latest trip and go to the full history, just like on desktop.
Design Decisions
Why does the mobile dashboard show the number of moving and stopped vehicles?
The client wanted managers and dispatchers to see how many vehicles are moving and how many are stopped as soon as they open the app.This helps them decide what to do next: check why a vehicle has stopped or change its route. That's why I placed this information at the top of the dashboard.
Why did I use three status colors?
Green, yellow, and red were used in all the tools I researched. Users can easily understand these colors without learning what they mean, even in companies outside the funeral industry.
Why did I add the next oil change date?
This was my own idea. The information about fuel, mileage, and stops came from my research. But I thought that showing the next oil change date could help companies plan vehicle maintenance and give users another reason to check the vehicle profile.
Why did I use general terms?
The module was also planned to be sold outside Silenta, so I couldn't focus only on the funeral industry. I used simple, general words like "vehicle", "route", and "stop" instead of funeral-related terms. This makes the product easy to understand for any company with a fleet of vehicles.
Results & Conclusions
conclusion
Research from similar industries can help when there are no ready-made examples. When there are no tools designed for a specific industry, studying solutions from logistics and fleet management can be a good starting point.
Familiar patterns make learning easier. Using three status colors and a standard set of data helps users understand the system without having to learn something new.
Agreeing on the vision before designing saves time on changes. The meeting after the research helped us check if we understood the goal in the same way, before I started designing the screens.
A flexible product needs general language. A product made for different industries should use simple, neutral terms that are not connected to one specific industry.
