Meet Carhuna, the innovative online marketplace and automotive auction platform that connects buyers with reputable and established dealers.
To stand out in the highly competitive industry, Carhuna sought a reliable, secure, and scalable platform capable of integrating numerous third-party services and offering an API for external partners. In addition to the branding and design, our team was entrusted with the responsibility of developing a web solution to bring Carhuna's vision to life.
The remarkable results of our collaboration with Carhuna highlight the transformative power of strategic branding and captivating design in propelling a tech start-up to success. By delving deep into Carhuna's unique requirements and its target audience's preferences, we crafted a visually stunning and seamless online auction experience that distinguishes the company from its competitors.
In an era where the digital transformation of the automotive industry is not just a trend but a necessity, our client recognised a golden opportunity to make their mark in the online automotive auction space. Despite the potential for growth and innovation, the path to launching a competitive platform in this relatively untapped market niche was fraught with uncertainties and challenges. Without a company name, branding, or a clear starting point, they were at ground zero, ready to embark on a journey to establish a pioneering online automotive auction platform.
Our client's search for a trusted partner to guide them through this ambitious endeavour led them to Digital Speed, due to our reputation for building successful online automotive auction websites previously. They needed a partner not just with technical expertise but with a holistic approach to building a brand from scratch and launching it into a competitive market.
The first hurdle was the lack of a foundational identity for their envisioned platform. They needed a name, branding, and domain. Our client's requirements were clear: to carve out a unique identity in the online automotive auction industry. This meant we needed to come up with a company name that resonated with the market.
Our approach was methodical and collaborative. We dived into the creative and strategic process of brand creation, crafting an identity that not only encapsulated the essence of the client's vision but also stood out in the digital landscape. After deciding on a name, successfully brokering the domain name was the next step in setting the foundation for the brand's online identity.
With the brand name and domain name in place, we shifted our focus to developing the visual and verbal identity of the brand. This involved producing comprehensive brand guidelines that encompassed colour schemes, tone of voice, and a logo that would become the visual representation of the brand's ethos. Our collaborative workshops and design sprints utilising Figma facilitated the transition from low-fidelity to high-fidelity designs, ensuring every aspect of the brand resonated with its target audience.
The transition to web development marked the beginning of bringing the client's vision to life. Our team was poised to develop a platform that not only met the market's needs but also set a new standard for online automotive auctions. This phase was about turning the carefully crafted brand identity into a dynamic, user-friendly website that would engage users and stand the test of time in a digital-centric world.
Our client's journey from having a vision to establishing a groundbreaking online automotive auction platform was marked by challenges, from the inception of a brand identity to the technical intricacies of web development. However, with strategic planning, creative thinking, and a partnership built on trust and expertise, we were set to navigate these challenges, paving the way for a successful launch into the online automotive auction market.
Developing a robust platform capable of handling growth, ensuring security, and seamlessly integrating with various services is essential for thriving in a highly competitive market. We provided Carhuna with the following services:
Web Development:
We built the frontend of the website based on the brand guidelines, brand assets, UI design and working prototype. Our expertise lies in modern web development tools, so we chose NextJS as a frontend framework which utilises the ReactJS library – we used React Query for querying the API. For the backend we opted for NodeJS and the ExpressJS framework, Prisma ORM as our data layer, and Redis for the session cache. A common practice in 2023 is to build everything in TypeScript.
Infrastructure Architecture:
Our preferred architecture utilises a microservices approach. This allowed us to develop, deploy, and scale different parts of the application independently, increasing flexibility and resilience. To ensure seamless deployment and management of these microservices, we dockerized them. Docker containers offer numerous benefits, including simplified configuration management, increased portability, and improved resource efficiency.
We set up the infrastructure on AWS, featuring separate accounts for development, staging, and production. The setup included unlimited ASGs for the production site, S3 buckets for data storage, PostgreSQL RDS for each account, CloudWatch, CloudFront CDN, and a full CI/CD pipeline using CodeCommit, CodePipeline, CodeDeploy, and CodeBuild.
Website Security:
We adhered to security best practices throughout development and conducted a penetration test pre-launch. We built validation into the backend by default for each request, added rate-limiting software to prevent DDoS attacks, and ensured our tooling (Prisma ORM) prevents SQL injection attacks.
Third-Party Integrations:
We seamlessly integrated 10+ third-party services, including Stripe for one-time payments and invoicing, Credas for user identity verification, SendGrid for transactional and marketing emails, Twilio for verification and SMS, Imgix for image optimisation, Pusher for real-time updates, Zendesk for customer support ticketing, and Salesforce CRM.
Dealer Management System Feeds:
We integrated the Carhuna platform with 6 industry-leading DMS system providers to enable classified feed imports for the DMS provider to create classified ads on behalf of their clients’ (car dealers) websites. These include Automotive Transformation Group (GForces), 67Degrees, Dragon2000 and Car Dealer 5. We also designed and built PDF documentation and online Redocly documentation for the API, facilitating a smooth integration process for anyone with the technical knowledge.
API Development:
We built a programming language agnostic API that enables authorised data transfer for website providers to create classified ads on behalf of their clients’ (car dealers) websites. We also designed and created PDF documentation, as well as online documentation for the API using Redocly, facilitating a smooth integration process for anyone with the technical knowledge. Since then, some of the industry leading DMS system providers have successfully integrated with the Carhuna Classifieds API. These include Clickdealer, Spidersnet and Bluesky Interactive.
To thrive in a highly competitive industry, it was crucial to adopt a fresh approach to building and launching a company. Establishing a strong brand identity from the outset is essential for standing out in a saturated market. We provided Carhuna with the following branding and design services:
Exploration, Naming & Identity:
We embarked on an in-depth exploration of the concept, identifying the target audience, researching existing names, and brainstorming innovative options. After various workshops and meticulous research into domain names and trademarks, we helped the client settle on the name “Carhuna,” which resonated with the target audience as “an expert in all things automotive – a person who’s in charge, with authority, wisdom, and repute.”
Branding:
We developed comprehensive brand guidelines, encompassing elements such as colour palette, tone of voice, fonts, styles, in situ designs, and more. We also created a distinctive logo and visual identity that aligned seamlessly with the brand identity.
