All work
Independent UX audit, 2026
Making the BlueCruise free trial easier to start
BlueCruise is Ford’s hands-free motorway driving feature, sold in the UK as a subscription after a 90-day free trial. I evaluated the BlueCruise web experience to find what was getting in the way of starting that trial, and what to change first.
- Type
- Independent UX audit
- Year
- 2026
- Methods
- Survey of 24 people, usability testing, web analytics, SERVQUAL gap analysis
- Output
- Prioritised redesign and Figma prototype
What I found
The page behaved like an information library at the moment drivers needed help making a decision.
- The main call to action was easy to miss. In usability testing, 3 in 4 participants failed to activate the free trial or didn’t attempt it.
- The price after the trial was unclear. Respondents rated post-trial pricing clarity 2.96 out of 5, and the fear of an unexpected charge outweighed the appeal of a free trial.
- Understanding the product took too long. It took participants almost 15 minutes on average to understand what BlueCruise does, and they rated that experience 2 out of 5.
- Eligibility was hard to confirm. 23 of 24 survey respondents wanted to check vehicle compatibility upfront, but the page made them hunt for it.
How I prioritised
I mapped user expectations for vehicle subscriptions against the service using SERVQUAL, then ranked fixes with a PIE matrix (potential, importance and ease) so the redesign started where it would matter most.
What I recommended
- An upfront ‘Check vehicle eligibility’ tool, so drivers know straight away whether the trial applies to them
- The monthly price and a clear ‘cancel anytime’ policy shown directly below the opening section
- A persistent ‘Start 90-day free trial’ button that appears once eligibility and price are clear
The report also set out how to test the redesign: a structured survey measuring perceived ease of use and intent to start a trial.
