Tankfarm Case Study
Overview
Summary
I led the redesign of Tankfarm’s branding and digital touch points, which included the website, consumer dashboard, and quote flow.
Primary Role
Product Designer, UX Strategy & Research
Responsibilities
Defining the problem space, research synthesis, designing the online experience, collaborating on the acquisition strategy, delivering results.
Team
Design, Product, Marketing, Dev
The Problem
When residential consumers shop for propane, they don’t know if they are getting a fair price and must trust the suppliers to deliver a “satisfactory” experience and service.
Tankfarm had a compelling offer, but unclear messaging and inconsistent UX weakened trust.
The website lacked a professional look and feel, which further eroded user trust.
User Goals
“I just want a trustworthy propane supplier that won’t rip me off.”
Why it doesn’t feel trustworthy today:
Hidden market prices create doubt and frustration
Outdated and time-consuming buying process reinforces a lack of transparency
Untrustworthy website experience fails to inspire confidence
Undifferentiated brand is perceived as just another local propane supplier
Business Goals
More Qualified Leads, Less Wasted Spend.
Increase qualified leads for Sales team (MQL to SQL)
Decrease Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Improve user engagement and quote flow lead conversion
Strengthen user trust and brand differentiation
The Research
Discovery
Stakeholder Interviews
Conducted stakeholder interviews with internal sales and customer service team to gather any siloed information that can help get a better understanding of current members and applicants.
Empathy Map
Creating a shared understanding
User journey Map
“I want to switch my propane provider.”
Prioritizing User Needs
The friction & needs summary
Why people hesitate to switch propane providers
Discovery & Key Insight
They didn’t trust the process or the providers.
Through stakeholder interviews, user feedback, and funnel analysis, several key issues emerged:
High drop-off rates during the quote flow due to overwhelming or unclear steps.
No clear pricing
Fear disruption about switching because there was no clear guidance.
Inconsistent digital touch-points eroding brand trust and user confidence.
1. Ease of Switching
Created messaging around ease of switching and transparency in pricing.
2. trust-first UX
Provide clear pricing in the quote flow, and lead with unique value proposition.
3. Unique Value
Highlight differentiators: FREE tank monitoring, No contracts, No cost switching
Wireframes
Information Architecture
Initial Mockups
Final Design
Streamlined Quote Flow
Simplified the quote flow to improve clarity, build trust, and reduce bounce.
Collaborated with Marketing
Crafted targeted ad visuals, emails, and website, ensuring consistent messaging across all channels.
Results
Confident Customers. Better Calls. Lower Costs. Less Mental Calories Burned.
Impact:
35% increase in qualified leads and 25% decrease in CAC
15% user engagement and ~30% reduction in unqualified sales calls
Net Promoter Score jump from 5 to 9.
Clearer positioning: stronger user trust in Tankfarm as a modern propane brand…that cares.
What I Learned
Trust Is a UX Outcome, Not Just a Brand Promise.
Clarity = Conversion
Switching energy providers feels scary and inconvenient. People fear disruption more than price...trust is UX.
Next time I would conduct user interviews with more homeowners earlier to validate assumptions faster.
Good UX is about guidance, not just flows. When users feel confident, they convert.
