Parts catalogue
Auto parts are listed for members to browse and explore.
Case Study
We developed a custom automotive platform that brings auto parts sales, car shows and races, and an enthusiast forum together, so one community can shop, take part and talk in the same place.
Built for an automotive enthusiast who wanted parts, events and community under one roof.
Automotive. Client and project names are kept confidential.
- Industry
- Automotive
- Project type
- E-commerce, events and community platform
- Used by
- Enthusiast, Admin
- Technology
- Kept private at the client's request
Overview
An automotive platform for parts, events and community.
Three journeys, one platform
Parts shopShows and racesCar forum
Automotive platform
Car enthusiasts rarely do just one thing. They buy parts for their projects, turn up to shows and races, and spend hours talking about builds with people who care as much as they do. Usually that happens across a shop, an events page and a separate forum.
Our client wanted those three parts of the hobby connected. We developed a custom automotive platform with an auto parts catalogue and ordering, listings and registration for shows and races, and a community forum, all behind one account.
The problem
Buying, attending and discussing lived in separate places.
A typical parts shop sells and stops there. Event information sits somewhere else, and conversation happens on forums or social groups the business does not run.
That split meant the people most interested in the brand had no single home, and every part of the experience had to be managed on its own.
Parts sales were separate from the wider hobby
Shows and races had no shared home with the shop
Car discussions happened on outside platforms
Enthusiasts needed different accounts for different activities
Shoppers, participants and forum members were not connected
Products, events and content had to be managed in different places
What needed to change
The platform needed to feel like an ecosystem, not a shop.
The interesting design problem was how commerce, events and community should relate to each other, so a visitor who came for a part might stay for a race or a discussion.
Questions we worked through
- How should one account carry a user across shopping, events and the forum?
- Would make, model and year filters help people find the right parts?
- What does a member need to see before registering for a show or race?
- How should forum discussions be organised, and how is content moderated?
- Could sellers one day manage their own listings and orders?
- What does the admin need to manage products, events, users and posts?
The solution
One custom platform with commerce, events and community.
We developed the platform around shared user accounts. Members browse the auto parts catalogue and place orders, find automotive event listings and register for shows and races, and join car-related discussions in the community forum. Administrators manage the whole platform from one place.
User account
Parts catalogue
Shows and races
Community forum
Platform admin
One enthusiast hub
Product ordering
Members order the parts they need through the platform.
Event listings
Automotive shows and races are published with their details.
Event registration
Members register to take part in shows and races.
Community forum
Enthusiasts start and join car-related discussions and share their own content.
Platform administration
Admins manage products, users, events and community content.
One platform
Three reasons for enthusiasts to come back.
Commerce, events and community share one account, so the platform is somewhere enthusiasts return to, not just a shop.
Auto parts
Browse the parts catalogue and place orders.
Shows and races
Find automotive events and register to take part.
Forum
Join car discussions and share content with other enthusiasts.
How the workflow works
How an enthusiast uses the platform.
Each member can move between the three journeys with the same account.
- 01
Create an account
The member signs up once and uses that account across the platform.
- 02
Discover parts
They browse the parts catalogue and explore products for their car.
- 03
Place an order
They order the parts they want through the platform.
- 04
Find an event
They look through listings for upcoming shows and races.
- 05
Register to take part
They register their participation in the event.
- 06
Join the conversation
They post and reply in car discussions in the forum.
- 07
Admin keeps it running
Admins manage products, users, events and community content.
Who uses it
Built for enthusiasts and the team behind them.
The platform serves the members who use it and the admins who run it.
Enthusiast
Discovers and orders parts, finds and registers for shows and races, and joins discussions with the community.
Admin
Manages the product catalogue, user accounts, event listings and community content.
Key features
Key features of the automotive platform.
Auto parts catalogue
Parts are listed in a catalogue members can browse.
Product ordering
Members order parts directly through the platform.
User accounts
One account covers shopping, events and the forum.
Automotive event listings
Upcoming shows and races are published in one place.
Event registration
Members register to take part in shows and races.
Community forum
Enthusiasts discuss cars, builds and events with each other.
User-generated content
Members contribute their own posts and content to the community.
Platform administration
Admins manage products, users, events and community content.
Business value
What the platform brings together.
The client now runs one connected platform instead of a shop with the rest of the hobby happening elsewhere.
Before
- A shop on its own
- Events listed elsewhere
- Discussions on outside forums
- Separate accounts
- Scattered admin
After
- Parts catalogue and ordering
- Shows and races with registration
- A community forum of its own
- One account for everything
- One admin area
The outcome
The outcome.
Enthusiasts have one place to buy parts, sign up for events and talk about cars, and the client manages all of it from the same platform.
- Members browse and order auto parts on the platform
- Shows and races are listed with registration built in
- Car discussions happen in a forum the client runs
- One account connects shopping, events and community
- Admins manage products, users, events and posts from one place
Services in this project
The services behind this system.
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