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Made for Ford: When Smart Accessories Meet Smarter Design
I led the design of Ford's plug-and-play commercial accessory ecosystem, transforming complex enterprise technology into accessible tools for small fleet operators and independent contractors.
The Challenge: While Ford's digital upfitting worked for large fleets, 72% of commercial customers—small operators—were excluded due to technical barriers, representing a $1.7B untapped market.
My Leadership: As Senior Product Designer, I drove end-to-end strategy from research to implementation. I initiated field research across three countries, facilitated strategic workshops to define value propositions, and collaborated with cross-functional teams and leadership stewards to align user needs with business objectives.
Design Impact: Created role-based interfaces that work in real field conditions—with gloves, poor lighting, and high distraction. The ecosystem spans mobile apps, in-vehicle touchscreens, and physical controls, with scalable components adapting to diverse user needs and vehicle specifications.
The Result: Transformed 67% setup abandonment into 89% field success, democratizing advanced vehicle customization for users previously left behind by complex enterprise solutions.
Impact First
Setup Completion: 33% → 89% (↑169%)
Time-to-Value: 24 min → 8 min (↓67%)
Revenue Projection: $215M (+$15M above target)
Market Expansion: Enabled 72% of Ford's commercial customers previously excluded
"I don't feel left behind by tech anymore." — Independent electrician
The Challenge
Ford's 2023 digital upfitting system worked for enterprise fleets but failed small operators. While 78% of large fleets adopted digital accessories, only 12% of small fleets succeeded—yet they represented 72% of Ford's commercial customers and a $1.7B untapped market.
My Role: Senior Product Designer leading end-to-end design, research and strategy (12 weeks)
Key Arguments: How I Got There
1. Research-Driven Market Insight: Small fleets represented 72% of customers but only 18% of accessory revenue
2. Design for Reality: Created interfaces that work with gloves, in poor lighting, and high-distraction environments
3. Progressive Simplicity: Balanced one-step setup with advanced customization through strategic progressive disclosure
These three strategic decisions transformed Ford's digital upfitting from an enterprise-only solution into an accessible ecosystem for independent contractors and small fleet operators.
Research: Understanding Real Work
I immersed myself in the actual environments where these systems needed to work by spending three days at Commercial Vehicle shows and conducting 17 contextual interviews across three countries.
The Pivotal Moment: Watching an electrician struggle for 15 minutes to pair a spotlight while wearing work gloves in dim lighting revealed the core problem wasn't technical complexity. It was designing for real working conditions.
Key Insights:
63% used aftermarket accessories, only 10% Ford-branded
Main failure point: hardware setup/software pairing
Interfaces designed for offices, not work trucks
Strategy: Three Design Decisions
1. Environmental-First Design
Research foundation: 17 contextual interviews + 3 days field observation revealed interfaces failed in real conditions—gloves, poor lighting, vehicle vibration.
Design response: Platform-native patterns (47% fewer setup failures) with Ford-specific innovations optimized for challenging environments.
2. Progressive Simplicity
Data insight: 67% abandoned during complex setup flows; hybrid approach testing showed 78% vs. 63% completion rates.
Design response: 3-step automatic discovery with one-tap pairing for basics, expandable advanced controls for power users.
3. Multi-Modal Control Strategy
User research: Field workers operate across contexts—in cab during setup, remote during job execution, tactile during emergencies.
Design response: Ecosystem supporting in-vehicle touchscreen, mobile app, and physical switches with consistent interaction patterns.
Design Solutions
Role-Based Control Architecture
Research insight: Contextual interviews across 5 vocations revealed different mental models—fleet managers needed bulk control while field workers needed precise individual access.
Design solution: Master switch controls for fleet efficiency vs. individual accessory switches for field precision, with real-time visual feedback showing immediate system status.
2D Vehicle Visualization Innovation
Data backed: 3D models caused 3-5 second delays on target devices and 75% performance degradation.
Design solution: Optimized 2D visualization with subtle depth cues—achieved 75% faster load times and 23% better spatial comprehension in testing.
Progressive Configuration System
Research insight: Users testing showed 78% completion with hybrid approach vs. 63% with full feature lists.
Design solution: Expandable sections with basic options visible by default—achieved 91% completion vs. 62% with complex layouts.
Touch Target Optimization
Field observation: Watched electrician struggle 15 minutes with standard mobile targets while wearing work gloves.
Design solution: 60% larger touch targets than iOS guidelines (minimum 58×58px) with forgiving interaction zones—resulted in 38% accuracy improvement for gloved operation.
Native Pattern Integration
Competitive analysis: Systems using platform-native patterns showed 47% fewer first-time setup failures.
Design solution: Hybrid approach using familiar Bluetooth pairing with Ford-specific customization—reduced setup abandonment from 67% to 11%
App Designs
Video Prototype
In-Vehicle Screens
Results That Matter
👏 User Experience Wins
Field Conditions Success: 71% → 89% (exceeded 85% target)
Gloved Operation Accuracy: +38% for field workers
Customer Satisfaction: 68% → 93%
📈 Business Impact
Accessory Attachment Rate: +27% (projected $14.2M annual revenue)
Small Fleet Integrations: 3.2x increase
Service Efficiency: 67% reduction in configuration time
🔊 Real Validation
"Works in gloves and rain—never happened before." — Construction foreman
"Setup now fits between jobs, not during lunch." — Delivery driver
“This is a one man bang show!” - Fleet Manager
KEY LEARNINGS
Design for the Margins - Accessibility
Solutions that work for the most constrained users (electrician with gloves) work better for everyone.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Successfully navigated complex stakeholder structure while translating user needs into compelling business opportunities.
Native + Innovation Balance
Familiar interaction patterns with Ford differentiation reduced cognitive load while maintaining brand value.
Strategic Impact
Democratizing enterprise technology required understanding that accessibility means designing for real working conditions, not just interfaces.