Ford Mach1ML

BACKGROUND

Mach1ML is a platform that pulls together a number of web apps and services realated to Machine Learning. Machine Learning (ML for short) takes huge amounts of data and uses it to create an algorithm or "model" to solve a computational problem. These models can then be used in other Ford applications.

I was Mach1ML's first full-stack designer. I helped establish design process within the individual Agile teams contained under the Mach1ML umbrella. We work closely with our internal clients and data sources to streamline how both data and users can move through the individual apps and overall platform.

Company
Ford Motor Co. / Global Data Insights & Analytics / AI/ML / Mach1ML

Teams
Mach1.Data
Mach1.Model
Mach1.Experience
Mach1.Integration
GDIA Design Leadership

Timeline
2+ years

AS A PRODUCT DESIGNER

With many engineering-led organizations, design is often an afterthought. Coming into the Mach1ML space, I was their first designer to understand the full gamut of design methodologies and have the ability to prescribe activities to advance projects. It was my responsibility to teach the group about the general tenents of design as I was conducting the activites.

In the early days, there were no tangible goals, key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics defined. There had been a cursory level of user research and some poorly constructed personas. My initial tasks were to work with the Experience team to product some general platform experiences and also conduct a new, deeper user research phase and rebuild the personas, adding in two new personas. I also started the conversation around how the broader Mach1ML group tracked their success and failures and introduced them to qualitative metrics that would help the teams stay user-focused.

These assets I produced whopuld be the basis for important decisions that myself and other team leaders would make throughout the product lifecycle.

PRODUCT DESIGN LEAD

After just a couple months I was making significant impact on the UX/UI of Mach1ML but also the design thinking within the group. It caught the attention of upper management and I was promoted to Product Design Lead and asked to help scale the design team and build a defined design process for designers within the larger department (GDIA). For this I lead the following:

• Re-writing the job descriptions
• Connected with recruitment firms/agents
• Reviewed resumes and gave feedback to recruiters
• Scheduled and conducted interviews
• Documented each candidates progress through the process
• Selected candidates to hire
• Documented and executed onboarding procedures
• Outline performance objectives

Product Design Playbook

The process I helped define and build is based on the Responsive UX Playbook outlined here on my portfolio site. I worked with a small team of senior designers to review the content, compare it to existing Ford literature and then fit more than two dozen plays into the Ford ecosystem. The plays are broken up into four phases of Agile design: Define, Empathize, Build and Test). Each "play" in the playbook outlines a specific design methodology using the following template sections:

• Overview
• What's the Value
• How to Run It (Guide with Steps)
• Who's Involved
• Tips & Tricks
• Find an Expert
• Resources (Docs, Links and Training)

The Product Design Playbook is a wonderful tool that helps onboard new designers, showing them how we run activities at Ford. It helps connect the gaps we find in evaluations to material designers can use to upskill. It's a great way to connect designer to eachother through our mentor/mentee program and it also allows non-designers a place to come and learn about the process and value these activities bring the teams designers are on.

RESULTS

Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a big part of any enterprize organization and Ford was no different. Since Mach1ML was a brand new offering there were no analytics to collect.

Benchmarking a new product's usability is an extremely important method of user research. It plays into how teams measure overall success but it also tells an incredible and detailed story of usability, warts and all.

When we were able to combine analytics reports with other research methods like surveys, user interviews and journal studies, I was able to generate more holistic insights and offer those up to my teams.

LEARNINGS

I took on the contract with Ford to get in the door and the pay was well below market rate . I was given considerably more responsibility with no pay increase. They bought out my contract and I was given a small bump in pay. I was tasked with hiring and managing a design team without being given the title of manager. I was hiring junior employees at a salary higher than my own.

I've learned that this is an old trick and one I sadly fell for. Even if your manager of department head is in your corner, you need to watch out for your own, personal bottom line. Make sure you are paid appropriatly for the work you do.