Design-led transformation

| UX Lead – General Motors | 2022 – 2023

As the Lead UX Designer for GM’s future route optimization service solution, I led the creation of an innovative solution that simulates and predicts the most efficient routes for drivers to complete their tasks. This AI-driven solution is designed to minimize idling, reduce wait times, lower fuel and energy consumption, and promote electrification—all while considering a wide range of real-world factors to ensure drivers return home safely and on time.

Design Challenge

As commercial fleets move towards electrification, managing deliveries becomes more complex. Multiple touchpoints, such as vehicles, hubs, and drivers, need to work together seamlessly to ensure on-time deliveries, as downtime is costly.

To address EV range anxiety and charging concerns, we needed a solution that is easy to use, optimizes routes for large fleets, accelerates EV adoption for longer routes, and outperforms competitors like Samsara. By developing an in-house AI-powered system, GM aimed to help fleet customers maximize uptime, improve efficiency, and maintain a continuous flow of deliveries.

Let’s dig in!

Discovering…

We worked closely with the Global Innovation | R&D and Brightdrop teams, using research insights and best practices to test and refine our assumptions. This partnership was key to developing a design strategy and an ideal customer journey that combined advanced predictive analytics with a focus on user simplicity and experience.

Our research revealed that successful EV adoption depends on overcoming challenges like range anxiety, charging times, and charging infrastructure availability, especially for businesses with long routes. These issues are further complicated by the limited variety of EV models, particularly for trucks and specialized vehicles.

My fleet isn’t structured for electrification, and we operate at a speed that isn’t friendly to electric vehicles. Our vehicles log over 150 miles daily, and our tow trucks run even more. I’m not convinced electric vehicles would be the right fit, as I have concerns about range, charging times, and the availability of supporting infrastructure. – Customer

We designed an ideal customer journey that first addresses these challenges using data-driven solutions. The journey then focuses on automating processes to improve efficiency and operations, ultimately predicting optimal routes and tasks. This approach ensures fleet managers stay ahead of potential issues while keeping drivers safe and compliant.

Defining…

Then, I focused on developing a design strategy that would position us as a superior alternative, offering a unique value proposition of not only optimizing routes for efficiency and cost savings but also detecting and replacing ICE vehicles with EVs based on fleet readiness for electrification. Recognizing the importance of alignment, I ensured that our planning was thorough and collaborative. My design team concentrated on creating a phased solution that encourages customers to confidently embrace electrification.

Designing & testing…

We initially developed a pilot solution focused on optimizing routes and enhancing driver satisfaction and safety, potentially positioning GM as a leader in the industry. However, due to data inefficiencies and legacy system issues, the pilot struggled to evolve as intended. Recognizing these challenges, we shifted our focus to establishing robust data lakes and client profiles. This move was crucial to restarting the project on a more solid foundation, allowing us to address the previous shortcomings and continue our mission of delivering a sophisticated, user-friendly product that meets both operational needs and sustainability goals.

GM route optimization