CASE STUDY · CARMD CONNECT MOBILE APP

Leading Design From Process To Product.

Leading Design From Process To Product.

Leading Design From Process To Product.

Working directly with stakeholders, engineers and end-users, I

helped re-define the company's approach to product design.

ROLE

Lead UX Designer

TIMELINE

6 months · 2024

TEAM

Product · Eng · Business

SCOPE

Discovery → Launch

Executive snapshot

Executive snapshot

THE PROBLEM

Maintenance & repair uncertainty for older-vehicles owners.

After the factory warranty ends, drivers take greater responsibility for vehicle care.

THE MANDATE

Expand beyond DIY-centric use cases.

The company's current product line primarily served DIYers—a much smaller market.

MY ROLE

Shift from feature-led to insight-led product development.

I established user research, feedback, and analytics practices, reshaping the company’s product process.

OUTCOMES

A successful beta launch that shifted product direction.

Users loved the design, but the features didn’t fully meet their needs.

From Blank Slate to Beta

From Blank Slate to Beta

A story of how end-user alignment is critical to success.

01 · Discover

Partnered with a research firm on focus groups and interviews to define core user needs.

02 · Define

Research challenged stakeholder assumptions, prompting discussion and trade-offs.

03 · Design

Collaborated with engineers on a testable prototype.

04 · Validate

Validated the experience through usability testing and beta testing.

05 · Deliver and Learn

The app was soft-launched on the App Store and Google Play, with analytics and user feedback continuously informing product improvements.

Research Goal

Assess market demand for proposed value propositions.

Methods

  • Analysis of market data

  • User surveys (n=560)

  • Focus groups

Key insights

Most drivers engage with their vehicle only when issues arise, turning to Google or trusted friends and family for help.

Opportunity:

Position the product as the trusted first resource by providing clear, immediate guidance when users are uncertain.

Users value technology that saves time, reduces frustration, and avoids unnecessary costs.

Opportunity:

Prioritize clear, actionable guidance over technical information.

Trust in repair shops builds over time, but most users don’t have a regular mechanic.

Opportunity:

Build confidence through transparent diagnostics, repair explanations, and consistent guidance—wherever users seek service.

In emergencies, users often turn to friends or family before seeking professional help.

Opportunity:

Reassure users by clarifying urgency, explaining the situation, and enabling trusted support when needed.

Artifacts

Working with the stakeholders, I mapped out potential features, clustering them into primary value propositions.

01 · Discover

Partnered with a research firm on focus groups and interviews to define core user needs.

02 · Define

Research challenged stakeholder assumptions, prompting discussion and trade-offs.

03 · Design

Collaborated with engineers on a testable prototype.

04 · Validate

Validated the experience through usability testing and beta testing.

05 · Deliver and Learn

The app was soft-launched on the App Store and Google Play, with analytics and user feedback continuously informing product improvements.

Research Goal

Assess market demand for proposed value propositions.

Methods

  • Analysis of market data

  • User surveys (n=560)

  • Focus groups

Key insights

Most drivers engage with their vehicle only when issues arise, turning to Google or trusted friends and family for help.

Opportunity:

Position the product as the trusted first resource by providing clear, immediate guidance when users are uncertain.

Users value technology that saves time, reduces frustration, and avoids unnecessary costs.

Opportunity:

Prioritize clear, actionable guidance over technical information.

Trust in repair shops builds over time, but most users don’t have a regular mechanic.

Opportunity:

Build confidence through transparent diagnostics, repair explanations, and consistent guidance—wherever users seek service.

In emergencies, users often turn to friends or family before seeking professional help.

Opportunity:

Reassure users by clarifying urgency, explaining the situation, and enabling trusted support when needed.

Artifacts

Working with the stakeholders, I mapped out potential features, clustering them into primary value propositions.

Production-ready designs

Production-ready designs

CarMD connect was shipped in September of 2025, available on Amazon and select Walmart locations.

Available on the app stores:

Apple

Android

Post Mortem: End-user Alignment is key.

Post Mortem: End-user Alignment is key.

Inform Business Decisions

  • Build monetization around user behavior

  • Validate demand before development

Challenge Assumptions

  • Validate assumptions early with data

  • Define user needs through research.

Fail early

  • Use lean prototypes to reduce technical debt.

  • Determine whether misalignment is presentational or fundamental.

Reflection

What I would repeat
Use research throughout to maintain alignment.

What I would change
Align stakeholders on validation before moving to high fidelity.

What's next?
Reframe product and monetization around core user value.

Thanks for your time

Thanks for your time

"Time isn't the main thing. It's the only thing."
~ Miles Davis

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Contact me

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Contact me

LinkedIn

Resume

Contact me

LinkedIn

Resume