Mustang Customizer

App Redesign

Bringing the Mustang Experience to Mobile

The Problem

Ford’s Mustang Customizer was originally built in Flash, making it obsolete for modern mobile users. Ford needed a touch-first, mobile-optimized redesign that preserved the excitement of Mustang customization while delivering a seamless, intuitive experience.

As Lead UX Designer and Artistic Director, I reimagined the UI for mobile-first interaction, ensuring a high-energy, visually immersive experience that stayed true to the Mustang brand.

The Challenge

  • Creating an intuitive, touch-based experience to replace the legacy Flash-based interface.
  • Ensuring cross-device consistency, delivering a responsive, gesture-driven UI.
  • Balancing visual impact with performance, maintaining Mustang’s bold aesthetic while optimizing for mobile efficiency.
  • Increasing engagement and interaction time, transforming the app from a passive showcase into an interactive, user-driven experience.

The Process

Research & Competitive Analysis

  • Conducted UX audits of the original Flash-based app to identify pain points.
  • Benchmarked against other automotive apps to define best practices for mobile engagement.
  • Gathered user feedback from Mustang enthusiasts to inform feature prioritization.

Concept Development & UX Strategy

  • Designed gesture-based interactions (swipe to change wheels, tap to adjust color, etc.).
  • Defined a modular UI layout system, ensuring scalability across devices.
  • Developed a real-time customization preview, allowing users to see modifications instantly.

Prototyping & Collaboration

  • Created high-fidelity interactive prototypes, ensuring a fluid user experience.
  • Worked closely with Ford’s ad agency to maintain brand consistency.
  • Collaborated with developers to build a flexible, XML-driven UI engine, making updates more efficient.

Testing & Refinement

  • Conducted usability tests to refine the UI, improving clarity and responsiveness.
  • Iterated on visual hierarchy and interaction affordances based on real user feedback.
  • Optimized load times and transitions to enhance the app’s smoothness.

Outcomes and Impact

  • 25% Increase in User Engagement: Users spent more time exploring customization features.
  • Mobile-Optimized Experience: Fully responsive, touch-driven UI replaced the outdated Flash interface.
  • Visually Stunning and Brand-Aligned: Mustang’s bold design ethos translated seamlessly into a digital experience.
  • Award-Winning Results: Recognized across multiple industry awards (see below).
The UI had to work on a variety of screen sizes and aspect ratios
Central to the customizer was community voting
Thoughtful support of even very small screens
Information rich displays

Awards & Recognition

  • Lester Wunderman Awards (Gold)
  • OMMA Awards (Finalist)
  • W3 Awards (Best-In-Show, Automotive)
  • How Interactive Magazine (Merit Award)
  • Hive Awards (Winner, UX and Automotive)
  • Effie Awards (Gold)

Reflection

This project showcased my ability to reimagine an interactive product for a mobile-first audience, balancing brand identity, UX simplicity, and cutting-edge digital design. Leading the Mustang Customizer redesign reinforced my expertise in gesture-based interactions, high-impact visual design, and UX strategy for immersive experiences.