The Problem
Ford’s web-based Mustang Customizer needed a transformation into a native mobile experience. Originally designed in Flash, the application’s UI and interaction model weren’t suited to touch-based mobile devices. My role involved leading the UX design and artistic direction to reimagine the customizer for mobile, ensuring it captured the allure of Mustang's design while being intuitive and seamless to use on smaller screens.
Business Goals
The redesign had specific strategic goals:
- Boost Brand Engagement: Leverage Mustang’s iconic design to increase engagement with mobile users and reach a younger, tech-savvy demographic.
- Drive Conversions: Create a deeper connection with the Mustang brand through customization features that could help drive interest and, ultimately, conversions.
- Maintain Consistency with Brand: Reflect the sleek, performance-driven personality of Mustang within a user experience that embodies the same high-energy appeal.
Product Goals
The Mustang Customizer app aimed to:
- Create a Mobile-First Interface: Design a UI that felt natural on touch-based devices, maximizing the Mustang’s visual impact on mobile screens.
- Introduce Interactive Customization: Enable users to visualize changes to Mustang models through interactive customization, allowing for real-time modifications and viewing.
- Support Multiple Screen Sizes: Ensure a consistent experience across various mobile devices and screen dimensions.
Users
The primary audience was Ford enthusiasts, particularly those interested in the Mustang line, with secondary users being automotive fans and customization hobbyists. The app needed to cater to both dedicated car enthusiasts seeking a detailed Mustang experience and casual users curious to explore customization options in a visually rich environment.
Project Overview
As UX lead for the Mustang Customizer app, I was responsible for transforming the core customization experience from a static, web-based format into an immersive, touch-optimized mobile platform.
- Wireframing and UI Design: Developed wireframes for an entirely new mobile interface, emphasizing large, responsive elements that made customization options easy to see and select on touchscreens.
- Custom Layout Engine: Collaborated with developers to build a layout engine driven by XML, allowing the app to be platform-independent and responsive across devices, ensuring users experienced a seamless interface on any screen size.
- Customization and 3D Visualization: Designed an intuitive customization workflow that allowed users to modify exterior colors, wheels, and trims. Leveraging real-time 3D visualization, the app enabled users to see updates instantly, creating an interactive and visually dynamic experience.
- Close Collaboration with Ford’s Ad Agency: Regular meetings with Ford’s advertising agency ensured the UI aligned with brand guidelines and marketing objectives, preserving Mustang’s signature look across the customization elements.
Collaboration and Tools
The project required a highly collaborative approach:
- Cross-Functional Teamwork: Worked closely with developers, graphic artists, and Ford’s ad agency to ensure brand alignment and smooth technical execution.
- Prototyping and Design Tools: Used wireframe sketches, Photoshop, and Flash to rapidly prototype and refine the app’s user flow, enhancing the interactive quality of the customization features.
- Iterative Testing: Conducted rounds of user testing with Mustang enthusiasts to gather feedback on usability and visual appeal, iterating the design to better meet user expectations.
Outcomes and Impact
The redesigned Mustang Customizer app achieved several key successes:
- Increased Engagement: The touch-friendly interface and real-time customization led to a 25% increase in user interaction time compared to the previous web-based version.
- Enhanced User Satisfaction: User feedback highlighted the intuitive interface and the immersive customization experience as standout features.
- Expanded Reach: The mobile app broadened Mustang’s appeal to a more diverse audience, expanding the brand’s digital footprint in the mobile space.
Reflection
This project showcased my ability to reimagine a product for a mobile-first world, balancing the iconic Mustang brand with the practical needs of mobile users. Leading the redesign solidified my experience in cross-functional collaboration and adapting complex, visual-heavy applications to deliver a polished, brand-consistent mobile experience.
Awards
- Lester Wunderman Awards / Gold
- OMMA Awards / Finalist
- W3 / Best-In-Show / Automotive
- How Interactive Magazine / Merit Award
- Hive Awards / Winner, Automotive
- Hive Awards / Winner, User Experience
- How Awards / Award of Merit
- Communicator Award of Excellence / Automotive
- Effie / Gold