Ford VIIZR · Small Business CRM
Building a Hardworking App for the Trades
Ford VIIZR · Small Business CRM
VIIZR is field service management software powered by Ford and built on Salesforce. It is a SaaS for small businesses in the trades, built to streamline operations. VIIZR features include: connecting the back office to teams in the field, tracking documentation and payments, scheduling appointments, and communicating with customers.
My work at Ford began as a Product Growth Designer. Our team focused on researching and testing future product features. I led research projects — long-form foundational interviews and unmoderated usability studies. Research findings became the fuel for user flows, product designs, and feature enhancements.
My role shifted to Product Designer. I led a team of four designers across desktop and mobile products. I collaborated with the Customer Success team on research with beta customers. I worked in Agile cycles with development teams to deliver user flows and final designs that work within the technical limitations. I worked closely with the Product Owner and Program Managers to define strategy for both desktop and mobile products.
My contributions were key in taking the product from early concepts to MVP to Beta launch.
The design team at VIIZR faced two distinct challenges between desktop and mobile products.
The platform that VIIZR is built upon is Salesforce. When designing features for the desktop product the challenge for designers is working within a large, mature design system. This project was an exercise in creativity through constraints.
Designing the mobile product was on the opposite end of the spectrum. The look and feel was open, green field. I led the design team from flows and wireframes to final designs and documentation.
Research is important to me as a design leader. It gives focus to any discussion or tough design decision.
On the VIIZR project learning from business owners of small businesses in the trades or technicians in the field (think electricians and plumbers) was an essential part of our design process. Getting their feedback on the product and how its features might fit into their work day often surprised us and always pointed us in the right direction. I led dozens of research projects for desktop and mobile sharing findings to leadership, stakeholders, and the full team.
I found myself in an unexpected position, being the hub of communication between two development teams, customer experience leads, program managers, in addition to internal and contracted designers.
Keeping our users’ needs in mind, I was able to successfully keep the project headed in the right direction: on-time designs, effective research, focused requirements calls, happy stakeholders.
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