FordLabs
Digital Celebration Platform
Final Figma Prototype
Project Overview
FordLabs needed a cost-effective, user-friendly alternative to Kudoboard for employee recognition and workplace celebrations. Our team designed a high-fidelity prototype for a digital platform that integrates seamlessly into FordLabs’ social culture, allowing employees to celebrate birthdays, milestones, and achievements with greater ease.
My Role
I played a crucial role in user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing, ensuring the final product aligned with employee needs. I also contributed to refining the design based on iterative feedback.
The Challenge
Existing solutions like Kudoboard were costly and lacked flexibility, failing to meet the diverse needs of FordLabs employees. The goal was to create a collaborative digital space that encouraged workplace engagement while maintaining a seamless user experience.
Process & Key Takeaways
Research & Discovery
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Conducted user interviews with FordLabs employees to understand their needs and workplace culture.
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Analyzed existing employee celebration platforms through competitive research.
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Discovered key pain points: high costs, lack of customization, and limited engagement features.
Ideation & Wireframing
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Developed low-fidelity sketches and mapped user flows to structure the platform.
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Prioritized features such as a calendar for tracking events, customizable celebration boards, and multimedia support.
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Created mid-fidelity wireframes in Figma, refining layout and interaction design.
Prototyping & Testing
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Designed a high-fidelity interactive prototype, incorporating a streamlined navigation system and user-friendly board creation process.
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Conducted usability testing, identifying areas for improvement, such as clarifying navigation labels and enhancing personalization features.
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Integrated feedback to improve visual hierarchy, accessibility, and user engagement.
My Role
• Led the visual design and prototyping in Figma
• Conducted 4 usability testing sessions with Purdue students
• Synthesized insights into design iterations over 3 agile sprints
Final Outcome
The final prototype provided FordLabs employees with an intuitive platform for workplace recognition. Key features included:
Reflection & Learnings
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Design for Scalability
The platform needed to accommodate different teams with varying preferences, which challenged me to think flexibly about customization.
2
User-Driven Iteration
Iterative testing played a huge role in refining the product, ensuring that the final design resonated with FordLabs employees.
3
Balancing Aesthetics & Functionality
Creating a visually appealing yet highly functional tool reinforced the importance of usability-driven design.
Before
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FordLabs employees used fragmented tools like Kudoboard and Slack messages for celebrating team milestones.
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The celebration process was inconsistent and lacked a central, user-friendly platform.
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Employees struggled to feel recognized in a meaningful and timely way.
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There was no cohesive experience tying celebrations to FordLabs’ company culture.
After
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Designed a centralized digital celebration platform tailored to FordLabs’ values and culture.
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Simplified the user flow by merging celebration features (e.g., image uploads, messages, event tags) into one intuitive interface.
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Applied agile methodologies to iterate designs quickly based on user feedback.
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Enhanced employee experience and participation in workplace celebrations through a unified, inclusive UX.
Next Steps
Further usability testing to refine onboarding experience and personalization options.
Expand platform accessibility through responsive design for mobile compatibility.
Explore deeper Slack integration for seamless team communication.
This project solidified my approach to user-centered design, emphasizing iterative improvement and collaborative problem-solving to craft a meaningful digital experience.
