Standing Up a New Business Model by Designing the Experience That Proved It Could Work
FordDrive
January 2022 to December 2022
Customer experience design · Service blueprint development · Journey mapping · Primary research (in-person and virtual) · Feedback system design · Employee training and playbook development · Cross-functional collaboration · Startup operations · Stakeholder alignment · Content and touchpoint design
My Role
Experience Design Strategist & Researcher
I was the experience design strategist and researcher for Ford Drive, a startup within Ford exploring new vehicle ownership models. Working alongside service design leads, I contributed heavily to service blueprint development and journey mapping, led customer research, shaped touchpoint design, developed employee training, and collaborated cross-functionally to launch and scale a first-of-its-kind subscription service for Uber and Lyft drivers.
Project Summary
Ford Drive was a startup within Ford built to explore whether a new kind of vehicle ownership model could work for Uber and Lyft drivers. I helped grow it from concept to 3 operational sites in California, designing the complete customer experience, conducting ongoing research, and equipping internal teams with the tools to deliver it consistently. The result was a service where 27% of drivers stayed in vehicles for over 4 months, validating product-market fit for a model that had never existed before.
The Challenge
Uber and Lyft drivers are an underserved market. They spend more time in vehicles than almost anyone, yet face some of the highest barriers to vehicle ownership: high costs, rising gas prices, limited support from rideshare platforms, and real stigma around gig work. Ford saw an opportunity, but entering this space meant building something entirely new.
The Business Problem
Ford needed to prove that a subscription-based vehicle ownership model for ridehail drivers could work, financially, operationally, and experientially, before investing in scale.
The Startup Reality
We were a small team with limited budget, no existing playbook, and a mandate to launch fast, learn quickly, and prove the model was viable. Everything had to be built from scratch: the process, the experience, the research infrastructure, and the internal tools to keep it running.
The Constraints
Move fast without sacrificing the quality of experience that would generate the proof points we needed.
The Question
How might we empower Uber and Lyft drivers to grow their business by giving them smarter information, a sense of community, and access to sustainable driving without the traditional barriers of vehicle ownership?
The Strategy
Understand the full ecosystem, not just the customer.
The strategy was built around where three different definitions of success overlapped. Uber and Lyft drivers needed real financial and practical support. Ford needed to validate a new business model. Rideshare partners wanted more EVs on the road and better driver satisfaction.
Empower the team and build for learning simultaneously.
A great experience only works if the people delivering it are equipped and confident — and if the system is set up to get smarter over time. I created training, playbooks, and feedback loops from day one so the team could deliver consistently and the experience could improve in real time.
Strategic activities.
Leading in-person testing and workshops with drivers, primary research to understand pain points, service design blueprinting, journey mapping across all customer touchpoints, and stakeholder workshops to align on what success looked like for each group.
The Execution
Aligned stakeholders on what success meant.
I developed relationships across teams and led workshops to define success for each stakeholder group, turning those outcomes into experience priorities and learning objectives that guided every design decision.
Contributed to the service blueprint and journey maps.
Working alongside service design leads, I helped build and regularly update the service blueprint as the business evolved. This became the shared source of truth for the team. Journey mapping ensured every touchpoint was accounted for and connected.
Designed and verified customer touchpoints.
I took a hands-on approach to reviewing touchpoints holistically, working with design and marketing teams to ensure experiences were delivered consistently across all three sites.
Built the research practice.
I developed the research strategy, then helped recruit, plan, execute, and analyze ongoing interviews with drivers ranging from 2 weeks to 2 months in service. Insights shaped marketing strategy, product planning, and operational decisions in real time.
Engineered a custom feedback system.
I built a custom CSAT/NPS tracking system as a cost-effective alternative to enterprise tools like Medallia. It became a key performance indicator for the business and a direct input into experience decisions.
Launched with essential tools and equipped the team.
I helped implement CRM and onboarding tools prioritized for launch, led employee training on customer experience, and created a playbook so the team could deliver consistently as it scaled.
Project Outcomes
Business growth:
Launched and scaled to 3 operational sites in California, proving the viability of the business model.
Customer retention:
27% of drivers stayed in vehicles for over 4 months. In an industry where most drivers churn within weeks and annual turnover runs around 30%, that number signals that the experience we designed gave drivers a real reason to stay.
Operational readiness and experience infrastructure:
Ford Drive team members were equipped to deliver a great experience at launch and maintain consistency as the business scaled. The service blueprints, journey maps, playbooks, and feedback systems built during this work supported continued growth and remained in use after I moved on.
The program concluded in 2025 due to operational and cost constraints tied to the resale value of first-generation electric vehicles. The foundation built during this work continued to serve the team beyond the program's run.
What's Next
Ford Drive surfaced something real: there is genuine demand for a better vehicle ownership model among ridehail drivers. The next evolution of this work would focus on refining the cost model for EVs, deepening rideshare platform partnerships, and scaling the research and feedback infrastructure to support a larger driver community.
What This Demonstrates
This project shows what it looks like to build something from nothing and do it with rigor.
Listening
I built the research practice from the ground up, conducting ongoing interviews and designing feedback systems specifically because we needed to learn in real time. Every major decision was grounded in what drivers, partners, and the business were actually telling us.
Simplifying
Launching a new business model inside a large corporation, with a small team and startup constraints, required constant prioritization. I focused the experience on what was essential and created tools that made it simple for the team to deliver consistently, even as the business grew.
Solving
I didn't just design touchpoints. I helped prove a business model. The retention numbers, the feedback infrastructure, and the playbooks that outlasted my time on the project are evidence that the work was built to last.
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