Drew Young
Royal Oak,Michigan
Summary
Knowledgeable [Desired Position] with proven background in managing design projects from conception to completion. Adept at leading cross-functional teams to deliver innovative design solutions that align with business objectives. Demonstrated expertise in project management and creative direction.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Product Lead Designer
Ford Pro
01.2022 - Current
- - Create information architecture for the Ford Pro Software ecosystem
- - Coordinate cross-functional teams to track towards product design standards
- - Provided thought leadership for Business, Design and Engineering efforts
- Led cross-functional teams to drive product development and innovation initiatives.
- Streamlined product lifecycle management processes for increased efficiency and reduced time-to-market.
- Developed strategic roadmaps aligning product goals with organizational objectives and market demands.
- Directed market research to identify customer needs, informing design decisions and feature prioritization.
- Mentored junior team members, fostering skill development and promoting a collaborative work environment.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to define product vision, ensuring alignment across departments and disciplines.
- Implemented agile methodologies to enhance team productivity and responsiveness to changing project requirements.
- Implemented design thinking methodologies, streamlining product development processes and fostering collaborative ideation sessions.
- Led cross-functional teams to develop innovative product designs, enhancing user experience and market competitiveness.
- Conducted user research and usability testing to inform design decisions, ensuring alignment with target audience needs.
Senior Consultant
Slalom LLC
01.2018 - 01.2022
- As a senior consultant, I would guide clients through design challenges coupled with key business decisions and technical limitations and it has lead to some amazing work. Using human centered design as the foundation, I was able help clients such as Ford, Thyssenkrupp, and Consumers Energy to name a few; discover opportunities, strategize on outcomes, and reach their business goals while keeping the end user top of mind and helping coach those unfamiliar with these practices to better enable them in the future.
- - Facilitated design thinking workshops for alignment of business, Engineering and Design
- - Led discovery on innovation teams, I.E EV's and Autonomous Vehicles
- - Consulted clients to guide them on User Research, User Experience, and Strategic Design
- - Led Slalom’s Design System team and collaborated with client’s design team
- - Architected, designed, and curated end to end user experiences
- - Managed direct reports and guided their professional growth
- - Ideated, prototyped, tested and iterated on design deliverables for multiple projects
UI/UX Designer
FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
01.2018 - 01.2018
- I helped support the design of clusters and HUD's as well as animating and prototyping graphics for vehicle instrumentation. One of the highlights I experienced was providing a concept prototype for Fiat Brazil. It was handed to me by the head of the LATAM XD division and within a week, I had handed it back to him complete and was told that it would be going to production with the enhancements and functionality that I had added.
- - Productionized Graphic Assets in coordination with engineering
- - Prototyped interactive models for clusters
- - Designed cluster and HUD concepts
UI/UX Designer
NNG LLC
01.2016 - 01.2018
- At NNG, I worked as a UI/UX designer envisioning and designing future in-vehicle experiences. Through concept design, architecture, animation, prototyping, and testing alongside engineering, I helped sell and grow ideas for our clients. A notable highlight was designing a full vehicle multi-app, multi-display infotainment experience using proprietary software that had not yet been proven to work. From the information architecture to high-fidelity visuals, I was able to produce the first proof of concept to show that the software worked after 3 years of development and opened up a new stream of revenue for the business.
- - Product Strategy for Carshare Concept
- - CES Concept Car Interface Design
- - Infotainment Concepts
- - Information Architecture for Infotainment Software
- - Software User Experience
Product Designer
Mitsubishi Electric
01.2013 - 01.2016
- I was handed a nebulous idea which called for exploring solutions to solve for multiple apps on multiple displays and how users would navigate that kind of infotainment solution. After coming up with a concept, I worked with a global team of engineers to realize the design, the concept eventually won the business of FCA and influenced the production of Uconnect 5 (R1). Other notable work at Mitsubishi Electric focused on designing concepts showcased at CES over the next several years.
- - R1 Concept Design later launched as FCA’s U-Connect 5
- - Information Architecture for the R1 Project
- - CES Concept Car Interface Design
- - Exhibit design for CES (Multiple years)
Business Owner
Handmade Steelworks
01.2001 - 01.2013
- Started a company to design and build high-end furniture, architectural hardware, structural and sculptural objects. Developed business plan, generated client leads and engaged new business opportunities.
- - Managed Projects
- - Created and curated designs
- - Created Digital Models
- - Interfaced with clients for sales and support
Education
BFA - Product Design
College for Creative Studies
01.2016
ASA - Graphic Communication
Prairie State College
01.2013
Skills
- Product vision
- Product strategy
- Stakeholder management
- Culture building
- Problem-solving
- Information architecture
- Customer journey mapping
Timeline
Product Lead Designer
Ford Pro
01.2022 - Current
Senior Consultant
Slalom LLC
01.2018 - 01.2022
UI/UX Designer
FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
01.2018 - 01.2018
UI/UX Designer
NNG LLC
01.2016 - 01.2018
Product Designer
Mitsubishi Electric
01.2013 - 01.2016
Business Owner
Handmade Steelworks
01.2001 - 01.2013
ASA - Graphic Communication
Prairie State College
BFA - Product Design
College for Creative Studies