Led the design of software that enabled remote operators to overcome challenging autonomous vehicle scenarios with dynamic tools, removing the need for human intervention.
Principal Designer
Product Design Leadership, Process Improvements, Team Management, Designing New Tools
Oct 2023 - Jul 2024
Promoted from the Command Center team to lead the Remote Vehicle Assistance (RVA) team
Small Core Team
Led one junior designer, conducted design research and worked with one HF researcher, one UX researcher, product owner and global engineering team
Design
Whiteboarding
3D Modeling
Video Editing
Illustration
Productivity
Note: Due to confidentiality agreements, this case study focuses on my leadership impact and team contributions rather than detailed product designs.
Remote operators (agents) worked from dual monitor workstations in the Las Vegas Command Center to assist autonomous vehicles through challenging scenarios.
Core Contributions
Led weekly sessions with the operations team.
Designed the software tools operators relied on in real time.
Improved workflows and processes across the team.
Reorganized and documented design systems and other resources for the team.
The new tools we designed dramatically improved response times, enabling operators to quickly assist vehicles and keep the autonomous fleet running smoothly. This efficiency was critical to maintaining operational excellence and meeting service-level requirements.
The RVA team operated with tight deadlines for multiple projects at once using a rapid-paced, agile approach. We strategically broke down projects into manageable phases, focusing first on Phase 0 (P0) MVPs with only essential features for agent usability.
When I joined, there was no team onboarding process and it took time to get up to speed. I created a comprehensive Figma document (shown below) which broke down everything new team members needed to know and was used to bring my direct report up to speed in half the time. This resource became valuable for other teams to understand our workflows.
I inherited bare-bones Figma files with no documentation. I created structured templates with project information, requirements, research, and handoff specs—all in one place. (shown below)
Consistent handoffs, faster engineering digestion
Built a comprehensive design system with complex components from scratch. Collaborated with engineers to ensure pixel-perfect implementation. (shown above)
50% faster prototyping, full team efficiency
By creating templates and a design system, I streamlined workflows and ensured clarity through detailed documentation. As the team grew, we maintained efficiency and consistency.
Our global team collaborated virtually across Boston, LA, Singapore, Pittsburgh, and Chicago— spanning time differences from 1-12 hours. We prioritized asynchronous communication through Google Docs, Miro boards, and Figma, with weekly evening meetings and periodic in-person sessions in Las Vegas.
When my direct report moved to LA from Boston, I leveraged our 3-hour difference to delegate tasks within the same project between her and myself, enabling collaborative asynchronous work and gaining extra productivity hours daily.
Solved requirement misunderstandings by meeting with product owners at project start to create a clear "design needs checklist" differentiating design vs. engineering expectations. (shown below)
Zero missed requirements post-implementation
Implemented two-stage feasibility checks with engineering—before design and before handoff— to identify constraints early and reduce rework. (shown below)
Eliminated post-handoff design rework
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