Building and Leading the
Design Function at Ford Credit
Establishing a design function, maturing UX practice, and delivering meaningful digital experiences across Europe.
“My goal was to move from design as a service to design as a strategic capability, shaping not just what we deliver, but how we work.”
Organisation
Ford Credit
Duration
4.5 Years
In-House Role
Lead Product Designer / Manager
Setting the scene
"When I joined, design wasn’t yet an established capability."
Most design work was outsourced to external suppliers. While a small internal team experimented with early MVPs, there was no unified product organisation, no shared ways of working, and no clear design influence in decision-making.
The opportunity was to build an in-house, empowered design function from the ground up, one capable of shaping product direction, driving consistency, and embedding user-centred design as a strategic discipline within the organisation.
Challenges
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No established design framework or system in place
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Low visibility of design within product and leadership discussions
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Fragmented user experiences across markets and platforms
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Limited understanding of accessibility and design maturity
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A fast-scaling product environment that demanded alignment and clarity
Vision
I set out to:
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Create a centralised, scalable design function with clear roles, structure, and purpose
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Raise design maturity, giving design a seat at the table and a clear voice in product strategy
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Build consistency, accessibility, and collaboration into every part of the process
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Foster a culture of learning, openness, and shared ownership across teams
Discovery + Strategy
Before making changes, I needed to understand how design was perceived and practised.
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I led a series of stakeholder interviews, experience audits, and design maturity assessments to map my starting point.
The insight was clear: design had potential, but it needed visibility, structure, and shared language to thrive.
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I built a strategy around three pillars:
people, process, and practice.
Building the Function
I developed the foundations of the design function, from hiring and onboarding to frameworks for growth and communication.
Key initiatives:
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Introduced structured onboarding and mentoring programmes
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Created a skills framework and assessment model to support designer growth
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Established regular design critiques, showcases, and team rituals to build transparency and connection
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Partnered with senior leadership to advocate for design visibility in product planning and decision-making
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Embedded accessibility standards and inclusive design principles across teams
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“Building a design function isn’t just about adding people, it’s about building confidence, clarity, and connection.”
Design Leadership in Action
Alongside building capability, I continued to lead product design across several key initiatives, guiding teams through research, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
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Highlights include:
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Simplifying complex finance journeys through iterative research and prototyping
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Supporting the design of internal tools that improve servicing experiences for customers and dealers
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Introducing workshops and frameworks that helped cross-functional teams align on user needs and business priorities
Outcomes + Impact
Design Maturity:
Design evolved from a delivery function to a strategic partner. Processes, rituals, and a clear design identity are now embedded across the organisation.
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Capability:
A multidisciplinary team now works confidently across markets, supported by shared frameworks and coaching.
Culture:
Design showcases and transparent working methods have enhanced collaboration and leadership engagement.
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User Experience:
More consistent, accessible, and user-centred products, with improved usability metrics and stronger customer feedback.
Digital Projects
Account Manager
I led the redesign of the Account Manager experience, creating a clearer, more intuitive way for customers to manage their finance agreements while helping align early product teams around shared design standards.
Ford Money (Coming Soon)
I supported Ford Money in refining key onboarding and account experiences, applying research-led design to improve clarity, consistency, and cross-product alignment across Ford’s financial services.
Pre-Qualification (Coming Soon)
For Pre-Qualification, I shaped an experience that allowed customers to quickly check eligibility with confidence, using rapid research and prototyping to establish early design practices within the new product organisation.
Finance Application
I streamlined the Finance Application journey, simplifying a complex process and introducing clearer UX patterns and collaborative ways of working to improve both customer understanding and internal efficiency.
Reflection
This experience reinforced my belief that design leadership is about more than outcomes; it’s about creating the environment where good work can happen.
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By focusing on systems, people, and collaboration, I helped transform design from a background activity into a capability that drives clarity, quality, and impact across the business.
"I was consistently impressed by Dom's sharp analytical mind and his leadership capabilities in the four+ years I worked with him at Ford Credit. Dom was instrumental in building the user research function at Ford Credit Europe from the ground up. His ability to define the team's vision and foster the talents of his researchers was remarkable. Dom is an excellent leader and a strategic thinker who would be a significant asset to any organization. I recommend him without hesitation."
Joshua Palay, VP of Consumer Insights and Customer Experience | Ford Credit