CarExpert

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At CarExpert, my role transcended traditional design boundaries, driving significant business achievements while nurturing a culture of innovation and collaboration. My leadership in strategic design overhauls, such as the homepage redesign for enhanced user navigation, the conversion-boosting update to our buy page, and the comprehensive reimagining of the customer journey, resulted in a marked uplift in business metrics, most notably an 18.88% increase in conversions. These initiatives not only solidified CarExpert's position in the digital automotive space but also set new benchmarks for industry excellence. Beyond these measurable successes, I contributed to fostering a team environment that values creativity, teamwork, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. This dual impact—elevating CarExpert's business performance while promoting a positive and dynamic team culture—underscores my comprehensive approach to design leadership, where innovative solutions and a vibrant workplace go hand in hand. My journey at CarExpert is a testament to the power of strategic design in driving business outcomes and the importance of a supportive and inspired team in achieving those goals.

The Company

CarExpert is more than a destination; it's a journey through the heart of Australia's automotive landscape. We're the pit crew and the cheer squad for car lovers, delivering the turbocharged thrills of no-BS car reviews and news, all while leading the pack as Australia's #1 automotive YouTube channel. In the world of car advice, we're not just in the race; we're setting the pace.

The Context

I joined CarExpert shortly after the formation of their first product team, and stepped into an exhilarating transition period. The company was evolving from a traditional editorial website into a dynamic, content-led marketplace. My challenge was to enrich this transformation, ensuring that CarExpert's editorial integrity and marketplace dynamism coexisted harmoniously. This task required a delicate balance: respecting the established legacy of the site while introducing innovative features and functionalities to enhance its market presence and user experience. As the second product team hire, my role was pivotal in steering CarExpert through this critical phase, blending the best of both worlds to create a platform that stood out for its depth of content and user-focused design.

The Role

In my multifaceted role as Head of Product Design at CarExpert, I led with a hybrid approach that seamlessly integrated product management, business strategy, and design expertise. Reporting directly to the Chief Product Officer, I spearheaded strategic design research, crafting user journey maps and storyboards to guide the product's long-term direction while also focusing on immediate conversion optimization through a blend of heuristic analysis and data-driven methodologies. With two talented individuals under my wing—a junior UI designer and a senior product designer—I nurtured a team environment that valued creativity, precision, and growth. Together, we embarked on a mission to evangelize the principles of design thinking, championing the importance of user-centricity and data-driven decision-making throughout the organization. My role was not just about leading design initiatives but also about embedding a culture of innovation, collaboration, and strategic thinking, ensuring every project we undertook was a step towards realizing CarExpert's vision of setting new standards in the automotive digital space.

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