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2026
Redesigning Funds Platform for VW ecosystem into AI-assisted governance platform.
Redesigning Funds Platform for VW ecosystem into AI-assisted governance platform.
MY ROLE
Lead UX Design
TIMELINE
6 Months
RESPONSIBILITIES
UX Research
UX Research, Stakeholder Presentations, Prototyping, User Testing, UI Design, Data Visualization Design.
Stakeholder Presentations
Data Visualization Design
Prototyping
User Testing
UI Design
A talent acquisition platform seeking a compelling UX approach and immersive experience.
BMW STEP is amongst the most extensive technician training schemes across North America. They are recognized for their practical methodology and thorough enhancement of technical skills. Yet, their official website seemed antiquated and overloaded with content, lacking a narrative to support its value proposition. As a result, the site faced increased bounce rates, diminished traffic, and reduced page duration.
A Fragmented Workflow That Ignored the Reimbursement Lifecycle
Volkswagen’s Marketing Development Funds process connects two interdependent audiences:
Dealerships requesting reimbursement for marketing investments
OEM reviewers validating brand compliance and approving claims
The existing tools were functionally complete but structurally fragmented.
Submission relied on static PDF uploads. Compliance validation required multiple manual review cycles. Dashboards focused on retrospective reporting rather than forward-looking planning.
The system processed requests, but it did not reflect the real lifecycle of reimbursement.
A Fragmented Workflow That Ignored the Reimbursement Lifecycle
Volkswagen’s Marketing Development Funds process connects two interdependent audiences:
Dealerships requesting reimbursement for marketing investments
OEM reviewers validating brand compliance and approving claims
The existing tools were functionally complete but structurally fragmented.
Submission relied on static PDF uploads. Compliance validation required multiple manual review cycles. Dashboards focused on retrospective reporting rather than forward-looking planning.
The system processed requests, but it did not reflect the real lifecycle of reimbursement.
Main Goals
Main Goals
Main Goals
Model the natural lifecycle:
Pre-Approval → Claim → ReimbursementCreate a shared pattern system for Dealership and OEM users
Introduce forward-looking financial intelligence
Reduce compliance iteration cycles through AI assistance
Preserve human authority over final approval decisions
Competitive Research
Competitive Research
Analyzed comparable OEM reimbursement platforms to identify structural gaps, workflow patterns, and missed automation opportunities.
Analyzed comparable OEM reimbursement platforms to identify structural gaps, workflow patterns, and missed automation opportunities.
User Interviews
User Interviews
Interviewed two roles:
An operator responsible for submissions
A manager responsible for oversight and financial planning
Insight: existing tools supported transactions, but not decision-making.
Interviewed two roles:
An operator responsible for submissions
A manager responsible for oversight and financial planning
Insight: existing tools supported transactions, but not decision-making.
System Framing
System Framing
Structured the ecosystem into two interconnected domains:
Operational Intelligence (Data & Reporting)
Submission & Compliance Lifecycle
Both roles share the same interaction language, but visibility and controls adapt to responsibility boundaries.
Instead of extending the single-config model, we re-architected the system to support:
Multiple configurations per VIN
Scoped rule-based application
Permission-based overrides
Visualized impact before deployment
This shifted the platform from static assignment to dynamic logic orchestration. The design challenge became one of containment — shaping complexity instead of hiding it.
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
TRADE-OFFS
TRADE-OFFS
TRADE-OFFS
Decision
Why
Risk
Mitigation
AI assists but does not approve
Preserve governance authority and accountability
Over-reliance on automation
Human reviewers remain final decision-makers
Shared pattern library across roles
Reduce learning curve and semantic drift
Oversimplifying OEM complexity
Role-based aggregation layers and scoped visibility
Live asset integration instead of PDFs
Eliminate duplication and improve traceability
Higher integration overhead
Single source of truth reduces long-term operational load
Forward-looking dashboards
Shift perception from reporting to planning
Forecast misinterpretation
Clear contextual explanations and benchmark references
Decision
Why
Risk
Mitigation
AI assists but does not approve
Preserve governance authority and accountability
Over-reliance on automation
Human reviewers remain final decision-makers
Shared pattern library across roles
Reduce learning curve and semantic drift
Oversimplifying OEM complexity
Role-based aggregation layers and scoped visibility
Live asset integration instead of PDFs
Eliminate duplication and improve traceability
Higher integration overhead
Single source of truth reduces long-term operational load
Forward-looking dashboards
Shift perception from reporting to planning
Forecast misinterpretation
Clear contextual explanations and benchmark references
Decision
Why
Risk
Mitigation
AI assists but does not approve
Preserve governance authority and accountability
Over-reliance on automation
Human reviewers remain final decision-makers
Shared pattern library across roles
Reduce learning curve and semantic drift
Oversimplifying OEM complexity
Role-based aggregation layers and scoped visibility
Live asset integration instead of PDFs
Eliminate duplication and improve traceability
Higher integration overhead
Single source of truth reduces long-term operational load
Forward-looking dashboards
Shift perception from reporting to planning
Forecast misinterpretation
Clear contextual explanations and benchmark references
Overview (video)
Overview (video)
Overview (video)
Pre-Approval/Compliance (video)
Pre-Approval/Compliance (video)
Pre-Approval/Compliance (video)
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
Lifecycle-First Architecture
Pre-Approvals and Claims were redesigned as stages within a continuous system rather than separate tools. Result: reduced ambiguity and improved accountability across stages.
Integrated Asset Portal
This enables: • Real-time asset updates • Multi-asset selection • Elimination of resolution issues • A single source of truth The creative being reviewed is the same creative used in live campaigns.
AI-Assisted Compliance Boundaries
The system accelerates operational cycles on both sides while maintaining governance integrity, turning compliance from a bottleneck into a structured control layer.
Lifecycle-First Architecture
Pre-Approvals and Claims were redesigned as stages within a continuous system rather than separate tools. Result: reduced ambiguity and improved accountability across stages.
Integrated Asset Portal
This enables: • Real-time asset updates • Multi-asset selection • Elimination of resolution issues • A single source of truth The creative being reviewed is the same creative used in live campaigns.
AI-Assisted Compliance Boundaries
The system accelerates operational cycles on both sides while maintaining governance integrity, turning compliance from a bottleneck into a structured control layer.
Lifecycle-First Architecture
Pre-Approvals and Claims were redesigned as stages within a continuous system rather than separate tools. Result: reduced ambiguity and improved accountability across stages.
Integrated Asset Portal
This enables: • Real-time asset updates • Multi-asset selection • Elimination of resolution issues • A single source of truth The creative being reviewed is the same creative used in live campaigns.
AI-Assisted Compliance Boundaries
The system accelerates operational cycles on both sides while maintaining governance integrity, turning compliance from a bottleneck into a structured control layer.
LEARNINGS
LEARNINGS
LEARNINGS
Lifecycle first
When the structure of a system mirrors how work actually happens, friction drops naturally. In this project, aligning the interface to the real reimbursement flow created more clarity than adding features ever could. Architecture shaped behavior more than UI refinements.
Lifecycle first
When the structure of a system mirrors how work actually happens, friction drops naturally. In this project, aligning the interface to the real reimbursement flow created more clarity than adding features ever could. Architecture shaped behavior more than UI refinements.
Lifecycle first
When the structure of a system mirrors how work actually happens, friction drops naturally. In this project, aligning the interface to the real reimbursement flow created more clarity than adding features ever could. Architecture shaped behavior more than UI refinements.
Lifecycle first
When the structure of a system mirrors how work actually happens, friction drops naturally. In this project, aligning the interface to the real reimbursement flow created more clarity than adding features ever could. Architecture shaped behavior more than UI refinements.
Automation needs a boundary
AI accelerated obvious work — detecting violations, drafting structured feedback — but never crossed into decision authority. The value was not in replacing judgment, but in protecting it from repetitive tasks.
Automation needs a boundary
AI accelerated obvious work — detecting violations, drafting structured feedback — but never crossed into decision authority. The value was not in replacing judgment, but in protecting it from repetitive tasks.
Automation needs a boundary
AI accelerated obvious work — detecting violations, drafting structured feedback — but never crossed into decision authority. The value was not in replacing judgment, but in protecting it from repetitive tasks.
Automation needs a boundary
AI accelerated obvious work — detecting violations, drafting structured feedback — but never crossed into decision authority. The value was not in replacing judgment, but in protecting it from repetitive tasks.
Shared language prevents silent misalignment
Dealerships and OEM reviewers operate at different levels of visibility, but they rely on the same concepts. Designing one coherent semantic system reduced interpretation gaps and improved how both sides understood status, compliance, and accountability.
Shared language prevents silent misalignment
Dealerships and OEM reviewers operate at different levels of visibility, but they rely on the same concepts. Designing one coherent semantic system reduced interpretation gaps and improved how both sides understood status, compliance, and accountability.
Shared language prevents silent misalignment
Dealerships and OEM reviewers operate at different levels of visibility, but they rely on the same concepts. Designing one coherent semantic system reduced interpretation gaps and improved how both sides understood status, compliance, and accountability.
Shared language prevents silent misalignment
Dealerships and OEM reviewers operate at different levels of visibility, but they rely on the same concepts. Designing one coherent semantic system reduced interpretation gaps and improved how both sides understood status, compliance, and accountability.
Reporting informs; forecasting influences
Dashboards that only show the past rarely change behavior. Introducing forward visibility shifted the product from operational tracking to financial planning. The perception of value moved from control to enablement.
Reporting informs; forecasting influences
Dashboards that only show the past rarely change behavior. Introducing forward visibility shifted the product from operational tracking to financial planning. The perception of value moved from control to enablement.
Reporting informs; forecasting influences
Dashboards that only show the past rarely change behavior. Introducing forward visibility shifted the product from operational tracking to financial planning. The perception of value moved from control to enablement.
Reporting informs; forecasting influences
Dashboards that only show the past rarely change behavior. Introducing forward visibility shifted the product from operational tracking to financial planning. The perception of value moved from control to enablement.
