Honda Internship
Enhancing the design of digital products and services that impacted millions of Honda and Acura customers.
Overview
I was part of the Honda Experience Design team in Torrance, California, where I worked on customer experience strategies and contributed to the design of digital products and services that impacted millions of Honda and Acura customers.
Each project offered unique challenges, from conducting qualitative research to facilitating cross-functional workshops, and I had the opportunity to collaborate with diverse teams to create meaningful impact. My time at Honda taught me to balance user needs with business goals, adapt quickly to evolving priorities, and deliver design solutions that enhance both the customer and dealership experience.
Time Line
7 months (May to Dec 2024)
Role
Product Designer & Researcher
Team
Honda Experience Design
Tools
Figma, Qualtrics, Mural
Key Projects & Contributions
During my internship at Honda, I worked on a variety of projects that focused on improving the customer experience for both Honda and Acura, Honda's luxury division. Each project allowed me to collaborate with cross-functional teams and deliver impactful design solutions.
Service Scheduling Platform
Supported user testing and evaluation of the AcuraLink app's service scheduling feature, delivering designs that enhanced user satisfaction with the appointment booking experience with Acura Certified dealerships.
Dealership's Sales & Management Platform
Conducted stakeholder interviews with dealership zone managers to gather qualitative insights, informing B2B design strategies to improve dealers' experience with the Acura digital sales platform and strengthening Honda's relationship with its dealership network.
Customer Journey Mapping
Created data-driven mid-level and high-level customer journey maps for Honda ownership experiences, encompassing failed parts detection, service scheduling, incident management, and insurance management. Worked with cross-functional teams to identify key pain points and opportunities to inform the design requirements for a seamless, end-to-end service platform.
Note:
Due to confidentiality agreements, I am unable to share specific details about my work here. I'm happy to get on a call and talk more!
From teams
“Lou is a great collaborator with great insights on the projects we've been working on. She is also detail-oriented orientated which was critical in the design and research project she supported us on. Lou also adapts easily to different environments and teams and is good at getting feedback to further develop her work. Good job!"
Andy Lam
Honda Experience Design Project Manager, American Honda Motors
"It has been a pleasure getting to know Lou, and we are grateful for her contributions. Everybody enjoys working with Lou, and she has a solid technical baseline in her expertise, such as with customer journey mapping and visual/design-focused presentation."
Emily Leitch
Program Manager, Customer Experience Division, American Honda Motors
“Lou was an excellent co-op as she had shown her eagerness to learn and has proved to be a reliable team member. She was committed to her tasks and had been great to work with. Lou communicates well and does not shy away from asking questions on unfamiliar topics. It has been a delight to work with her."
Caitlin Chan
Business Analyst, American Honda Motors
“Lou has been a pleasure to work with over the past few terms. Her hard work is evident in the quality of her work. She has continuously exceeded expectations when delivering projects. When presenting, she is engaging and knowledgeable of the subject matter. I would recommend her to any team!”
Drena Lewis
Project Manager, Customer Experience Division, American Honda Motors
Learnings
Leveraging data to drive meaningful and user-centered design outcomes.
My internship at Honda was incredibly impactful and played a crucial role in shaping my approach to product design and research. I collected and synthesized customer survey data from Qualtrics, validating hypotheses to inform research plans for Honda Experience Design. This process taught me the importance of translating raw data into actionable insights, ensuring that design decisions were grounded in real user needs and behaviors. By creating customer journey maps and analyzing qualitative research, I learned to identify pain points and opportunities in the user experience, which directly influenced product planning for future vehicle models.
Collaborative problem-solving.
I worked closely with cross-functional teams, including product teams like Parts & Services, American Honda Insurance Solutions, Customer Loyalty, etc. to identify and prioritize problem areas in the customer journey. Facilitating workshops allowed me to bring diverse perspectives together, fostering creativity and innovation in brainstorming solutions. Additionally, conducting stakeholder interviews with dealership zone managers provided me with qualitative insights that informed B2B design strategies. This collaborative approach not only improved the quality of the solutions we developed but also strengthened my ability to communicate and align with stakeholders from different backgrounds and expertise.
Bridging research, design, and business strategy
One of the most transformative aspects was learning how to articulate the value of design decisions in the context of business goals. By working with cross-functional teams, I saw firsthand how design decisions could influence broader business strategies. This required not only a deep understanding of user needs but also the ability to translate those needs into actionable business opportunities. For example, supporting the UX team in user testing for the AcuraLink app and delivering design recommendations to reduce appointment booking times demonstrated how research insights can directly inform design improvements that align with business objectives. Through this experience, I learned the importance of balancing user needs with strategic business priorities, ultimately creating solutions that are both user-centric and commercially viable.