A Story of Owning Change

The proposition:New technology, new challenges

A cooktop that responds to your voice. A microwave that knows how to cook your meal from the scan of a barcode. A dishwasher you control from an app. Our client is at the forefront of next-gen convenience and connectivity. But integrating new technology into their appliances requires niche skill sets and substantial time, especially for larger projects.

Previously, our client’s design team had followed two tracks to workforce design: track one—recruit full-time employees, or track two—outsource projects wholesale to cover bandwidth and skill shortages. But their former sourcing strategy didn’t work for their new needs. It was far too slow and expensive to keep pace with the onrush of digital transformation.

As a long-time partner working with us to find IT talent, they knew we were perfectly positioned to bring in the digital talent they needed—when and where they needed it.

Our proposal:Expanding the approach to workforce design

The local labor market lacked the digital and creative talent required to support their initiatives, so we cast a wider net. By including nearby metro areas both in and out of state, we attracted, interviewed and vetted highly skilled candidates wellsuited to the client’s brand sensibilities and company culture.

Ultimately, we placed eight digital consultants—five UX designers, two graphic designers and a motion graphics designer—six of whom were on site within five weeks. The other two were added a month later. Blending seamlessly into the existing design team, the new team members filled the gaps. Our consultants improved the on-unit screen UX for some of the company’s top-selling major appliances, like washers, dryers and refrigerators. They also designed the UX for a new mobile application through which customers could regulate their connected in-home appliances.

Powerful partnership:Bringing it home

Through our partnership, our client was able to consistently meet deadlines for product launches and deepen the team’s UX capabilities. In addition, we helped their design team reclaim oversight of their brand and creative direction, bringing it in-house, relinquishing dependency on an outside agency. This allowed their design team to focus on their inherent strengths—product knowledge and design—while our consultants provided critical input to their initiatives.

In fact, several of our digital consultants made such an impact, they were offered full-time positions. That’s the definition of a win-win. As our client’s projects and talent needs continue to evolve, we’ll be there.