How we aligned the unalignable: Launching a game-changing B2C product in a global org

We hit 150% of our engagement target, earned glowing app store reviews, and took home awards for innovation, all while positioning a traditionally B2B automotive giant as a bold new leader in the consumer experience space.

That was the outcome.

But the journey?

That’s where the real story is.

When I was brought in to lead the design strategy for the company’s first direct-to-consumer app, the stakes were high. This was uncharted territory for the brand, an organisation historically focused on enterprise clients now stepping boldly into the B2C world. The product had to be functional, engaging, and emotionally resonant. And we had to deliver it fast.

The good news? Everyone agreed it mattered.

The challenge? Getting everyone to agree on how to make it happen.

Where we landed: A product that changed perception

Before we get into the process, here’s what we built:

• A smart, safety-focused consumer app, giving drivers real-time vehicle insights, driving feedback, and personalised tips.

• Gamified safety scores, rewarding good driving behaviour with achievements and content.

• A connected experience, seamlessly integrated with in-car systems and other devices.

• A product that felt on-brand, yet refreshingly user-first.

It wasn’t just a successful app. It became a flagship for how modern, design-led thinking could elevate the entire business.

What it took: Cross-functional alignment in action

To get there, we had to break silos, reset expectations, and bring clarity where there was chaos.

Here’s how:

1. We made the consumer real

The org had always designed for fleets, insurers, and industry partners. Individual users? Not so much.

So we started there:

• Interviewed over 200 prospective customers, from city commuters to rural families.

• Built detailed personas and distributed them across every team.

• Analysed competitors and mapped out gaps, what were users missing from existing apps, and how could we surprise them?

Making the consumer visible gave every team a shared North Star.

2. We got everyone in the same room

One of the biggest hurdles was fragmentation, engineering, marketing, product, customer service… all with their own timelines and priorities.

So we:

• Facilitated cross-functional workshops to align goals, scope, and definitions of success.

• Introduced journey mapping exercises that helped teams see how their contributions impacted the whole user flow.

• Set up a single source of truth for documentation and decisions.

And then we backed that up with rhythm:

• Regular syncs.

• Shared demos.

• No surprises.

Transparency built trust. Trust built momentum.

3. We designed and iterated fast

With a compressed timeline, we knew we couldn’t afford long development cycles.

So we went lean:

• Prototyped early and often, testing with real users from week one.

• Conducted beta testing in controlled markets to refine flows and surface edge cases.

• Partnered with marketing to ensure the brand showed up beautifully throughout the experience.

By launch day, the app had already gone through dozens of micro-adjustments, all based on user feedback and real-world data.

The impact: Measured, celebrated, and built on

The launch wasn’t just a success. It reset what success looked like.

• 150% of engagement target hit
  People not only downloaded the app, they used it, shared it, and stayed with it.

• 25% faster development cycle
  Collaborative processes and rapid iteration kept things on track.

• Industry recognition
  Awards for innovation in automotive technology followed soon after.

• Customer praise + brand elevation
  The app positioned the company as a forward-thinking, user-centric brand for the first time in its consumer-facing history.

Our CEO said at the launch event:

“This app didn’t just meet expectations, it set a new standard for how we build products moving forward.”

What I learned (and would do again)

This project was a crash course in alignment at scale. Here’s what I took away:

• User research isn’t optional, especially when entering a new market. The insights shaped everything.

• Silos are project killers. You need systems and soft skills to get teams moving in the same direction.

• Rapid iteration beats long perfection cycles. Prototyping in parallel with planning saved us countless headaches.

• Design leadership = translation. Between departments, between users and stakeholders, between vision and execution.

What’s next?

With the app live and thriving, the next phase is even more exciting:

• Using behavioural analytics to drive continuous product improvements.

• Rolling out new features based on post-launch feedback.

• Applying what we’ve learned to the company’s broader B2C roadmap.

The success of this initiative didn’t just deliver a great product, it showed the organisation what’s possible when we align around users, trust the process, and work like a single team.

If you're tackling alignment challenges or exploring your own B2C leap, I’d love to hear how you're approaching it.