Automotive & mobility

Automotive & mobility

Automotive & mobility

B2B

B2B

B2B

How Edenred went from design bottleneck to self-sufficient product teams in two years

Client

UTA Edenred

UTA Edenred

Model

In-housing

In-housing

services

User research

User research

User research

UX/UI design

UX/UI design

UX/UI design

Product strategy

Product strategy

Product strategy

Rapid prototyping

Rapid prototyping

Rapid prototyping

info

Our lead designer joined Edenred Mobility, a €650M business serving 60,000 European companies. The next two years would prove that embedding expertise beats external consulting every time.

challenge

Edenred's digital transformation faced three critical barriers. Legacy systems consumed resources whilst becoming unmaintainable. Product decisions relied on assumptions not evidence. Design operated as a service function, not strategic capability. The company was spending millions on platform development but had no way to validate user success.

our analysis

The key to solving Edenred challenge wasn't adding designers, it was embedding design thinking across the organisation. Rather than building a design department that created dependency, we focused on capability transfer. Our lead designer would establish research methods, prove their value through rapid wins, then transfer ownership back to product teams.

what we did

01.

Created the ‘5-minute pit stop’ research method

Truck drivers are always driving and fleet managers always busy, so traditional research failed. Refuelling takes five minutes per 1,000 litres, so we intercepted drivers at fuel stations. Research revealed drivers using paper maps because digital tools failed, fleet managers maintaining shadow spreadsheets, and entire operations working around the platform.

01.

Created the ‘5-minute pit stop’ research method

Truck drivers are always driving and fleet managers always busy, so traditional research failed. Refuelling takes five minutes per 1,000 litres, so we intercepted drivers at fuel stations. Research revealed drivers using paper maps because digital tools failed, fleet managers maintaining shadow spreadsheets, and entire operations working around the platform.

Created the ‘5-minute pit stop’ research method

Truck drivers are always driving and fleet managers always busy, so traditional research failed. Refuelling takes five minutes per 1,000 litres, so we intercepted drivers at fuel stations. Research revealed drivers using paper maps because digital tools failed, fleet managers maintaining shadow spreadsheets, and entire operations working around the platform.

02.

Built a unified design system from existing components

Rather than starting from scratch, we adapted and localised an existing system from another geography. This pragmatic approach sped up development whilst ensuring consistency across apps and internal tools.

02.

Built a unified design system from existing components

Rather than starting from scratch, we adapted and localised an existing system from another geography. This pragmatic approach sped up development whilst ensuring consistency across apps and internal tools.

Built a unified design system from existing components

Rather than starting from scratch, we adapted and localised an existing system from another geography. This pragmatic approach sped up development whilst ensuring consistency across apps and internal tools.

03.

Established continuous validation panels

We built recurring panels of fleet managers and drivers willing to test concepts. With 70% of clients based in Germany, German-language research became essential. Feature requests transformed into user problems. Assumptions became hypotheses to test.

03.

Established continuous validation panels

We built recurring panels of fleet managers and drivers willing to test concepts. With 70% of clients based in Germany, German-language research became essential. Feature requests transformed into user problems. Assumptions became hypotheses to test.

Established continuous validation panels

We built recurring panels of fleet managers and drivers willing to test concepts. With 70% of clients based in Germany, German-language research became essential. Feature requests transformed into user problems. Assumptions became hypotheses to test.

04.

Adapted design sprints for remote German teams

We stripped design sprints to their essential elements, making them work for distributed teams. Product managers learned to validate before building. What took months now took days. Political debates became problem-solving sessions.

04.

Adapted design sprints for remote German teams

We stripped design sprints to their essential elements, making them work for distributed teams. Product managers learned to validate before building. What took months now took days. Political debates became problem-solving sessions.

Adapted design sprints for remote German teams

We stripped design sprints to their essential elements, making them work for distributed teams. Product managers learned to validate before building. What took months now took days. Political debates became problem-solving sessions.

05.

Scaled team whilst transferring ownership

We grew the team from one to four designers, but scaling meant more than hiring. We embedded designers within product teams, established sustainable processes, and built capability that would outlast any individual.

05.

Scaled team whilst transferring ownership

We grew the team from one to four designers, but scaling meant more than hiring. We embedded designers within product teams, established sustainable processes, and built capability that would outlast any individual.

Scaled team whilst transferring ownership

We grew the team from one to four designers, but scaling meant more than hiring. We embedded designers within product teams, established sustainable processes, and built capability that would outlast any individual.

project impact

Research capability from zero

From no research to continuous validation panels reaching truck drivers, fleet managers, and partners across Germany.

Research capability from zero

From no research to continuous validation panels reaching truck drivers, fleet managers, and partners across Germany.

Research capability from zero

From no research to continuous validation panels reaching truck drivers, fleet managers, and partners across Germany.

4x design capacity

Team scaled from 1 to 4 designers with embedded model ensuring capability remains without creating dependency.

4x design capacity

Team scaled from 1 to 4 designers with embedded model ensuring capability remains without creating dependency.

4x design capacity

Team scaled from 1 to 4 designers with embedded model ensuring capability remains without creating dependency.

30-50% faster delivery

A new design system realising both efficiency gains and rapid iteration in a market demanding constant evolution.

30-50% faster delivery

A new design system realising both efficiency gains and rapid iteration in a market demanding constant evolution.

30-50% faster delivery

A new design system realising both efficiency gains and rapid iteration in a market demanding constant evolution.

Ready to build capability, not dependency?

Most consultancies deliver strategies. We embed people who build lasting capability. Our lead designer didn't just transform Edenred's design function, he built systems that effected lasting organisation change. That's the difference between consulting and transformation. Let's discuss how embedded expertise can transform your product development.

Let’s start a project

Let’s start a project

Let’s start a project