Beacon Mobility
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Beacon Mobility
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Executive Summary
To help the leadership at Beacon Mobility prepare for a workshop, Copilot, a consulting firm, hired me to design two key deliverables: a primer that would be sent out before the workshop and a "cheat sheet" to be used during it. These tools were to help translate complex research and executive interviews into clear, accessible formats that supported alignment and engagement.
My role was to transform Copilot's synthesized research into artifacts participants could actually use, helping them digest the various tensions, forces, and opportunities before the workshop and stay anchored during discussions. By applying design thinking, I ensured that the abstract strategy became a concrete experience that guided decision-making.
Design process
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Phase 1: Discovery & Context
Beacon Mobility is a high-needs transportation company that has grown rapidly through acquisitions, creating a connected ecosystem that serves drivers, dispatchers, parents, and school districts. However, this growth led to misalignment: the corporate entity prioritized buyers (school districts), while frontline teams focused on riders (students) and day-to-day operations.
Copilot conducted executive interviews and identified key tensions, such as the disconnect between corporate strategy and operations, and the contradiction between branding as a "people-first company" while pursuing aggressive headcount reduction. Copilot hired me for my ability to translate complex ideas into easy-to-use designs. My role as a designer was to help translate the complex findings into digestible, practical artifacts that would prepare leadership for a critical workshop and support them during it.
Phase 2: Framing the Challenge
The challenge was not just about visual design, but also about making the research digestible and usable. Executives needed to engage with complex findings and insights in a format that was clear and easy to reference. Initially scoped for desktop, the project pivoted early on to a mobile-first design, reframing the design challenge around interactivity and usability.
This shift highlighted the need for flexibility and accessibility. Where success depended on how well participants could access and use the information both before and during the workshop.
Phase 3: Ideation & Exploration
I began with sketches and mood boards to establish a professional yet approachable design language. Early in the design process, the mobile scale felt restrictive, but quickly inspired the use of card-based modules and scannable sections that broke down information into more manageable pieces.
Content from Copilot's research, tensions, forces, and unspoken truths shaped design motifs through the language, ensuring the visuals reinforced the messaging rather than distracting from it.
Phase 4: Prototyping & Collaboration
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Using Figma, I designed the interactive primer, which was distributed before the workshop. It gave executives a chance to explore Copilot's synthesized findings on their own time, so they arrived at the session informed and ready to contribute.
In Illustrator, I created the placemat, a one-page artifact listing the most crucial information. This served as a quick-reference guide during live discussions, helping participants stay aligned and focused during the workshop.
Throughout the project, I worked closely with the Copilot team, adapting quickly as content arrived late and requirements evolved. My role was not just executional, but translational, turning research into clear design artifacts that made strategy actionable.
Phase 5: Delivery & Adaptability
The final deliverables complemented each other. The interactive primer effectively drove engagement and alignment before the workshop. The placemat supported collaboration and focus during the session.
By designing across digital and physical touchpoints, I created continuity between preparation and participation, ensuring that the executives had the right tools at the right time. This approach elevated the impact beyond aesthetics, demonstrating how design can enhance communication and foster organizational alignment.
Outcomes
almost done
The primer and placemat were enthusiastically received during Beacon Mobility's leadership workshop. Their impact was clear both in preparation and in-session collaboration.
Improved Workshop Readiness
The interactive primer was distributed before the workshop and quickly became a key tool for helping executives digest Copilot's research. Despite the complexity of the findings, the primer presented information in a way that was accessible and engaging. Participants "loved it" and used it to arrive prepared, with a shared baseline of knowledge that made in-room discussions more efficient. Research in active learning reinforces this outcome, showing that pre-work significantly improves performance and reduces wasted time [1].
Deeper Engagement and Participation
Because the primer was mobile-optimized and interactive, executives could explore it at their own pace and return to sections as needed. This autonomy made the material more engaging, which translated into richer in-session participation. Copilot noted that the document transformed a large body of synthesis into something meaningful and usable for the client. This finding aligns with broader research indicating that interactive, self-paced preparation primes participants for stronger contributions [2].
Alignment Across Touchpoints
Automation and transparent status updates reduce repetitive inquiries, freeing staff to focus on complex cases. Evidence shows that improved aid portals and staff dashboards can reduce communication volume and processing delays [3].
Higher Retention & Completion Rates
The primer and placemat worked as complementary touchpoints in a single service journey: the primer prepared individuals ahead of time, and the placemat reinforced group alignment in the room. The fact that some executives valued and kept the placemat beyond the workshop demonstrates how design can extend influence past the event itself, embedding alignment into ongoing decision-making. Evidence from blended learning supports this pattern, showing that pre-work combined with live collaboration consistently improves outcomes [3].
closing
back to the top
This project demonstrated how design can act as a bridge between research and action. Despite ambiguous direction, shifting formats, and tight timelines, I delivered designs that effectively translated Copilot's strategic insights into usable and impactful tools.
By making strategy usable and reducing organizational friction, the Beacon Mobility project demonstrated how design can deliver both human-centered value and business impact, a principle I carry into every Service Design and Product Design role.
Research
work
Executive Summary
To help the leadership at Beacon Mobility prepare for a workshop, Copilot, a consulting firm, hired me to design two key deliverables: a primer that would be sent out before the workshop and a "cheat sheet" to be used during it. These tools were to help translate complex research and executive interviews into clear, accessible formats that supported alignment and engagement.
My role was to transform Copilot's synthesized research into artifacts participants could actually use, helping them digest the various tensions, forces, and opportunities before the workshop and stay anchored during discussions. By applying design thinking, I ensured that the abstract strategy became a concrete experience that guided decision-making.
Design process
learn more below
Phase 1: Discovery & Context
Beacon Mobility is a high-needs transportation company that has grown rapidly through acquisitions, creating a connected ecosystem that serves drivers, dispatchers, parents, and school districts. However, this growth led to misalignment: the corporate entity prioritized buyers (school districts), while frontline teams focused on riders (students) and day-to-day operations.
Copilot conducted executive interviews and identified key tensions, such as the disconnect between corporate strategy and operations, and the contradiction between branding as a "people-first company" while pursuing aggressive headcount reduction. Copilot hired me for my ability to translate complex ideas into easy-to-use designs. My role as a designer was to help translate the complex findings into digestible, practical artifacts that would prepare leadership for a critical workshop and support them during it.
Phase 2: Framing the Challenge
The challenge was not just about visual design, but also about making the research digestible and usable. Executives needed to engage with complex findings and insights in a format that was clear and easy to reference. Initially scoped for desktop, the project pivoted early on to a mobile-first design, reframing the design challenge around interactivity and usability.
This shift highlighted the need for flexibility and accessibility. Where success depended on how well participants could access and use the information both before and during the workshop.
Phase 3: Ideation & Exploration
I began with sketches and mood boards to establish a professional yet approachable design language. Early in the design process, the mobile scale felt restrictive, but quickly inspired the use of card-based modules and scannable sections that broke down information into more manageable pieces.
Content from Copilot's research, tensions, forces, and unspoken truths shaped design motifs through the language, ensuring the visuals reinforced the messaging rather than distracting from it.
Phase 4: Prototyping & Collaboration
Using Figma, I designed the interactive primer, which was distributed before the workshop. It gave executives a chance to explore Copilot's synthesized findings on their own time, so they arrived at the session informed and ready to contribute.
In Illustrator, I created the placemat, a one-page artifact listing the most crucial information. This served as a quick-reference guide during live discussions, helping participants stay aligned and focused during the workshop.
Throughout the project, I worked closely with the Copilot team, adapting quickly as content arrived late and requirements evolved. My role was not just executional, but translational, turning research into clear design artifacts that made strategy actionable.
Phase 5: Delivery & Adaptability
The final deliverables complemented each other. The interactive primer effectively drove engagement and alignment before the workshop. The placemat supported collaboration and focus during the session.
By designing across digital and physical touchpoints, I created continuity between preparation and participation, ensuring that the executives had the right tools at the right time. This approach elevated the impact beyond aesthetics, demonstrating how design can enhance communication and foster organizational alignment.
Outcomes
The primer and placemat were enthusiastically received during Beacon Mobility's leadership workshop. Their impact was clear both in preparation and in-session collaboration.
Improved Workshop Readiness
The interactive primer was distributed before the workshop and quickly became a key tool for helping executives digest Copilot's research. Despite the complexity of the findings, the primer presented information in a way that was accessible and engaging. Participants "loved it" and used it to arrive prepared, with a shared baseline of knowledge that made in-room discussions more efficient. Research in active learning reinforces this outcome, showing that pre-work significantly improves performance and reduces wasted time [1].
Deeper Engagement and Participation
Because the primer was mobile-optimized and interactive, executives could explore it at their own pace and return to sections as needed. This autonomy made the material more engaging, which translated into richer in-session participation. Copilot noted that the document transformed a large body of synthesis into something meaningful and usable for the client. This finding aligns with broader research indicating that interactive, self-paced preparation primes participants for stronger contributions [2].
Alignment Across Touchpoints
Automation and transparent status updates reduce repetitive inquiries, freeing staff to focus on complex cases. Evidence shows that improved aid portals and staff dashboards can reduce communication volume and processing delays [3].
Higher Retention & Completion Rates
The primer and placemat worked as complementary touchpoints in a single service journey: the primer prepared individuals ahead of time, and the placemat reinforced group alignment in the room. The fact that some executives valued and kept the placemat beyond the workshop demonstrates how design can extend influence past the event itself, embedding alignment into ongoing decision-making. Evidence from blended learning supports this pattern, showing that pre-work combined with live collaboration consistently improves outcomes [3].
closing
This project demonstrated how design can act as a bridge between research and action. Despite ambiguous direction, shifting formats, and tight timelines, I delivered designs that effectively translated Copilot's strategic insights into usable and impactful tools.
By making strategy usable and reducing organizational friction, the Beacon Mobility project demonstrated how design can deliver both human-centered value and business impact, a principle I carry into every Service Design and Product Design role.