Driving Cultural Transformation Through Collaboration

Pivotal Labs didn’t just bring technical expertise to the Digital:Lab; it introduced a new way of thinking and working that challenged traditional hierarchies and decision-making processes at Volkswagen. By empowering small, cross-functional teams to take ownership of product decisions, Pivotal encouraged faster iteration cycles and more effective collaboration across disciplines, fostering a sense of accountability and ownership among the team.

Leading by Example

In my role as Design Manager, I spent 12 months at VW Di:Lab in Berlin and an additional 4 months at VW’s Software Development Centre in Lisbon. My mission was to enable cross-functional teams comprising Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to adopt modern product development practices rooted in Agile principles and user-centric design.

This involved leading and coaching teams as they tackled real-world challenges, conducting research for six distinct products, and working across multiple teams and stakeholders. I facilitated workshops, guided user interviews, developed prototypes, conducted usability testing, and validated product-market fit to instill a disciplined, iterative process.

I acted as the design practice lead, educating Volkswagen teams on Pivotal Labs’ ways of working. This meant championing collaboration, rapid experimentation, and a focus on solving real user problems, empowering VW to embrace Agile methodologies and deliver user-centered products long after our engagement ended.