© Copyright 2024 | by david nguyen
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September 2019 – March 2021

As the User Experience Manager, I managed the Digital Product and Learning Experience teams, supporting diverse consumer and business projects. My responsibilities included setting the strategy for customer experiences across padi.com, online store, and mobile applications.

Company Brief

  • PADI – the Professional Association of Diving Instructors
  • World’s largest ocean exploration and diver organization
  • Over 6,500 dive centers and resorts across the world
  • Over 128,000 professional members worldwide
  • Issues more than 1 million certifications each year

Product Design

Responsible for over 5 Product Experiences

  • padi.com, online shopping, travel, learning management platform, native consumer, training mobile apps, and DAM (digital asset management)
  • 4 product pods: Consumer Tools, Business Tools, eCommerce, and Learning Experience
  • Partnering and supporting various departments and businesses including PADI Travel Network, PADI AWARE Foundation, Scuba Diving Magazine®, and Emergency First Response

Notable Design Challenges

  • Adopting the Scrum management framework
  • Design System workflow collaboration with Engineering and Brand teams
  • Modernizing the ecosystem to have a cohesive branded and user experience
  • Implementing technology to gather and analyze consumer insight

Design Operations

Accomplishments

  • Optimized design workflow between design and engineering
  • Integrated and aligned our product design team into our development 2-week sprint cycles
  • Established Creative Development workflow
  • Introduced and implemented a continuous customer feedback strategy
  • Systemized Design workshops

Results

  • Eliminated excessive approvals and minimized back-and-forth iterations
  • Improved collaboration and sentiment between cross-functional team members
  • Lessoned dependency of Product Designers from the creative department
  • Enhanced business alignment and deeper understanding of our customers

Project Highlight: Header and Mega Menu

Based on UX research activities including reviewing session replay videos, Google Analytics, and customer feedback – there was a huge opportunity to improve the findability and engagement with our navigation within the header of our website.

Accomplishments

  • Developed 2 phase initiative to overhaul our global navigation menu system on padi.com
  • Optimized for responsive design
  • Implemented and utilized new UX Research tools

Results

  • Successfully launched a new header layout and shortly after that, launched a well-received Mega Menu
  • Increased web and mobile engagement of navigation menu items
  • Increased organic traffic to PADI Travel and Gear sites
  • Elevated customer feedback ratings and sentiment (from open comments)

Design Standards

Documentation System

  • Brand Portal
  • Visual Design Guidelines and Style Guide
  • Design System
  • Product Design Workshops
  • Accessibility

Accomplishments

  • Maintained and added to our shared brand portal
  • Developed strategy and executed on the Digital Asset Management initiative to centralize digital assets across our businesses
  • Increased efficiency and improved our collaboration efforts for our Design System between our Brand and Software Engineering teams

Notable Hands-on Tools Utalized

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