Project Overview
- Company: Toyota
- Industry: Automotive & Manufacturing
- Project Type: Information Architecture, Data Management, Multi-Channel UX
- Timeframe: August 2015 – May 2017
Project Context
Imagine you’re one of the world’s most recognized automotive brands. You employ thousands of American workers, manufacture 80% of your U.S. vehicles domestically, and invest millions into local economies and research.
But there’s a problem—no one knows about it.
For years, Toyota’s humble Japanese corporate culture had kept them from telling this story. In the U.S., they were still perceived as a foreign car brand, despite their massive investment in American jobs and infrastructure.
At the same time, Toyota’s marketing and communications teams were struggling to efficiently distribute operational data across multiple platforms. They needed to deliver accurate, up-to-date information to:
- Dealerships – Sales teams needed materials to educate consumers.
- Manufacturing Tours – Visitors to Toyota’s U.S. plants needed interactive, engaging experiences.
- Corporate Executives – Leadership required data to showcase Toyota’s impact in key markets.
Initially, the request was simple: redesign Toyota’s U.S. operations webpage to fit within the company’s new responsive template.
But as I dug into the project, I realized this was more than just a website update—this was an opportunity to completely transform the way Toyota managed and shared its U.S. operations data.
The Challenge / Opportunity
The Problem
Toyota’s existing website was outdated and lacked a strategic approach to telling the story of its U.S. operations.
- Consumers weren’t aware of Toyota’s American impact—they still viewed Toyota as a foreign company.
- Marketing teams struggled to update operational data, leading to inconsistent messaging across platforms.
- Sales teams lacked a centralized resource for distributing key materials.
The Opportunity
Instead of just updating a webpage, what if we created a centralized system—one that could:
- Unify Toyota’s U.S. operations data in a single, easily manageable database.
- Distribute real-time updates across Toyota’s website, interactive kiosks, and dealership sales materials.
- Reduce the time and cost of manual data entry and marketing collateral updates.
This wasn’t just a content reorganization—it was a complete overhaul of Toyota’s information strategy.
My Role & Team
Role: Group Director Experience Design
I was responsible for:
- Information Architecture & UX Strategy – Ensuring Toyota’s U.S. operations story was told effectively across all platforms.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration – Working with marketing, design, development, and executive stakeholders to gain buy-in.
- Process & Execution – Leading the research, wireframing, and implementation of a centralized operations data system.
Toyota’s internal teams had initially underestimated the potential of this project—my job was to demonstrate the impact of a scalable solution that would benefit multiple teams and audiences.
Process & Approach
Discovery & Research
The first step was understanding the full scope of Toyota’s U.S. operations.
I conducted:
- Stakeholder interviews with Toyota’s marketing and communications teams.
- Workshops with client marketing and creative teams to uncover their biggest pain points.
- Content audits to assess the accuracy and usability of existing data.
UX Strategy & Information Architecture
Once we uncovered the core content gaps, I designed a new information architecture that:
- Streamlined Toyota’s U.S. operations story for different audiences.
- Mapped key data points to multiple platforms (web, kiosk, print).
- Created a structured database to make content updates seamless.
Strategic Content Gathering & Technical Planning
Rather than simply organizing content, I worked closely with Toyota’s internal teams to develop a scalable content-gathering process that would:
- Standardize yearly data collection for Toyota’s operations teams.
- Reduce manual content entry by creating structured, repeatable templates.
- Ensure alignment with development teams to integrate the system into Toyota’s existing infrastructure.
This planning allowed Toyota’s teams to efficiently update operational data each year, ensuring long-term sustainability for the platform.
Solutions & Deliverables
Created a Centralized Operations Database
We built a Google Spreadsheet-powered CMS that allowed Toyota’s teams to:
- Input data once, distributing updates across the website, kiosks, and print materials.
- Reduce duplication of effort, ensuring consistent messaging across all channels.
Developed a Multi-Channel Content Strategy
Rather than a single webpage update, we rolled out three major experience updates:
- National Website – Consumers could now explore Toyota’s U.S. operations in a more engaging format.
- Interactive Manufacturing Kiosks – Visitors at Toyota plants could explore real-time data.
- Dealership Sales Collateral – Print materials were now dynamically generated from the central database, reducing manual work.
Results & Impact
- $150K in annual savings from eliminating redundant marketing material updates.
- 50% reduction in internal data collection time, freeing up Toyota’s teams for more strategic work.
- First-of-its-kind digital solution for Toyota’s manufacturing storytelling, enhancing consumer awareness.
This was more than a content reorganization—it was a scalable solution that improved efficiency, reduced costs, and gave Toyota a more compelling way to showcase its U.S. presence.
Key Learnings & Takeaways
- Transforming data into narratives can significantly enhance brand perception and engagement.
- Cross-functional collaboration is crucial for uncovering opportunities beyond the initial project scope.
- Innovative data management solutions can lead to substantial time and cost savings in marketing operations.
- Adapting content for multiple platforms (web, kiosk, print) from a single source greatly enhances efficiency and messaging consistency.
- Effective communication of ideas—even at early stages—is essential for gaining stakeholder buy-in and expanding project scope.
Final Thoughts
This project started as a simple webpage redesign—but through UX strategy, collaboration, and vision, we transformed it into a scalable, multi-platform solution that streamlined Toyota’s operations communications for years to come.
This wasn’t just about redesigning a website—it was about reimagining how Toyota told its story.