Faces of Ford: Eric Um

By: Jennifer Blackledge

Have you ever wondered what an experience designer does? Or what “human centered design means”? You’re in luck, because Ford Design’s Eric Um translates it all for us! From concept cars to channeling his inner cartoon dog dad, Eric answered our questions and even shared some of his original art and designs.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today! First of all, can you tell us what an experience designer does in the automotive industry?

Basically, I design what a car needs to do to maximize customer happiness! We have so many kinds of customers -- customers with young families, customers who work in their car, customers who want to have fun with their car -- and they all have different needs and wants. Sometimes, customers can’t explain what it is they truly want, and it’s my job to use the clues they’re giving me to figure out exactly what kind of car would be useful to them. It’s a really difficult task, but when you get it right, it’s also extremely rewarding!

How do you find out what customers want, and how does the Human Centered Design (HCD) team use that information?

We really listen to our customers at two different levels. At a zoomed-out level, we do a lot of desktop?research and work with partners like our Ford Futurists team and various market research groups to look for major trends that are happening culturally and globally. We try to understand what our customers are going through at a macro level that could impact our design decisions. For example, a question we may ask ourselves after looking at the trend research is: how will increased urbanization and multi-family homes impact customers’ future mobility needs? Macro trend insights like these help us to plan and strategize what kind of products and features customers may be looking for in the future.

Another way we listen to our customers is a more direct approach of talking to them at research clinics and through customer surveys. We conduct research for specific customer groups to really understand their pains, passions, and overall needs of the product. And then we use the learnings to fix the things customers don’t like and enhance the things they love, which ultimately leads to a product experience that is simply better.

Ford excels at focusing on the customer and their ever-evolving needs. To my knowledge, Ford is the only automotive company that has a dedicated HCD organization and that shows me how important the principles and practices of design thinking are to the company.

HCD is the perfect analogy of where the rubber hits the road; where customer research and design meet to create products that customers love. Having a focused design group like HCD within Ford helps us to create creative, meaningful, and validated design experiences that resonate deeply with the customer. It’s truly an exciting time to be a Ford designer!

It sounds like it! Can you tell us what you’re working on right now?

Because so much of our design work is confidential, I can’t share any specific details from my current projects! But in the past, I’ve worked on a lot of different projects from racing metaverse concept drones and racecar liveries to luxury SUVs and affordable cars.

Concept cars are more than just crazy, fun looking cars. A successful concept taps into the cultural zeitgeist and creates a vision of the future that resonates with the public, and from there we can find potential future business opportunities. And on the other side, creating the real product that you’ll see driving on the road one day is a surreal experience. You’re impacting the cultural experience of what millions of people see every day!

What was your path from being a kid who loved art to Ford? Tell us a little bit about your background.

I am a second-generation Korean-American who grew up in Oklahoma City. I loved art growing up and was very influenced by my dad who would draw me pictures all the time. But when applying to college, I thought I wouldn’t be able to make a comfortable living as an artist, so I enrolled in the engineering program at the University of Oklahoma. During my freshman year, I saw a televised automotive design internship on the Discovery Channel called Future Car and I instantly fell in love! For the first time, I saw design students sketching, creating models, and presenting their ideas for future products and realized there was a path to professional success using my creative and artistic skills.

Soon after that realization, I applied for a transfer to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and graduated with a BFA in Automotive Industrial Design.

What are we most likely to find you doing when you’re not at work?

My wife and I have a five-year-old and a three-year-old, and they demand and deserve a lot of attention! So as soon as I finish work, I’m in “dad mode” playing with the kiddos, channeling my inner Bandit (that’s the dad from Bluey – IFYKYK).

I’m also in the homestretch of completing my MBA from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. As soon as the kids go to sleep, I’m in “student mode” studying and learning with the aspirations of creating my own business one day. The amazing thing about a journey is that you don’t always end up where you think you might. Even though my background is in fine arts, in the last few years I’ve become fascinated with the intersection of design and business. When both are working in sync with each other, you can create unique value that either of them couldn’t have created alone — where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

So back to your question...I don’t have a lot of free time! When I do, I love to keep up on my creative skills by sketching and dabbling in 3D illustration and visualization. I find creating little 3D worlds keeps me happy and creative! Between trying to be a good dad, a good husband, professional pursuits, and personal projects, life keeps me busy!

What’s your “why”? I’ve asked what you bring to Ford, but what does Ford do for you?

I love to learn and consider myself a continuous, lifelong student. Even though I’ve worked here for eight years, I am constantly learning new things all the time! Every time you think you’ve become an expert in something, a new development or innovation changes the way you need to think about a subject. Especially in the design process, there are principles we adhere to, but with new technologies like virtual and augmented reality, generative AI, and lots of new software tools, our methods of exploration are changing all the time.

On a fun note, one of the things I love about Ford is Take Your Kids to Work Day. This year was the first year my son was old enough to attend and he was so excited! He loved hand-painting a Bronco, making and shooting model rockets, and making things for the first time in a virtual reality environment! He constantly talks about how excited he is to go next year.

Is there anything you want us to know about Ford right now that people won’t see in commercials or in the news?

There is so much energy and momentum in creating the future at Ford! As a designer, the latest projects we’re working on won’t be revealed for another three to five years, so my perception of Ford is different from where it stands today. I’m fortunate to see the strategic and design direction of the brand and it makes me excited for what’s to come! I think people will be pleasantly surprised by our new, future products.

What would you tell people who are thinking about joining Ford right now?

With so much changing currently within the industry – the transition to EVs, development of autonomous vehicles -- it's an extremely dynamic time to work for Ford. I would say if you want to leave your mark on the future of mobility and work for a company that has influence shaping the global perspective on transportation, Ford is the right place for you!

Check out more of Eric’s work on Instagram (@ericjyum)