FedEx Unified Store Experience (FUSE)
Transaction & Revenue Pod Lead / UX Architect
2022 - Now
The FedEx Unified Store Experience (FUSE) is a comprehensive initiative aimed at modernizing and streamlining business operations and systems across FedEx Office locations. As the UX Lead for the Transaction and Revenue pod, I was responsible for designing end-to-end user experiences that balanced complex business requirements with customer needs.
- Designed and delivered 40+ features and updates
- Supported key business objectives for revenue growth and transaction operations
- Outside my primary role, made significant contributions to design system, design operations, other design teams, and business development explorations
Key Contributions
Feature Design & Implementation
A few experiences and modules I was responsible for:
- Checkout workflows
- Transaction logs
- Back-office management
- Customer self-service
- Customer profiles
- Business accounts management
In addition to these areas of focus, I made big and small contributions to just about every part of the application during my time on the project.
Exploring Areas of Opportunity & Innovation
Identifying innovative solutions that help businesses thrive is one of my biggest passions in this field.
As part of my efforts to uncover new opportunities within the FUSE project, I explored concepts to enhance operational efficiency and employee training. One such idea was a Learning Management System (LMS) designed to provide FedEx Office team members with easy access to training materials and operational resources.
This exploration led to the development of a prototype for the FUSE Knowledge Center, a unique module where team members could access on-demand information anytime. A standout feature of this module was a Generative AI-driven chatbot that instantly answered questions and delivered relevant information based on user input. By leveraging advanced AI capabilities, this solution streamlined training processes, reduced the need for manual support, and improved employee access to critical knowledge across locations.
While the Knowledge Center didn’t reach production, it remains one of my most impactful contributions to the project. This experience provided valuable insights into designing scalable, AI-powered solutions—knowledge that can be applied across a wide range of industries and initiatives.
Design System Leadership
As a key contributor to the FUSE design system, I focused on developing scalable, reusable components and processes that ensured consistency across all features and modules.
Figma Migration & Training
When FedEx Corporation made the decision to migrate all design operations from Sketch to Figma, as one of the team’s most experienced Figma users, I played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this transition. My contributions focused on guiding the team to effectively adopt Figma’s unique toolset and collaborative features. By establishing best practices for file organization, component configuration, prototyping, and version control, I helped align the migration with industry best practices and ensure a seamless transition.
Impact Summary
The FUSE project has driven significant improvements in operational efficiency, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction at FedEx Office. We've seen significant and measurable growth and adoption of FUSE across 2,000+ retail locations and thousands of employees.
Below are key outcomes from FY24 that highlight the ongoing value FUSE provides to the client’s business:
- Contract growth: Client contract value increased by 20–30% during FY24, driven by improved trust and satisfaction in our team’s work.
- Adoption metrics: Adoption of FUSE tools significantly increased across FedEx Office locations, streamlining processes and improving consistency.
Key performance metrics include:
- Transactions processed using FUSE increased from 5.9% in CY Aug ‘23 to 68% in CY Aug ‘24
- Revenue conversion using FUSE increased from 2.1% in CY Jun ‘23 to 22% in CY Jun ‘24
- Shipment conversion using FUSE increased from 8% in CY Sep ‘23 to 71.6% in CY Sep ‘24
FUSE is a product for retail employees
Like other retailers, FedEx Office faces challenges with high employee turnover. Our team’s work on FUSE created a system that is intuitive and easy for employees to pick up with minimal training. The platform guides team members through complex sales processes, reducing onboarding time and improving operational efficiency.
Field feedback has shown that FedEx Office employees feel comfortable using FUSE in less than a month—a significant improvement over the year-long training process required for legacy systems. This streamlined onboarding process saves FedEx Office both time and money, addressing a critical need in a high-turnover environment.
Client & employer feedback about Josh
- “Josh is super brilliant at looking at big picture and strategy.” - FedEx Office Sr Mgr, Exp Design & Research
- "In August of 2023, our main client contact requested that Josh move to an Architect/Lead UX role of the Transaction pod of FUSE (the app our team is helping to build). This move helps to demonstrate the trust that Josh has built with the client in his UX and strategy knowledge, understanding of the client’s business, and his abilities as a leader. Josh has been a tireless leader for that pod in the past year+ and is always advocating for the best user experience." - Experience Director, Stellar Elements
Learnings
The FUSE project provided me with invaluable insights into the intersection of design, development, and large-scale business operations. One of the most significant lessons I learned was the importance of balancing user needs with complex business requirements—finding solutions that deliver exceptional user experiences while aligning with the client’s strategic and enterprise-wide goals.
Through leading and collaborating across pods, I deepened my understanding of cross-functional communication and the value of scalable systems like design systems and collaborative tools. The experience of migrating to Figma taught me how to adapt workflows, guide teams through transformative change, and ensure seamless adoption of new processes.
Additionally, exploring innovative opportunities, such as the Knowledge Center prototype, reinforced the importance of proactive problem-solving and the potential of generative AI to enhance operational efficiency. These experiences have strengthened my skills as a designer, strategist, and team contributor, equipping me to tackle complex challenges in any industry or environment.
