Product Design
Background
Green Pulse is a mobile app that bridges hardware and interface — giving users visibility and control over their portable power stations.
As the product scaled, inconsistencies in system feedback created friction for both users and teams, leading to the need for a unified messaging system.
The Solution
I designed and delivered a unified messaging system for the Green Pulse app, establishing consistent rules for how in-app messages appear and behave across different contexts.
To support the new modal component across products and platforms, I also created a comprehensive design guideline covering its structure, properties, usage patterns, and behaviors — now used by both designers and engineers as a shared reference.
The Team
The In-Vehicle Design Team sits within Rivian Digital Studio, the organization responsible for shaping digital experiences across Rivian’s vehicle interfaces and mobile platforms. For this project, we collaborated cross-functionally to redesign the Drive Mode experience, focusing on information architecture, interaction clarity, and visual consistency.
Barry Zhang - UX Wirter
Jinsong Wei - Engineer
Stephanie Liu - Project Manager
Teammates
Timeline
My Role
Conducted a full-system audit of user-visible messages across the app
Defined message types and decision logic
Designed reusable UI components & documentation
The Challenge
Defining the Problem
As a device control platform, the Green Pulse app naturally contains a large number of status messages and educational moments — from alerts that notify users when the device temperature is too high or too low, to tooltips that explain what certain ports do.
In flows like device pairing, there are even more potential breakpoints than in a typical mobile app — checking connectivity, scanning, handling errors, and confirming successful setup — each requiring clear, timely messages to guide the user through the process.
However, without a unified messaging framework, these communications were often inconsistent in tone, format, and priority, making it harder for users to trust the system and for designers and engineers to maintain it at scale.
Framing the Opportunity
To build a unified messaging system that brings consistency, clarity, and trust to how Green Pulse communicates with users — while improving design efficiency and cross-team collaboration.
So our big question became:
How might we unify messaging and create clear guidelines for our teams, while delivering a consistent and thoughtful user experience?
Understanding the Users
We started by identifying real user pain points to ensure we were solving meaningful problems. These insights helped define what users truly need from in-app messages.
Pain points
Expectations
Users want success to be seamless — keep them moving forward unless further action is required.
Users want minor or non-blocking messages to appear less intrusively, so they can stay focused.
Users want helpful error messages that explain what went wrong and how to fix it.
Users want consistent and predictable patterns, so they can immediately recognize what’s important and how to respond.
Understanding the Current System
Before designing the new messaging system, I conducted a system-wide audit of all in-app messages — covering the entire product from device pairing and control to account settings.
Defining the Components
The unified messaging system consists of four reusable components — Banner, Snackbar, Bottom Sheet Modal, and Full-page Takeover.
Delivering Through User Story Alignment
I validated the final messaging patterns against the original user story — ensuring each message type clearly supports user awareness, timely decision-making, and a sense of control.
Establishing Consistency Through Guidelines
To support the modal component across product and platform, I created a documented guideline defining its structure, behavior, and usage patterns. The guideline ensures consistent understanding and implementation between designers and engineers.
The full documentation is available upon request.
Closing Thoughts
Looking Beyond Components
The micro-interactions and reusable patterns don’t just impact usability — they build user trust and confidence across the product.
Creating the design documentation also taught me how clarity and shared language can accelerate collaboration, alignment, and long-term consistency across teams.
©2025 KRISTY TIAN