Some of my best UX writing and copywriting was with a large UXW team at General Motors.
One key regret: I never got to take a drive in hands-free “Super Cruise” mode. Someday ...
For 18 months at General Motors as a remote contractor, I had the privilege of working as a key contributor within a top-tier customer experience (CX) team in the Software & Services Design division.
Most of my time at GM was spent as the lead UX writer in the dynamic and competitive ecommerce space, which includes everything from OnStar digital downloads like Super Cruise to the accessories and parts store (GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco). On this page you’ll see validated UX writing such as microcopy, but there’s also a heap of product content strategy and marketing copywriting. I’m most proud of my achievements in converting customers into buyers through vetted and tested copy.
The terrain is vast. More than a million site visitors view our mobile, desktop, and in-vehicle content on a monthly basis. Traffic strongly increased since I moved from GM's R&D division to ecomm in June 2023. By May 2024, we surpassed our OnStar digital storefront goals for Q1 and Q2, yielding a record YoY revenue increase of 21% — moving from roughly $100 million to $120 million-plus. Due credit goes to the 20+ person UX team, and the vastly larger business and software development teams.
However, I do take credit for upgrades to GM's Product Detail Pages, which I helped move from "walk state" (static) to "run state" (motion design) through customer research, open collaboration, and a data-driven UX content approach. (See slide deck of PDP Run State propsoal)
Scanning this page, you’ll see work where I was the sole UX writer responsible for deciding which words make it, and which words don’t. I love words, but one can’t save them all. Some have to die on the vine. And that’s good design.
—
General Motors Hyperlink Note: All links were the original URLs, but many landing pages have been updated since I created this portfolio gallery in 2023.
GM Logo Update: January 2021
There’s some hidden design secrets in the newish GM logo, namely a plug visual reference to the Ultium battery platform and a nod towards electrification.
Super Cruise - Run State PDP - 2024
Ecommerce Site: cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/super-cruise
Responsible for all content on this Product Detail Page (PDP). PDPs are typically scaled to all four GM brands — Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick — using our dynamic design system.
Super Cruise - Walk State PDP - Hot Off Digital Presses: Launched March 26, 2024
New Product Detail Page (PDP) content I wrote in 2023 for Super Cruise. It was the first OnStar product I jumped into, and the content strategy approach was a “deep journalistic dive.” I co-led this initiative to modernize our PDPs, enhancing the content design with a focus on simplifying scannability and readability with a repeatable pattern.
We interviewed customer experience researchers, In-Market Enhancements (IME) product owners, merchandisers, as well as absorbed a slew of marketing slide decks and PDFs. Then we tested and validated the results with traffic and customer conversion data.
“Show us the ingredients, and we’ll make the PDP cookies,” is what I put on a PDP presentation to leadership on our benefits-driven approach.
Well, here’s the first fully cooked batch of content cookies.
I was the exclusive UX writer in ecomm working on headlines, microcopy, marketing alignment, and consumer conversion strategy for the following:
Upgrade (Automatic Lane Change and Trailering): cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/super-cruise-auto-lane-change-trailering
Trailering: cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/super-cruise-trailering
Automatic Lane Change: cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/super-cruise-automatic-lane-change
OnStar Digital Store - Department Landing Page - 2023
Ecommerce Site: cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/learn
Key Outcome: 31% increase in traffic since launching this page
Can the Copy Get Shorter? Usually.
Brief marketing copy at bottom of Department Landing Page to help customer find additional Product Detail Pages.
Velocity Upgrade - Product Detail Page - 2023
Benefits mentioned first. Features shown second. How-to-get component comes third.
Velocity Upgrade - Product Detail Page - 2023 (below the fold)
Authenticated In-Market Enhancement (IME) Ecommerce Site: cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/velocity
Available only on specified vehicles such as the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ.
Flex Cam - Product Detail Page - 2023
Ecommerce Site: cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/flex-cam
Flex Cam - Product Detail Page - 2023 (below the fold)
Infinity Tune - Product Detail Page - 2023
Ecommerce Site: chevrolet.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/infinity-tune
Infinity Tune - Product Detail Page - 2023 (below the fold)
Once Upon a Time, This Used to Say "Needs Fitment" Up Here
Here’s the problem: “Needs fitment” is an industry term that means little to the everyday user. As a label, it wasn’t working. So after some user (UXR) testing, collaboration, and a series of reviews on Miro and Figma a content solution was found: “Needs vehicle details.” I led this initiative to improve a key labeling feature in our parts and accessories experience, conceiving of 20+ labels before narrowing to one and implementing the results with ecommerce UX designers and software developers. See: GMC > Accessories > All Categories > Truck Shop > Exterior Enhancements
Accessibility Tags and Annotations: Following WCAG Standards
Jumping into the accessibility pond (a11y) means communicating clearly to devs and engineers the exact way the page operates so that the most users can access content. This not only requires empathy, but also a deep and intimate focus on the UX components and details. You want to make sure the screen reader is precise and accurate.
At General Motors (and Aetna) I worked closely with our UX and accessibility teams to ensure we met the minimum Level A and AA compliance for our digital products. These guidelines are informed by the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and best practices outlined within GM's Aurora Design System.
GM Design Center - Warren, Michigan
From LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/david-shuey-aa265775/
Lead UX writer in the Ecommerce department responsible for converting customers into buyers with clear and consistent UX copy.
More than a million site visitors view General Motors' mobile, desktop, and in-vehicle ecommerce content every month, and I was the UX content designer for many key areas: Payment, marketing landing pages, product detail pages, department landing pages, account management, and more. Product and services pages include everything from OnStar digital downloads (Super Cruise, OnStar Guardian, Premium) to the accessories and parts store (GM Genuine Parts, ACDelco).
Delivered content across key channels within the GM digital product domain that measurably increased ROI. This included a 31% increase in traffic from our new Department Landing Page in 2023. Our ecomm team surpassed their OnStar digital storefront goals for Q1 and Q2 of 2024, yielding a record YoY revenue increase of 21% by May 2024.
Core Responsibilities:
• Write concise user interface copy utilizing design system and UX best practices
• Improve current content so it is honest, direct, and empathetic to customer needs (A/B tested when applicable)
• Collaborate with large content team to define and implement consistent standards
• Help create and maintain user experience guidelines that are in line with brands, voice, and tone at GM
• Lead story and project development in agile framework in alignment with user needs, business goals, and resource constraints
• Work closely with legal reviewers, marketing partners, product developers, and merchandising managers to improve traffic and conversion rates in ecommerce space
Additionally:
• Worked inside Future Roads department focused on advanced EV and R&D projects
• UX writing team part of Software & Services Design division
UX Content Strategy Approach (slide deck used in David Shuey’s 2023 GM interview):
tinyurl.com/David-Shuey-GM-UX-Approach
Software I Used at GM
• Figma (used daily)
• Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) — Marketing landing pages for accessories
• Miro and FigJam — Journey mapping, ideation, and collaboration
• Azure DevOps (ADO) — Agile workflow with 8 points per sprint on multiple ecommerce projects (landing pages, wallet, account, checkout, product pages, error states, a11y, and more)
• Microsoft Teams — Collaboration, jokes, and memes (enjoy the easter egg link)
• Standout Skill: I'm hyper-organized, prioritize documentation, and love to share resources to solve business problems
11 More UX Writing Samples from GM: 2023-2024
Note: Services, subscriptions, and products often are interchangeable among all four GM brands: Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick.
Premium - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
buick.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/premium
Essentials - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
buick.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/essentials
Guardian - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
gmc.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/guardian
Additional OnStar Samples
OnStar Preferred - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
chevrolet.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/preferred
OnStar Preferred Plus Wi-Fi - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
chevrolet.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/preferred-plus-wifi
Safety & Security - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
chevrolet.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/safety-security
Connected Vehicle - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
chevrolet.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/connected-vehicle
Protection - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
chevrolet.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/protection
Remote Access - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
chevrolet.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/protection
App Access - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/app-access
Data Plan - Product Detail Page - Subscription:
cadillac.com/ownercenter/onstar/shop/data
General Motors Hyperlink Note: All links were the original URLs, but many landing pages have been updated since I created this portfolio gallery in 2023.