# Jonah Houston > Senior UX Researcher at GM’s Autonomous Robotics Center (ARC) Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/jonahhouston Humanizing AI, robotics, and autonomous systems through strategic design research. I specialize in translating cutting-edge technology into products people want to use. Whether it's autonomous vehicles at Cruise, humanoid robots at 1X, or AI wearables at HP, I uncover the human insights that make or break adoption. Recent impact: Doubled Cruise's delivery volume in 6 months through targeted operational research Influenced HP's $40M acquisition strategy for AI-enabled wearables Redefined Samsung's AI companion product roadmap across multiple form factors Transformed 1X's humanoid robot from an abstract concept to a validated product direction Where I excel: The intersection of human needs and complex technology—autonomous vehicles, embodied AI, human-robot interaction, and emerging interfaces. My economics background provides a unique lens on user behavior and market dynamics that has proven invaluable when research complexity meets business strategy. Previously led teams at IDEO and Ford, pioneering new approaches to mobility and organizational transformation. Now focused on hands-on research that shapes the future of human-AI interaction. Let's connect if you're tackling ambitious problems in AI, robotics, or autonomous systems. ## Work Experience ### User Experience Researcher @ General Motors Jan 2025 – Present | Sunnyvale, CA ### Principal UX Researcher & Founder CPH Consulting, LLC @ CPH Consulting, LLC Jan 2024 – Present | San Jose, California, United States Founded a consultancy specializing in research for emerging AI technologies, serving Fortune 500 clients including Samsung, HP, and innovative robotics companies. Currently leading research initiatives that define how humans interact with AI wearables, humanoid robots, and embodied AI systems. My work transforms abstract technical capabilities into validated product strategies that shape investment decisions and product roadmaps. Recent Client Impact: 1X Robotics (NEO humanoid robot): Transformed abstract robotic concepts into tangible insights through innovative research methods, fundamentally changing assumptions about product capabilities and expanding target user definition beyond early adopters HP AI Wearables: Validated AI-enhanced glasses as optimal form factor for field technicians through multi-industry research, insights that influenced HP's strategic acquisition strategy in the wearable AI space Samsung Display Innovation Center (SDIC): Introduced a science-backed framework for AI companion products, identifying two distinct product opportunities that shaped portfolio-wide development strategy Specializations: Human-robot interaction, embodied AI, wearable intelligence, autonomous systems research, AI product strategy Building on 20+ years of experience leading research at scale (Cruise, Ford, IDEO), I now focus on hands-on research that defines the future of human-AI interaction. ### Senior II UX Researcher @ Cruise Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area Scaled Cruise's autonomous delivery from pilot to 8,000 monthly Walmart deliveries through strategic research Partnered directly with product, engineering, and operations teams to transform autonomous delivery from concept to reality. My research insights informed critical decisions that doubled the delivery volume in six months and secured Walmart's expansion commitment. Key Impact: Doubled delivery efficiency through targeted research identifying operational friction points, reducing delivery time by 35% and enabling the removal of safety drivers Secured Walmart partnership expansion to 8,000 monthly deliveries by validating customer acceptance metrics and operational readiness through mixed-methods research Shaped $50 million AV freight strategy through 18 executive interviews and market analysis, establishing Cruise's roadmap for Class 6 and Class 8 autonomous vehicles Prevented service failures by identifying latent issues before scale, implementing research-driven solutions that improved the delivery success rate from 78% to 94% Influenced product roadmap for multi-stop routing and unattended delivery, research that became the foundation for the 2024 product strategy Methods: Field studies, operational shadowing, customer interviews, journey mapping, service blueprinting, quantitative analysis of delivery metrics ### Design Director @ Frontier Design Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 | Alexandria, Virginia, United States Led design transformation initiatives for government and higher education clients, embedding design thinking into traditionally bureaucratic organizations. Joined a small consultancy where design was often misunderstood as purely visual. Fundamentally shifted how design was valued by introducing strategic design methods and building organizational design literacy across federal agencies and universities. Key Impact: Won U.S. Navy as strategic client through facilitated visioning workshops that transformed initial skepticism into multi-phase engagement, demonstrating design's value in complex defense environments Built design capability across organizations by creating weekly design charrettes and training programs, elevating two junior designers to lead their own client engagements within 6 months Shifted organizational mindset from design-as-decoration to design-as-strategy through executive workshops that resulted in 3 clients establishing permanent design roles Navigated complex stakeholder dynamics in federal environments, aligning competing interests across multiple agencies to achieve consensus on transformation initiatives Note: Brief tenure due to limited scope for strategic design work within existing client constraints. Sought opportunities with a greater innovation mandate. ### Director, UX Research & Design Strategy @ Ford Motor Company Jan 2018 – Jan 2021 | Palo Alto, California, United States Led strategic design research that identified a $460M market opportunity, fundamentally challenging Ford's traditional vehicle portfolio strategy. Faced with threats to Ford's work truck dominance from the gig economy and on-demand services, I led a 25-person cross-functional team exploring new vehicle architectures. My research transformed how Ford's engineering and finance teams approach early-stage innovation. Key Impact: Identified $460M market opportunity through deep ethnographic research into commercial fleet needs, proposing modular vehicle architecture that secured $40M investment commitment despite exceeding typical funding thresholds Influenced F-150 product strategy by co-creating research roadmap with Design Research Director, leading synthesis sessions that converted insights into features now in production Transformed investment decision-making by establishing design research as critical input for significant capital allocation, shifting Ford from assumption-based to insight-driven innovation Built bridges between design and finance - first design leader to present directly to the CEO's innovation committee, establishing a new precedent for research-driven business cases Pioneered new research methods for the automotive sector, adapting tech-industry approaches to a 100-year-old manufacturing culture Methods: Jobs-to-be-done framework, ethnographic fleet studies, financial modeling integration, opportunity mapping ### Research Director, Greenfield Labs (Ford-IDEO Innovation Hub) @ Greenfield Labs, Ford Motor Company Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 | Palo Alto Co-led Ford's innovation hub in partnership with IDEO, launching real-world mobility experiments that shaped Ford's transformation from an auto manufacturer to a mobility company. As a founding team member of this unique Ford-IDEO partnership, I built and led a 25-person, multidisciplinary team that explored the intersection of autonomy, electrification, and urban planning. Our work directly influenced Ford's acquisition strategy and became the centerpiece of CEO Jim Hackett's keynote at CES 2018. Key Impact: Launched Chariot microtransit in San Francisco - research and pilot design that validated dynamic routing models, leading to Ford's expansion into five cities before eventual sunset, provided critical learnings. Created National Street Service vision that became the centerpiece of CEO Jim Hackett's CES 2018 keynote, positioning Ford as a serious contender in next-generation mobility beyond traditional manufacturing Influenced Ford's acquisition of Spin through research on micro-mobility patterns and last-mile solutions, identifying scooter-sharing as a critical component of the mobility ecosystem. Pioneered Pelikan delivery service pilot - early exploration of personalized delivery that informed later partnerships and Ford's commercial AV strategy Built an innovation culture bridge between IDEO's design thinking and Ford's engineering rigor, creating new hybrid methodologies for mobility innovation Developed "Living Street" concept - reimagining how autonomous vehicles could reclaim urban space, influencing Ford's City of Tomorrow initiative Methods: Pop-up pilots, urban prototyping, service blueprinting, behavioral observation, and city partnership development ### Senior User Experience Designer @ IDEO Jan 2000 – Jan 2018 | Palo Alto, California, United States IDEO - Portfolio Director, Transportation & Mobility *Sep 2014 - Jun 2016 | Palo Alto, CA* Built IDEO's mobility practice from scattered projects into $8 million business representing 20% of Palo Alto office revenue. Selected to co-lead IDEO's response to the autonomous/electric vehicle revolution. Unified global efforts into cohesive practice that positioned IDEO as the go-to design partner for automotive transformation. • Grew portfolio from $0 to $8M in 24 months through strategic partnerships with automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and mobility startups • Created influential vision piece showing how autonomy reshapes personal mobility, package delivery, and urban spaces - became primary sales tool across all IDEO offices • Leveraged Palo Alto location to cultivate deep partnerships with OEM innovation labs, using a consultative approach to uncover core needs beyond initial briefs • Won Ford partnership that led to Greenfield Labs' creation, IDEO's most significant automotive engagement --- IDEO - Design Research Lead, Government & Organizational Transformation* *Sep 2009 - Mar 2014 | Palo Alto, CA* Revolutionized how IDEO approaches complex organizational challenges by introducing behavioral economics-based research methods. Transformed IDEO's capability to serve government clients like TSA, requiring new approaches for highly regulated, security-conscious environments. • Expanded government portfolio from single project to multi-year, multi-agency contracts, providing a stable revenue stream • Pioneered behavioral research methods, including full-scale prototypes of redesigned social interactions deployed in secure federal facilities • Built IDEO's reputation in organizational transformation, establishing a new service offering that scaled to corporate clients • Led TSA security redesign that balanced passenger experience with security requirements, influencing national deployment ### Adjunct professor @ Santa Clara University Jan 2008 – Jan 2010 Taught a class in manufacturing process and material selection ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jonah-houston - Portfolio: https://www.getcruise.com/ --- Source: https://flows.cv/jonahhouston JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/jonahhouston/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13