Garmin Support Center
Understanding the customer behind the support request
Role - Lead UX/UI Designer | Initial Designer
Tools - Sketch
Team - Support Center Team
Timeline - 2 years
Garmin Support Center
Who is Garmin?
From fitness to aviation and marine, Garmin powers life’s adventures. Why did Garmin Support need to evolve? We needed Garmin's diverse product ecosystem and the need to expand beyond traditional phone and email support into a more accessible digital experience. The Support Center helps customers navigate challenges, find answers, and get the most out of their devices.
As the initial designer for Garmin Support, I led the end-to-end design process, from discovery to high-fidelity UI. I conducted user and stakeholder interviews, synthesized findings into empathy maps and personas, and translated insights into storyboards and user flows. I developed paper prototypes and polished mockups, shaping a more intuitive, accessible digital support experience across web and chat. I also used A/B testing and analytics to evaluate design decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.
Support Center
The opportunity was bigger than creating another support page. It was about building a connected support ecosystem that could help customers move seamlessly from finding an answer to getting personalized help.
As the original UX designer for the Garmin Support Center launch, I helped define the experience from the ground up, from information architecture and user flows to interaction patterns and visual design.
Overview
Project
Our goal
Help Garmin customers across fitness, aviation, marine, and more quickly find answers and resolve issues through an intuitive, accessible, and connected support experience, whenever and wherever they need it.
The challenge
How might we make it easier for Garmin customers to get the right help, through the channel that works best for them?
Garmin needed a more connected support experience that brought self-service, chat, phone, and email together in one place.
User Story Map
The customer approach we followed
Garmin users aren’t just looking for answers. They want the confidence to get back to what they love. Our goal was to make support feel effortless, intuitive, and human.
Through user interviews, we explored what customers say, think, do, and feel, uncovering the frustrations and needs behind every interaction. These insights revealed opportunities to create a more seamless, helpful, and human-centered support experience.
what we found and who is the user
Our research revealed a clear need for a seamless, accessible support experience that helps Garmin users of all ages find answers quickly. By identifying key pain points in the support journey, we uncovered opportunities to simplify navigation, improve usability, and make getting help easier for everyone.
Persona
Strategy
Before designing individual screens, I mapped the customer journey around a simple question: What does someone need right now, and what's the best way to help them?
Problem Statement
Garmin users need a faster, more intuitive way to find support and resolve device issues. When help is difficult to navigate or solutions are unclear, frustration builds and everyday activities, from workouts to travel, are interrupted. The opportunity is to create an accessible, seamless support experience that helps users get back to what they love with confidence.
Story Map
Wireframes
What did we find?
Garmin had a wide range of products, questions, and support resources. I structured the information architecture around how customers naturally look for help, starting with their product or problem and guiding them toward the right solution.
I mapped the key paths customers could take through the Support Center, from finding answers on their own to connecting with a support specialist.
For straightforward questions, I wanted customers to find answers with as few steps as possible.
Designing clear paths to support
I mapped the key paths customers could take through the Support Center, from finding answers on their own to connecting with a support specialist.
For straightforward questions, I wanted customers to find answers with as few steps as possible.
Troubleshooting
The support experience
Get help your way
Chat
Get real-time help from a support specialist.
Phone
Connect with Garmin support when a conversation is easier.
Reach out when the issue doesn't require an immediate response.
Results
The Garmin Support Center established a more connected way for customers to get help by bringing self-service, chat, phone, and email into one experience.
My biggest takeaway: great support UX isn't about giving users more information. It's about helping them find the right help at the right moment.