Before she had even finished her information technology and informatics degree at Mercer University, Dominique Michie was being pursued by General Motors for a job opportunity. Now with the company for three years, she is a user experience designer in the motorsports division, where she creates applications for race engineers.
Michie previously worked in accounting customer service, but she always had an interest in the technology field. While living in Baltimore, she took a few classes in coding and programming and hoped to one day earn a bachelor’s degree in technology.
Wanting a change of scenery, she and her family moved to Georgia and settled about 10 minutes from Mercer’s Douglas County Regional Academic Center.
“Every day, I kept driving past it,” she said. “It was there, and it was a sign that was like, ‘Go to Mercer.’ I finally walked in one day after work, and I was like, ‘This is it.’”
Michie said informatics professor Dr. Feng Liu walked her through the door of the facility that day, went over the information technology and informatics program, and offered reassurance when she felt overwhelmed. Dr. Liu continued to support and encourage Michie throughout her studies at Mercer.
“She was there every step of the way,” Michie said. “That is the touch you don’t get from other universities.”
Michie said she went through interviews with General Motors in March 2021 and began her orientation at the company’s Roswell office after she graduated that summer. She started out as a software developer and transitioned to a user experience, or UX, designer, which she discovered a passion for during her senior year.
She was already familiar with the tools that General Motors used from her Mercer courses, which put her ahead of the game when she tackled her first user experience projects. In addition, she said she made a habit of “putting herself out there” by regularly hosting lunch-and-learns and forums and presenting her projects to boards and directors.
“When motorsports (division) said they needed a UX designer, my director thought of me immediately,” Michie said. “Career networking, volunteering and initiative — Mercer taught me that those were the ingredients in order to grow. I had been practicing that throughout my entire three years at Mercer.”
As a user experience designer, she designs the look, feel and behavior of General Motors software applications that are used by race engineers.
“Race engineers optimize car performance by analyzing data, adjusting setups, and developing race strategies. They work closely with the driver and crew to ensure the car operates at its best during races,” Michie said. “Right now, I’m in the motorsports division, and I’m creating applications for race engineers to use on and off the track. I love getting into the minds of users and having that empathy for them. I love the journey. I’m creating the blueprint of an application and making sure the users like the design. I like creating trust with the users.”
She’s especially proud of the first application she created, a driver comparison tool that lets engineers compare statistics between two vehicles. She has also worked on safety databases for safety analysts; an interior/exterior catalog of car designs; and a system that allows engineers to track the progress of tests on vehicle parts. She’s currently designing an app to assist in tire strategies.
While Michie enjoys user experience design work, she plans to continue to advance her knowledge. Her husband, Jose Ringgold II, saw how much Mercer impacted her life and has followed in her footsteps by enrolling in the information technology and informatics program. When he completes his degree, Michie plans to pursue a master’s degree in data science at Mercer.
Dominique Michie is one of the Mercerians featured in Mercer Illustrated: The Places, People, and Experiences of a Uniquely Impactful University. This coffee table book from Mercer University Press will be released Nov. 5, and pre-orders and orders can be placed online. Mercer faculty, staff and students can receive a 40% discount when they order by phone at (478) 301-2880.
