Unscreened Connections
Overview
Designing driver-vehicle interactions that rely less on screens and digital aspects, in order to establish a deeper connection with the vehicle. An experience that goes beyond the traditional digital screen to challenge and rethink human and car interactions.
The challenge was to rethink the way humans interact with cars, moving beyond the traditional digital interfaces that have become ubiquitous in modern vehicles.
ROLEUX Research
Testing
Interaction Design
Prototyping
TEAMPersonal
Project
CLIENTMFA Thesis
TIMELINE2022-2023
Research
Technological innovation in human car interactions has led to the replacement of physical buttons with touch screens, resulting in more complex and functional interactions between the driver and the car’s user interface.
The three types of car interactions are primary, functions directly related to driving such as the instrument cluster; secondary, functions take a little more time to accomplish, such as knobs; and tertiary, functions require high cognitive load, such as the infotainment system.
WGSN’s Connected forecast states that as our lifestyles become more digital, touch remains an innate need. Designs that appeal to the senses, with tactile products that feel warm, even at their most hi-tech will feel human.
The Mazda Vision Concept and Citroen’s Ami One Concept provide inspiration for minimalist car interiors with essential controls and digital displays for necessary information, such as speed and battery level.
Insights
Car is an emotional space for users.
Modern car tech disconnects users emotionally.
Current interfaces are visually complicated for users.
Users feel de-skilled by car technology due to perceived lack of control.
Concept Statement
Leveraging the emotional power of touch - that conveys anger, fear, love, disgust, gratitude, sympathy - through materials to establish a physical and emotional connection between the user and the car.
A personalized driving experience by allowing users to customize the car interface and prioritize relevant functions based on their needs and preferences, focussing on hyper-personalization.
User Journey
Prototypes & Testing
Form Explorations
Form Explorations
Material Exploration
Final Design
Meet Eddie
“Driving is being with myself and not having to see everything at once, it lets me do that."
This is Eddie. She loves driving and usually likes to drive because it let’s her have her own emotional space. She’s had a long day of school and wants to go on a long drive. We’ll now see her journey about how she uses the new HMI.
As its winter she goes to the app to add her new mode customize controls.
Next she gets into the car and only sees what she has customized the mode to be.
Alternatively If she ever changes her mind about the controls she can just to it as easily.
Mobile Screens
Driving modes
Customizable driving modes allow users to tailor the car’s functions to specific driving scenarios with greater control and the ability to adjust settings to match their preferences.
Mode details
In mode details, users can assign controls and categorize them as primary, secondary, or tertiary based on their frequency of use, minimizing distractions and cognitive load.
Profile
Individual profiles in the car allow multiple drivers to personalize their preferred temperature, seat, vehicle settings, which will be automatically activated whenever they start the car, providing a seamless and enjoyable driving experience for all.
Reflection
This project asked a question I kept returning to throughout: what does it actually feel like to be in control of a car, versus just operating one? The hardest part was resisting the pull toward adding more. Designing fewer screens, fewer defaults, more intentional touch required constant justification, both to myself and through testing. Each round pushed me to be more precise about what "simplicity" actually meant for different drivers, because it wasn't the same answer for everyone.
Hyper-personalization emerged as the through-line, but I think there's still more to explore in the material and tactile layer. The concept gestures at the emotional power of touch, but translating that fully into a testable, buildable form was where I felt the edges of what a thesis project could hold. That's the thread I'd most want to pull further.
Available for full-time roles.
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