Volkswagen: Autonomous Car Interface
Reimagining the self-driving experience beyond getting from A to B
Overview
Self-driving cars are no longer sci-fi.
This project reimagined what an innovative in-car UX looks like, simple navigation, customizable controls, effortless multitasking. Everything you need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
The Challenge
How might we transform the driving experience into something more meaningful?
Beyond simply getting from point A to point B, what if the journey could be more enjoyable, productive, or restorative?
Solution
A dashboard that drives with you
Research showed that people don't just want a smarter car, they want one that feels personal. I designed around three ideas: a customizable home dash, one-tap environmental themes, and a navigation structure based on how people actually spend time in their car.
Project Goals
Safety-first design
Clear navigation and information hierarchy that keeps the driver informed without distraction.
Easy access to apps and features
Quick reach to the tools and services each user cares about, based on their preferences.
Personalization
A vehicle experience that adapts to individual routines, moods, and needs.
Seamless, intuitive experience
Minimizing distractions through thoughtful defaults and predictable interactions.
Research
Hands-on analysis of the Tesla Model S interface, paired with user survey insights and user journey map to inform design decisions.
- Convenient features display
- Clean, minimal look
- Simple navigation with large map view
- Complicated for new owners
- No phone calls from main menu
- A/C controls too small
- Map always displayed
User Survey Insights
- Most commutes are over 30 minutes
- Majority want a customizable dashboard
- 88.7% want quick controls on the home dash
01 Start engine | 02 Select car controls | 03 Select themes | 04 Create new theme | |
| Action | Esther starts the engine when she gets in the car | She navigates to car controls from the bottom nav | She selects the themes option | She begins creating her new theme |
| Interaction | ||||
| Thoughts & Feelings | "I have about 45 min before I need to be at work" | "How long will this take to set up?" | "I should have just used voice command" | "Hope this helps me rest between meetings" |
| Opportunity | Fingerprint unlock to start the car | Full-panel overlay for easier nav | Voice command instead of typing | Smart presets for comfort & efficiency |
Design Principles
Safe & Responsible
Inspire credence and reliability, every interaction should reinforce trust in the autonomous system.
Familiar & Natural
Ease and comfort through intuitive guidance that feels second nature, not like learning new software.
Elegant & Sophisticated
Futuristic, intelligent, sleek and luxurious, a dashboard worthy of the autonomous era.
Visual Identity
Deep blues and black for sophistication, vivid green for motivation.
A color palette built for trust and focus, with dark mode as the default to reduce screen glare during night drives.
Final Experience
Six main tabs organized around how people actually use time in the car, with dark and light mode available throughout.
Reflections
My favorite project for the freedom to design without limitations.
The key lesson was simplifying complex ideas through purpose-driven design, every screen needed a reason to exist beyond looking futuristic.
The goal was a unique, forward-thinking dashboard embodying the sleek, futuristic essence of autonomous cars. Concept work at its best: imagining what could be, not just what is.