Ion
UI | UX | Motion | Research and Development
Customization Flexibility Modularity
Ion is a new car user interface that allows for both personal customization and usability. The goal is to make the drive feel as comfortable with their own vehicle to make the ride more pleasurable.
Cross-Eyed
Driving is one of those aspects of life that we all share around the world and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. While cars provide convenient transportation and utility, there are some extreme downsides. Car accidents reached an all time high of 42,915 deaths in 2021. While there are many causes for accidents, over 3,100 people were killed and about 424,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2019.
Sources
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/us-traffic-deaths-hit-16-year-high-in-2021-dot-says.html
https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/distracted_driving/index.html
Numbers Don’t Lie
A study done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in 2017 showed that many of the recent cars released have been negatively affecting the drivers attention. With the evolution of technology progressing so quickly, some aspects of our lives fail to properly keep up. Car manufacturers are eager to implement screens inside the cars but skip over the proper testing to see how safe they really are.
"Some of the latest systems on the market now include functions unrelated to the core task of driving like sending text messages, checking social media or surfing the web -- tasks we have no business doing behind the wheel,"
Source
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/581216
30 vehicle infotainment systems
Something New
The base idea of this concept is focused on User Experience. It allows the driver to configure the screen and options to their own liking. Widows can be displayed in different areas or not at all and style can be customized for every user. Because of this wide range of option and accessibility, the branding and design needs to be strong but simple to allow the user to feel in control.
Break it Down
Usability is the number one focus for a car’s interface. It needs to be ergonomic to use as to not distract the driver and easy enough to remember for regular use. The user experience relies heavily on the user feeling comfortable and knowledgable of the system.
Down to the Atom
Much of the process of solving a problem is starting from the beginning, so Ion did just that. Inspired by the power of the atom’s ability to combine and morph to build basically anything, the Ion branding and product follow that exact philosophy.
The brand identity is based on the anatomy of the atom and the orbiting electron, representing both the fluidity of the interface design and emphasis on the power the electric car. All aspects of the brand have been reduced of superfluous additions to best communicate information.
“An ion is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge.”
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion
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Not to anyone’s surprise, screens are way too distracting. As screens grow more and more common, so does over-designed interfaces.
Proof can be seen in the AAA research above as well as many others.
Many of the large car manufacturers are still trying to figure out how to design their interfaces. The downside to this is that the systems are overly complicated
Some people just don’t feel comfortable in some cars based off their interface. One reason to paying less attention to an action is to develop a routine, and allowing people to customize their experience can only help.
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Research and Interview Insights
The goal of research was to identify consistent problems and compare that information to several interviews. The group I interviewed varied in age range, driving experience, and car brand experience to get a broad picture of issues.
Ideation and Wireframing
The goal of research was to identify consistent problems and compare that information to several interviews. The group I interviewed varied in age range, driving experience, and car brand experience to get a broad picture of issues.
IA User Flow
My goal for Ion’s user flow was to both map out optimal user experience for critical functions but to also generate the big picture of scale involved with designing this interface.
Built on Modularity
The base idea of this concept is focused on User Experience. It allows the driver to configure the screen and options to their own liking. Widows can be displayed in different areas or not at all and style can be customized for every user. Because of this wide range of option and accessibility, the branding and design needs to be strong but simple to allow the user to feel in control.