HMI VOLKSWAGEN VWTB

My Take as an UX/UI Designer

Developing a new HMI for

VOLKSWAGEN TRUCK & BUS

hmi automotive ux UI/UX design thinking User research user interface user experience

My Role as UX/UI Designer

As a UX/UI Designer, I played a pivotal role in developing the new Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for the first FULL TFT Cluster, Infotainment, and App designed specifically for Volkswagen Truck and Bus. I was actively engaged in all phases of development, from initial discovery to final delivery, which provided me with a deep understanding of the product and its users. This involved close collaboration with the Design Studio Icon Incars, the engineering team at Volkswagen Truck and Bus (VWTB), and the engineering and design team at Volkswagen Design (VWDE). VWTB is headquartered in Resende-RJ, where their factory is located.

My responsibilities included developing prototypes using tools such as Figma, Photoshop, Sketch, ProtoPie, and After Effects, conduct and facilitate interviews and workshops with users, stakeholders and enginiering teams, create video mockups, analyze data obtained from research parties, and iteratively redesigned screens and features based on feedback from testing. Additionally, I prepared PSD files for use in CGI Studio. Throughout this process, I served as one of the primary interfaces between the VWTB engineering team, Icon Incars, Continental, and VWDE, ensuring seamless communication and alignment across all parties involved.

The Reference to Evolve from

Volkswagen Truck and Bus (VWTB) leveraged the existing VW HMI 1.x that was already in production as the primary reference point for our development efforts. Our strategy was centered on evolving the HMI 1.x to better serve the specific primary users of their products: truck drivers, truck owners, and fleet managers.

By building upon the foundation of HMI 1.x, we aimed to adapt and enhance the interface to meet the unique needs of these key user groups. This approach allowed us to leverage existing familiarity while introducing improvements tailored to the distinct requirements of truck drivers, owners, and fleet managers while mantaining our brand identity.

Software Development Kickoff

As it was decided to start our project there was a definition and we would be using CGI Studio by Candera to build our HMI for the Full TFT Cluster.

The layered composition was the choice for us to develop all our features within the CGI Studio structure, CGI Studio as a software demands development to be made using also PHOTOSHOP as our other principal software to work with.

As we began developing our app, our main focus was to leverage the truck's Bluetooth capability to reflect all available information and introduce a new feature aimed at simplifying the driver's tasks.

The Wireframes and App Flow

To deepen our investigations, Icon Incar, in collaboration with the VWTB Engineering team, began to sketch out the expected appearance of our screens. We utilized wireframe screens to establish standardized focal points and set expectations for the design.

Exploration and decicios making

Based on a diverse exploration of prototypes created by Icon Incar, incorporating inputs from myself and colleagues along with data obtained from previous research steps, and with a clear definition of our project's specific scope, I presented alongside our colleagues from the VWTB engineering team the potential views of our new HMI product. Following this presentation, stakeholders decided to proceed with a more precise and bold theme.

First Polished Screens and Tests

During development, our objective was to evolve our existing product by incorporating additional features and exploring all the possibilities that a Full TFT cluster and Infotainment system could offer to the users of their products. Icon Incars proceeded to generate screens and prototypes, while I and my colleagues began testing these screens with our in-house truck test drivers and local truck fleet partners such as JSL and GABARDO.

The Final Product

In the latter phase of our double diamond design thinking process, we reached the stage of defining our end state. Following numerous tests and continuous evolution and development of our product, we arrived at the final product stage, which was showcased at the largest transportation exposition fair in South America, FENATRAN 2022. This marked a significant milestone in our development journey, culminating in the unveiling of our innovative solution to a broad audience within the industry.