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Learning Study · 2024

Future Concept Car Interface Design.

State-Adaptive Panoramic Cockpit Concept for a Sport EV.

Disclosure ·Completed as a learning exercise — an exploration of HMI structure, interaction, and motion rather than an end-to-end production project.
The Brief

A next-generation HMI inspired by mission control and mobile.

I designed a panoramic HMI for a connected sport EV, combining mobile interaction patterns with mission-control-inspired hierarchy.

Automotive HMIConceptSport EVPanoramic CockpitMotion Study
Designed For

Premium EV buyers, 28–42.

Digitally native drivers who expect connected, visually refined systems that feel engaging and precise.

Benchmarking & Opportunity

Radial energy, made functional.

Benchmarking collage of existing HMI dashboards — radial energy meters, navigation interfaces, and spatial glow aesthetics from leading EV brands.
Benchmark

I studied space-tech instrumentation, radial meters, spatial gradients, and restrained glow.

Opportunity

The opportunity was to use radial energy and motion for hierarchy and state change—not decoration.

Key Constraints

Working within the screen.

01
Form Factor

One main panoramic screen, V-shaped across the dashboard.

02
Visual Language

Minimalism infused with space-tech aesthetics.

Success Criteria

The cockpit must feel alive.

  • Feels immersive yet safe at the same time.
  • Balances emotional storytelling with functional clarity.
  • Demonstrates innovation in how information is layered, revealed, and interacted with.
Ideation · Wireframe Explorations

Sketching the structure.

Wireframes tested hierarchy across the panoramic display. A circular energy form became the visual anchor.

Wireframe exploration 1
Exploration 01
Wireframe exploration 2
Exploration 02
Wireframe exploration 3
Exploration 03
Refined Wireframe
Refined parked-state wireframe — 73% circular energy form anchors the left of the panoramic display, vehicle render centered.
Parked State — Refined
Detail callout — circular energy form magnified to show the bolt iconography and ground plane treatment.
Detail · Energy Anchor

The half-dome charge form uses one bolt icon and a ground line to frame the arriving vehicle.

Ideation · Driving State

The arc becomes speed.

For driving, the circular energy form becomes a speed arc. I prioritized speed, then refined hierarchy and alignment within the driver's primary view.

Driving state wireframe — speed arc anchors the driver's primary visual field.
Driving State — Wireframe
Driving state refined — 64 km/h speed arc with vehicle render in driver's primary visual field.
Driving State — Refined
Reachability & Visual Ergonomics

Designed around the driver's reach.

Steering Wheel Placement

I positioned primary driving information around steering-wheel obstruction and within the driver's natural sightline.

Interaction Zones

The display separates view-only, reachable, and partial-reach zones, keeping critical data visible and controls within comfortable reach.

View Only
Reachable
Partial
Visual System

Foundations of the space-tech language.

Typography
Aa Bb Cc
0123456
Goldman — geometric, technical, future-leaning.
Color Tokens
Dark · Background
#0D0E1F
Dark · Surface
#272833
Light · Background
#EEE9FF
Light · Surface
#F5F5F5
Interface Language

Energy, motion, and orbit.

Charging visualization — concentric energy rings around a top-down car, transitioning from amber at 16% to green at 72%.

Concentric rings and an amber-to-green shift turn battery progress into a readable spatial state.

Speed visualization — planetary-inspired arc expanding around large central typography, from 0 to 72 km/h.

An expanding orbital arc communicates acceleration while large central type keeps speed clear.

Map state adaptation — compact parked layout next to expanded driving layout for spatial awareness.

The map stays compact when parked and expands while driving to prioritize navigation and spatial awareness.

State Transitions & Motion

Final Prototype & Demo

Light & Dark Theme

Two tones, one system.

Light and dark themes retain the same hierarchy and interaction logic across day and night conditions.

Charging state shown in both dark and light themes.
Charging State
Driving state shown in both dark and light themes.
Driving State
Mentor
Felice Fortino
Felice Fortino
Lead UX/HMI Designer & XR Prototyper Future Concepts · Mercedes-Benz AG