Responsibilities

User Interface Design for the Binnacle Display of a Hybrid Exotic Sports Car

Context

In my role as a User Experience Lead, I had the unique opportunity to collaborate with Russ Wicks, the renowned "Speed King". Our mission was to envision and create a supremely functional yet aesthetically pleasing binnacle design for an innovative hybrid hypercar. This vehicle, named the Kepler, was in the process of being built in the scenic locale of Newport Beach, California.

Russ was at the critical stage of producing his first fleet of 10 cars and needed a new, state-of-the-art touch screen solution. This solution had to be ready in time to be incorporated into the first 10 cars. Importantly, it also had to have the flexibility to accommodate new features for the subsequent production of the 11th to 100th vehicles.

Assignment

The task at hand was to design a binnacle that was not only flexible and functional but also carried a cool factor. The design had to have the capability to seamlessly transition from regular road usage to high contrast track racing modes. The primary requirement was for the design to be highly practical for racing scenarios, with an added emphasis on aesthetics for regular road use.

Approach

To immerse myself fully in the project, I visited the garage where the car was being meticulously assembled. I spent an entire day understanding the precise fit of the binnacle in the car, its exact dimensions, and the intricacies of the hybrid system. I also delved into the types of data that the driver would require in various driving conditions such as day, night, and track modes.

In collaboration with the team, we identified and listed the high-priority features for both road and track modes. Given the importance of marketing, the features and styles concerning road usage were given primary importance.

To get a more comprehensive understanding, I conducted informal research at local Maserati and Ferrari dealerships. This allowed me to understand the needs and preferences of drivers concerning the binnacle for sports luxury cars. I found that the design for track usage could be greatly simplified, with amplified size and contrast for components such as speed, RPM, and shift alerts. For this hybrid vehicle, the status of the hybrid system was also deemed valuable.

The proposed solution for the binnacle was a design that displayed hinted outline forms to create a singular, unified look. This style was equally effective in day, night, road, and track modes. The images shown above represent the functionality and style of a nighttime road driving scenario, showcased in a striking red color scheme.

Outcome

The team at Kepler was highly impressed with the road style and decided to incorporate it into their first production car. The future holds exciting developments as they also plan to extend the user experience, design system, and style into a central console screen.

Competitive research

I visited exotic car dealerships and reviewed online listings of newly released vehicles for comparison.

Replacing the test module

The test module utilized a standard binnacle designed for racing cars. The goal was to design a completely unique binnacle, which would provide unrestricted design freedom. This innovative binnacle would incorporate the advantages and features of a hybrid hypercar.

I devoted substantial time to the car and the builder, taking measurements of the car and its current display areas. Our objective was to increase the display size so it spanned the entire front of the dashboard, replacing the existing temporary displays entirely.

Our objective was to plan for the substitution of as many physical buttons and switches as possible, creating modules and components that would quickly transition to the screen as the car neared different levels of protuction.

Final Designs

The design considerations involved a series of elements essential for the new design. Information about the hybrid and 4x4 systems was necessary for the driver to understand the power source during different modes.

The initial focus was on sport modes, geared more towards street driving.

Cruising modes were designed to provide the most comfortable experience for long-distance trips.

Components for climate control and navigation were designed to be highly accessible, with ample clear space and distinct button indications.

Thank you!

©2024 Thomas Hallgren