Simon LutterSenior UX Designer
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Car stereo: how little interface is enough?

Interface Design · HfG · 2016

An experimental, music-first car stereo reduced to its primary functions, operable by touch or two hardware knobs with eyes on the road.

Minimal car stereo interface in a dashboard
Role
Research, concept, motion and prototype (team of three).
Team
Janis Walser, Florian Deitermann, Simon Lutter · Thomas Techert
Prototype
iPad · Pixate · After Effects
Context
Interface Design, 2nd semester, summer 2016

Challenge

Infotainment screens demand more attention than they should. We asked how far we could reduce screen and physical controls while keeping the system understandable.

Circles as the key visual element
Circles as the key visual element

What we did

  1. ObserveInterviewed drivers and shadowed ourselves using car stereos.
  2. ReduceOnly primary functions, only primary information.
  3. Borrow from musicElements from music production and sound synthesis, put into a new context.
  4. PrototypeiPad prototype in Pixate with simulated hard keys; After Effects for micro-animations.
Animation of the grid elements
iPad prototype with simulated hardware keys
iPad prototype with simulated hardware keys