Autoride - Car dashboard interface for autonomous vehicles.
Project
Autoride
Role
Design Lead
Date
2023
The Challenge
Designing for autonomous vehicles introduces a fundamental UX challenge: users are no longer drivers, but passengers with reduced control. This creates uncertainty around trust, system awareness, and decision-making. Existing research shows that without clear communication, users can feel anxious or disconnected from the vehicle’s behaviour. The challenge was to design an interface that balanced automation with user agency — helping users understand what the vehicle is doing, why it’s doing it, and how they can interact with it without increasing cognitive load.
The Solution
I designed AutoRide, an in-car interface that repositions the vehicle as a collaborative system between human and AI. The interface focused on transparency and control, providing real-time feedback on the car’s decisions, environment, and route planning. Key features included a dynamic visualisation of the car’s surroundings, clear explanations of autonomous actions, and simple controls for user input. The design aimed to build trust and comfort by making the vehicle’s behaviour more predictable and giving users a sense of involvement in the journey.
Visual Design
The Outcome
The final concept delivered a cohesive UI system that improved user confidence and engagement within an autonomous driving context. By introducing transparency and lightweight control, the design reduced feelings of uncertainty and repositioned the user as an active participant rather than a passive passenger.
"The AutoRide interface was a great attempt at visioning the future of autonmous vehicles - with this interface, as a passenger I would feel much more comfortable and in control, even though I wouldn't be driving."
Mark, Tesla Belfast