The Future of Driving
A voice-first companion app for drivers of self-driving cars
Role
Product Designer: research, concept and interface
Team
Solo project
Summary
A concept made at Interaktionsbyrån exploring how a car could communicate intent, not just status. Based on interviews with seven drivers, I shaped a calm, voice-first companion and told its story through a scenario.
Before autonomous vehicles entered mainstream conversations, I explored what it might feel like to trust a car that drives itself.
Introduction
The project imagined a future where mobility systems would adapt to people’s needs - not the other way around.
It combined early ideas of voice interaction, predictive interfaces, and emotional UX to create a driving companion that felt intelligent, human, and calm.
The concept was developed while working with Interaktionsbyrån, a design studio partnering with automotive brands like Volkswagen and Volvo.
Information mode: charge, range and trip data at a glance, with the voice assistant always one tap away.
Understanding human trust behind automation
I started with a small research study — interviewing seven drivers with different habits and experience levels.
The key insight was simple but powerful: people didn’t just want information from their cars, they wanted reassurance.
They worried about control, safety, and unpredictability. The design challenge became:
How might a car communicate intent - not just status - in a way that builds trust?
Designing a calm, voice-first driving companion
The concept envisioned a voice-first ecosystem that could listen, anticipate, and support the driver - acting like a co-driver rather than a control panel.
It operated in two states:
• Information mode - showing live data such as charge, mileage, and route status.
• Action mode - allowing natural voice dialogue for scheduling, navigation, or errands.
Color and motion were used to indicate agency:
• Blue for user actions and input.
• Green for system responses and feedback.
The design emphasized clarity, predictability, and emotional tone - values that still guide my work today.
Action mode: Emma asks the car to be ready for an early flight. Blue marks what the driver says, green what the car answers.
The car as a co-driver: fitting an errand into the drive home and offering to let the family know about the delay.
The main screens: home, location, voice assistant, upkeep and account.
Anticipating the next step: after agreeing on a pick-up, the car offers to pre-order breakfast on the way.
Bringing the idea to life through storytelling
To illustrate the experience, I created a scenario around Emma, a driver preparing for an early flight on a winter morning:
Emma: “I’m flying to London at 4am tomorrow. Please be ready at 3:15.”
Car: “Understood. I’ll preheat the cabin, clear the windshield, and select the fastest route to the airport. Sleep well.”
It wasn’t about technology. It was about designing calm intelligence — technology that helps people feel cared for and in control.
Minimal interface, maximum reassurance
The interface used minimal elements and clear spatial hierarchy to reduce cognitive load.
A bottom navigation structure ensured ergonomics, while color-coded feedback reinforced the duality between human input and system response.
Even though this concept was built in Sketch and InVision, long before Figma, it reflected principles that remain timeless: clarity, consistency, and intent-based feedback.
What this project taught me about design and trust
Looking back, this exploration wasn’t about cars - it was about how humans learn to trust technology.
Many of the ideas explored then - voice-first interaction, transparent feedback, contextual assistance - now appear in today’s AI-driven products.
This early project taught me:
• Designing for the future means designing for uncertainty.
• Transparency builds trust faster than aesthetics.
• Empathy and communication are what make technology feel human.
Supporting screens, including upkeep (charging, service, insurance) and the parked car’s location.
Previous project