Automotive HMI design for companion apps: the how-to’s

Automotive HMI design for companion apps: the how-to’s

Introduction

Automakers have a responsibility to make automobiles safer while preserving the enjoyment and convenience of personal transportation. Human-machine interfaces, or HMI, are increasingly using in-car companion apps which make vehicles an extension of the driver. 

Automotive HMI design necessitates a detailed plan to bring a companion app from concept to implementation, whether for safety systems like ADAS (advanced driver-assist systems), entertainment systems like radio or streaming audio services, or interacting outside of the vehicle through mapping, calls, or messaging.

Here are some pro tips from an experienced car HMI design company on how to transform your companion app idea into a top-notch application.

The basics

What is an automotive human-machine interface?

The technology that facilitates communication and interaction between the driver, passengers, and the vehicle's built-in systems is known as automotive HMI (human-machine interface). It includes all of the features and interfaces in an automobile that allow users to access and manage the vehicle's essential functions.

This interface includes physical controls such as buttons, knobs, and touchscreens, and software that allows for an intuitive user experience, ensuring that drivers can operate the car safely and efficiently while minimising distractions.

What is a digital cockpit?

A digital cockpit reflects a significant advancement in the interior design of a vehicle. It replaces analogue indicators, buttons, and dials with digital displays, frequently combining multiple screens into a cohesive interface.

These cockpits provide critical driving information like speed and fuel levels, as well as entertainment, navigation, communication, and even advanced assistance systems. By providing a sleek, high-tech, and user-centric environment, the digital cockpit concept enriches the driving experience.

What is an infotainment system?

An infotainment system is a critical component of today's digital cockpit. It blends information and entertainment to deliver a multimedia-rich experience inside the confines of a vehicle. Touchscreen displays, music and video playback, smartphone integration, navigation, and internet connectivity are common characteristics of these systems.

Infotainment systems can even access smartphone apps, all while keeping the driver as focused on the road as possible. They are a good illustration of how advancements in automotive HMI have altered the way we interact with our vehicles, making driving not only more fun but also safer and more connected.

Now that we know the core components of a vehicle's interior, let’s move on to the tips.

HMI companion app design tips

Understand the needs of the client

What is the customer hoping to accomplish with a companion app? There is likely a massive quantity of data indicating pain spots in the in-car experience for drivers, and it must be processed to decide which concerns can be remedied with an in-car companion app. 

In the automotive industry, drivers generally have similar concerns across the board, but multinational automakers must consider distinctions across markets such as those in Europe and the Americas. 

Companion apps may differ in appearance depending on the available networking, infrastructure, and technology, and solutions must be identified and created to meet a diverse set of drivers.

Establish a framework

Once goals are established, the HMI development team embarks on the time-consuming work of building a wireframe for the technology. Every aspect of the design is examined to identify flaws, possibilities for improvement, and potential usability. The most direct and logical approach to every action is pursued to make operating the system easier and more convenient behind the wheel.

Create a working model

With the framework ready, developers begin to create the actual HMI technologies, from code to hardware. Because companion apps integrate multiple areas of in-car technology, the HMI design process is intense and complex. 

Many modern innovations utilise existing interfaces, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, because their widespread adoption and familiarity increase the likelihood that drivers will use the technology.

Follow the “safety-first” approach

Driving safety is essential. This is a fundamental notion that guides the design of elements and controls in an automobile HMI. One method to ensure it is to create interfaces that are immediately understandable and user-friendly, even at a look.

This includes using clear, intuitive images, minimising textual content, and streamlining navigation. The goal is to allow drivers to make quick decisions without taking their eyes off the road.

The "safety first" strategy also necessitates flawless integration of the previously stated sophisticated driving assistance technologies and driver monitoring systems. These two improve safety by providing real-time feedback and intervening as needed, ensuring that drivers stay aware and attentive throughout the trip.

Reduce distractions

Any distractions must be eliminated for the best in-car experience. Designers of automotive HMI must strike a balance between providing a plethora of options and preserving driver focus. This entails tactics such as decluttered displays, fewer notifications, and customisable interfaces.

To reduce distraction, interactions should be minimal, allowing drivers to get information quickly and effectively. An automobile HMI guarantees that the driver can make informed decisions while maintaining their attention firmly on the road by prioritising critical tasks and suppressing unnecessary warnings.

Create a simple navigation experience

You want the HMI to be intuitively arranged, allowing users to easily access and use navigation functions without having to overcome a high learning curve. This includes using simple, widely understood symbols, minimising complex menus, and providing real-time traffic information and other route choices.

Deliver a preferences-learning system

Personalisation in the context of automobile HMI entails analysing user behaviour, driving patterns, and interactions with the digital cockpit using powerful machine learning and AI algorithms.

Your HMI can deliver a personalised driving experience by recognising individual preferences. It may, for example, recommend routes to previously frequented locations, local amenities, or change in-cabin atmosphere to reflect the user's past settings.

Design an inviting visual language

This design philosophy is based on the use of clear and beautiful visual elements that stimulate interaction and naturally convey information.

Colours, icons, and typography that are both visually appealing and easy to grasp are examples of inviting visual language. It keeps screens clean and makes vital information visible at a glance. Using animations and transitions that replicate real-world behaviours also offers a more realistic and engaging experience.

Test HMI solutions thoroughly

Any product that makes it to market must be free of faults to the greatest extent possible. Thorough, rigorous testing seeks to identify any flaws in goods, which is especially important for HMI solutions because they affect safe driving. Thousands of hours are spent testing HMI updates to ensure they are ready for use in the real world.

Analyse the results and tweak

A companion app will inevitably need to be tweaked. There could be usability issues that need to be addressed, or security risks that leave a linked car vulnerable to attack. When a flaw is discovered, developers work to eliminate it, ensuring that the product is safe to use and improves the user's driving experience.

HMI design trends

Despite the obvious features of companion apps, you can always go beyond that and create an app that will catch the public’s attention with its trendy features.

Increasing use of voice

Nothing can influence how drivers engage with their cars and the environment around them more than speech. Speech recognition technology has advanced significantly in recent years, and natural language may now be used to operate many aspects of a vehicle via its automotive HMI. 

It has progressed far beyond the early days of Bluetooth calls, allowing drivers to request directions to a destination, locate multimedia, adjust climate settings, and even make reservations or place an order at a restaurant without making a phone call.

The next emerging technology is indirect speech control, which is able to make logical conclusions from statements and act on them. For example, if a passenger says, "I'm cold," the system will adjust the respective climatic zone for their comfort.

AR

Automotive augmented reality (AR), unlike the tech used in video games, does not necessitate the driver wearing any additional equipment. AR advancements have been in smaller, less distracting technology that smoothly integrates into a driver's routine operations. Head-up displays (HUDs) are becoming more common, providing vital operating and navigational information to drivers without requiring them to look away from the road.

Whole-windshield augmented reality displays have been in active research for a few years. When this technology hits the mass market, it will have far-reaching ramifications for identifying and conveying hazards to drivers, as well as providing convenient instructions or identification for points of interest. If an EV's (electronic vehicle’s) battery is running low, the nearest charging station might be highlighted in the driver’s field of vision.

Geared towards safety

While every automotive HMI development has some direct or indirect impact on safety, advanced driver-assist technologies are likely the most critical. What has recently received a lot of attention is the driver's ability to interpret sensations other than visual cues, since haptic or audio cues are more easily digested in stressful situations.

Safety-focused devices, such as steering wheel vibrations or audible tones mixed with warning lights, are more likely to assist in avoiding an accident. ADAS HMI systems, which are aided by dozens of sensors and cameras placed around a vehicle, are primarily intended to save lives.

Final words

Countless hours of design and testing go into every car HMI. It starts with understanding the situation that the solution needs to address and ends with an app that serves as the foundation for the driver's engagement with their vehicle. 

The measure of its success is the user’s ability to unconsciously integrate the solution into their driving. That’s not all there is to it, though. Even after the companion app is installed, it must be regularly analysed and enhanced with new features and design improvements.