Subaru HMI R&D Experience
Job responsibility
Requirement gathering
Comparative analysis/benchmarking
Use case/user story and user value analysis
Spec management: Design spec creation, product feature definition and prioritization
UX/HMI Design for infotainment system (i.e. in-vehicle multimedia touchscreen)
Research of HMI design trends aligning with Subaru vision and goals
Role
HMI Engineer (UX Designer)
Brief
I was on the HMI team working on the all-new 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen (available for some 2020 Subaru models). Working with a cross-functional team as a user advocate, I made sure user values were taken care of in the process and I facilitated discussions on design directions and product visions by presenting mockups.
This project is confidential. Please contact me to learn more about my design process and experience.
You can explore more about the all-new 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen at:
https://youtu.be/10QyLxU_7AY?t=197
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM Subaru HMI R&D Experience
1. It’s a good habit to document detailed design reasonings, especially for designing products having numerous functions while working with a large group
When proposing a new feature or an improvement for an existing feature, there are a lot of aspects needed to be considered for an infotainment system (i.e. the in-vehicle multimedia touchscreen). For example, design consistency, development timeline (ex: if there are any technical difficulties to meet the project deadline, etc), user values, safety concern, etc. Also, it is very important to always keep company direction in mind while also introduce new HMI/UX trend to the product. In order to make sure every design decision was made efficiently and effectively, I devoted myself to document key points/concerns from each group I worked with. Thus, every time my manager had questions about the design reasoning, I could refer to the discussion history as evidence and explain to him so he could make further judgment easily and promptly.
2. Maintain a product feature list with the definition is time-consuming but very beneficial
It takes a lot of time to maintain and manage a product feature list with definition, especially for the infotainment system having lots of features. When explaining the feature to other departments/teams, it was very helpful to refer to the feature definition document so every member could be on the same page. The concerns and feedback were also documented so we could keep everyone updated. A well-maintained document was very beneficial for cross-functional team discussion.
Interested in some visual design samples? Explore them at Gallery.