I led the effort to design the in-vehicle navigation app for the world's first all-electric pickup truck.
I joined Rivian in 2019 as the second user experience (UX) designer of in-vehicle digital products. As someone who is passionate about maps and navigation, I sought out the assignment to design the in-vehicle navigation app for the world's first all-electric pickup truck, the Rivian R1T, from a "clean sheet."
My primary responsibilities included defining product requirements, creating storyboards, preparing wireframes and prototypes, reviewing my designs with management, and working with the software engineers to bring the designs to life. I also assisted with research studies, submitted patent applications, performed monthly road tests for design verification, and represented Rivian at local automotive and design conferences.
I collaborated with another UX designer, a visual designer, a content designer, a design manager, and several software engineers. Together, we delivered a maps and navigation system for the Rivian R1T at the start of production in the fall of 2021, and we refined it thereafter via over-the-air software updates.
The goals for this project were as follows:
Below is a video walkthrough of the maps and navigation experience.
We designed the Rivian navigation system to provide the user with various pathways to entering their destination as quickly as possible. These pathways include a recent destinations list, category search buttons, recent searches, search suggestions with word prediction, and results in a list and on a map.
The Rivian R1T stands out as the first vehicle to feature an in-vehicle button for locating restrooms. This idea came from me, and I collaborated with one of Rivian’s map providers to create a custom restroom category in their database. When users tap this button, they are presented with a list of nearby businesses that are likely to have restrooms, such as coffee shops, restaurants, movie theaters, and hotels.
The user can choose their preferred route to the destination, with the option to skip highways, ferries, and tolls along the way. They can also view details about the destination, including its address, Yelp ratings, and operating hours. With just one tap, they can either save the destination as a favorite or begin route guidance.
When the user selects a destination and taps "Start," turn-by-turn guidance begins. The system presents a large, uncluttered map view to provide the user a good view of their surroundings and thereby avoid making a wrong turn.
To limit driver distraction, the user may perform nearly all frequently used functions with just one tap or swipe: viewing upcoming turns, framing an overview of the route, muting turn instructions, changing the orientation of the map, showing nearby charging sites, and displaying a satellite map. Live traffic, lane instructions, and real-time rerouting keep the driver, safe, informed, and always on the best route.
Electric vehicle owners who are unable to charge at home or find themselves far from home with a low battery need to rely on public charging stations to recharge. Our system enables the driver to adjust filter by whatever is important to them, whether that is the power level of the charging site, the network that operates the site, or the availability of plugs on the premises.
Nearly all electric vehicle owners who have taken a road trip are familiar with charging anxiety. They have various questions: Which route should I take to the destination? Where will I stop and charge along the way? When will I arrive at each stop? How long do I need to charge at each stop? Which network operates the chargers at this stop? How many plugs are present at the stop? And how many of them are available right now?
To relieve the driver of the burden of planning their charging, we created a trip planner feature. It takes the vehicle's current state of charge, the user's specified destination, and prepares an itinerary consisting of a route along with where, when, and for how long to charge along the way. All of this is presented in a simple, easy-to-use interface.
We incorporated topography into the map style to encourage drivers to explore their surroundings with their vehicles. To celebrate the map’s design, we limited the number of buttons. If the user prefers, they can slide in the media player above the map.
Rivian received several awards and recognition for the R1T, its exceptional vehicle user experience, and its advanced embedded navigation system.
