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 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 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 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 production vehicle to feature a button for locating nearby restrooms. This idea came from me, and I collaborated with one of Rivian’s data 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/or tolls along the way. They can also view details about the destination, including its address, Yelp ratings, phone number, 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 window to provide the user a clear 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: view upcoming turns, display an overview of the route, mute turn instructions, adjust the map orientation, overlay nearby charging sites on the map, display a satellite view, and access navigation settings. Live traffic, lane instructions, and real-time rerouting keep the driver, safe, informed, and always on the best route.
Electric vehicle owners who can’t charge at home or are far from home with a low battery must rely on public charging stations. Our system lets drivers filter stations by power level, network, and plug availability. To avoid the legend obscuring the map, I integrated it into the speed filter.
Electric vehicle owners who’ve taken road trips are familiar with charging anxiety. They have questions like: Which route should I take? Where should I stop and charge along the way? When will I arrive at each stop? How long should I charge there? Which charging network operates the site? How many plugs are available?
To relieve the driver of the burden of planning their charging, we created a trip planner feature. Using the vehicle's current state of charge and the driver's specified destination, the feature prepares an itinerary consisting of a route with charging stops. The itinerary also includes additional details to answer all of the user's questions above.
When the driver approaches a planned charging stop, the vehicle informs the driver that it is preheating or pre-cooling the battery to the optimal temperature for fast charging.
The driver may adjust settings for audio, map orientation, traffic, routing, and search data.
To fulfill the company’s mission of keeping the world adventurous forever, we created a unique map style that highlights mountain ranges, valleys, wilderness areas, rivers, and other natural features, encouraging exploration. A simple interface with few buttons, or elements like a media player that slides out of the way, enables the driver to focus on the map.
The Rivian R1T has garnered numerous awards and accolades for its exceptional vehicle user experience and advanced embedded navigation system.
