Scania Smart Dash

Client:

Scania AB

Industry:

Heavy vehicles

Start:

January 1, 2023

Start:

January 1, 2023

Duration:

On-going

Duration:

On-going

My Role:

Leading the design of multiple Scania Smart Dash driver interactions and functions for buses and trucks- ICE and Electric. I also contribute to the development of Scania’s Design System, creating consistent, accessible, and brand-aligned visual and interaction design patterns.

End to end design development of:

Bus stop page
Complete Central Display Interactions for buses
Camera function for trucks and buses
Navigation function for trucks
Driver distraction warning in trucks
Vulnerable Road User Braking Warning (VRUB) for trucks
New interactions for digital buttons

Organisation challenge:

Upgrade the previous generation dashboard platform to the digital, connected and smart eco-system of the present time. Maintain the legacy of Scania and provide the best in class premium experience to its loyal customer base.

User challenge:

New upgrades bring new challenges as well as new opportunities. We have to design these experience so that they are seamless. Unlike other digital platforms, design of the dashboard should make sure that the user is least distracted from driving.

My Role:

End to end design development of:

Bus stop page
Complete Central Display Interactions for buses
Camera function for trucks and buses
Navigation function for trucks
Driver distraction warning in trucks
Vulnerable Road User Braking Warning (VRUB) for trucks
New interactions for digital buttons

Organisation challenge:

User challenge:

Cross-Functional Collaboration Process

From issue to new design for the customers

The diagram shows the collaboration process of the design teams and development teams from issue/ new feature to new implemented and tested design in the trucks and buses. It shows the relationships and dependencies between designers and developers from the Interaction design perspective.

See the picture bigger here.

Approach

Identify stakeholders: Identify key stakeholders to gain clarity on the problem.

Understanding the problem: Investigate the brief to understand context, user needs, and user journeys. Knowing who to talk to streamlines this step.

Exploration: Create multiple iterations to arrive at an efficient, focused solution.

Review: Share exploration options with peers and leaders to gather diverse perspectives and refine the work.

Testing: Test the solution in real vehicles or simulations with relevant user groups.

Refinement: Make further improvements based on testing feedback.

Support development & Release: Support the development team through implementation, refine interaction nuances, and release the final solution in customer-facing vehicles worldwide.

Result

I contributed to several Smart Dash features across both the Driver Display and Central Display. These interactions extend beyond the screens themselves, incorporating visual, audio, and haptic feedback to communicate information to the driver.

The real accomplishment of this project was finding the right balance among all these feedback channels - delivering clear, timely information without distracting the driver from the task of driving.

Highlights

Many of the features I have worked on are live in real trucks used daily by real users.

Challenges

Understanding the structure of organisation and the workflow took some time and effort.

Learnings

A small design change that we make could have tremendous impact for the user who would be using the product for 9 hours of their daily life, everyday; that multiplied by thousands of users.

Next project

Driver Assist Feature for Electric Cars