Kenworth + Peterbilt Medium-Duty Trucks
Digital Instrument Cluster
7" Display with Rotary Controller
iconmobile, 2018
UX Design Research
Concept Design Digital Prototyping
Physical Prototyping User Testing
User Flows Wireframing
The iconmobile team conducted a thorough process of research, discovery, definition, and design, to create an advanced user experience that would meet the wants and needs of medium-duty commercial truck drivers.
Justin conducted UX research into truck instrument panel content, and the UX of the client's existing trucks as well as competitive trucks. He also interviewed drivers and visited truck dealers to gain observations of the medium-duty truck market, and to learn what features and experiences their customers were requesting.
These findings informed the team's concepting and brainstorming work, out of which three interaction concepts emerged. Justin helped refine these concepts via digital Axure prototypes, which were user-tested in the form of a physical prototype built to simulate the driver's dashboard environment. These user tests helped inform the creation of a single proposal set of wireframes.
Research: ride-alongs with drivers, dashboard content audit
Observations were made while riding along with truck drivers. The truck-specific instrument panel content of medium-duty trucks was studied.
Research: evaluation of existing client products vs. competitors' products
The client's existing trucks were researched, evaluated, and scored for usability in terms of design and features.
Competitor's truck offerings were also researched and scored for UX.
Research: driver interviews
Interviews were conducted remotely, to learn first-hand about driver's experiences, routines, wants, and needs (left). Sessions included online card-sorting exercises (right), to gain insights into drivers' prioritization of gauges and information displays.
Research: dealership visits
Truck dealers were visited, to learn up-close about competitors' products, and the medium-duty truck market.
Discovery: concepting, card sorting, brainstorming
Brainstorming and evaluative scoring of interaction concepts, conducted by the iconmobile design team and the PACCAR clients.
Discovery: three interaction concepts
Turning the rotary controller scrolls through a progressive series of info screens, which stacks increasing/decreasing amounts of driving content.
Prototype screens for the Expand & Contract interaction concept.
Horizontal carousel (or Rolodex) of screens are scrolled through via the rotary controller.
Prototype screens for the Flexible rolodex interaction concept.
Main content of the screen is contextually triggered by the driving state (driving / stopped / parked), while the top region has switchable content that changeable through the rotary controller.
Prototype screens for the Smart States interaction concept.
Discovery: physical + digital prototype
Axure digital prototypes were housed in a physical prototype consisting of a disguised notebook computer, a Peterbilt / Kenworth rotary controller, and a steering wheel.
Video excerpt of digital + physical prototype, showing the Flexible Rolodex concept.
Discovery: user acceptance testing
Physical + digital prototype was brought to the Work Truck Show and evaluated in user-acceptance tests with drivers.
Definition: refinement in wireframes towards final interaction model
Wireframes based on test findings of the three concepts, which were analyzed and distilled into a single recommended concept.