I joined NIO’s Global User Experience team as a UI/UX intern and stayed on as a UX designer. I worked on interaction concepts, UI and prototypes for current and next-generation vehicles. Most of that work is confidential, so this page is about how I worked and what I learned.
TYpe
Industry Experience
Duration
11 Months
Team
Global User Experience
Role
UX Intern, then UX Designer
LOCATION
Berlin/Munich
OVERVIEW
What did I work on?
I helped ship 6+ features into global production, around charging, battery swap, third-party integrations and infotainment.
Most of my time went into concepts for next-generation vehicles.
CONCEPTS
What did I explore?
Autonomous driving is already on the road in China. The car is becoming a space that can think ahead for the people inside.
I designed AI-powered, proactive experiences for that space. They ranged from interaction concepts to multimodal experiences and an interior that adapts to whoever is in it.
PROCESS
How did I work?
I was on the global team, so most of my work ran between Europe and the product team in China.
I designed interaction concepts, UI and prototypes, both for features going into production and for concepts further out.
With HMI
Turning concepts into in-car interfaces.
With industrial design and CMF
Next-generation interiors, from materials and type to multimodal interaction.
With product in China
Aligning features across markets.
With UX research
Testing concepts with users.
With developers
Getting features into production.
LEARNINGS
What did I learn?
01
Designing across senses
Most of my concepts combined light, sound and visuals. That let me shape the experience on a more visceral level.
02
Keeping the driver focused
Every concept had to keep the driver’s attention on what matters. As the car moves between autonomous and manual driving, that balance keeps shifting.
03
Working across markets
Working between Europe and China showed me how much local context shapes a feature. What works in one market can miss in another.
That’s what I can share.
Everything else is under NDA. Reach out if you want to hear more.
contact@luissoma.com
Get in touch
Want to learn more about the project? Any thoughts?
contact@luissoma.com
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