HMI UI Design
HMI Design · UI/UX · Motion
Project Overview
The Ford Mustang Mach-E has a powerful EV platform, but its stock dashboard lacks visual hierarchy, critical information is scattered with no clear system for how a driver should read it. This project reimagines the Mach-E's HMI as a mode-aware interface that adapts its visual language to the context of the drive.
Design Overview
The interface is built around two drive modes: NAV and SPORT. NAV uses a cool blue palette to surface navigation-first information, designed for clarity and a low-stress drive. SPORT shifts to amber-orange and swaps in performance data, signaling that both the car and the interface are in a heightened state.
The layout grid stays identical across both modes, so a driver switching at speed never has to relearn where to look.
My Process
Ideation: The stock Mach-E dashboard felt bare, with no clear hierarchy guiding what a driver should notice first.
Research: Studied HMI-specific UI/UX principles — why automotive interfaces demand faster recognition and lower cognitive load than typical apps.
Sketching: Drafted layouts in Illustrator, testing module pairings against where a driver's eyes actually go while driving.
Fine-tuning: Split the UI into distinct NAV and SPORT modes based on feedback, keeping the underlying grid consistent so nothing has to be relearned.