Establishment and Training of an HMI Team, Development of a show car HMI
Personnel selection, training, and process implementation for a team of HMI developers with the goal of building a competitive HMI department. An innovative multimodal HMI solution for a show car was developed as part of the project.
Client:
Electronics manufacturer from China, first-tier supplier
Initial situation
The client is expanding its operations into the automotive sector. It was unclear at the beginning of the project whether the company wanted to operate in the market as a manufacturer or as a supplier. Eight designers were assigned to the area of HMI technologies and user experience, most of them without experience in automotive development. It was unclear which qualifications, processes, and knowledge would be necessary for successful HMI development. The special requirements of a development in the automotive environment were unknown and had not been formulated.
Goal
A qualified decision was to be made at the end of the project as to which path the company should take in the future. An HMI development team was to be established, trained, and set up for series development. Processes and tools would be implemented. A show car with innovative, multimodal HMI solutions for automated driving was to be built, the company’s management was to be convinced of the department’s capabilities and a qualified decision on the next steps was to be made.
Actions
Personnel for an HMI team was selected and trained in the areas of expertise, processes, and personality. The team members were coached to optimize internal and external communication. HMI development processes and tools were trained and implemented. A multi-modal HMI solution for cluster instrument, infotainment, driver assistance systems, head up display, and smartphone application were developed as part of the project. This was complemented by analyses of trends and mega trends, derivation and validation of the HMI concept and the planning, implementation, and evaluation of usability studies. The HMI was defined by menu trees, graphics, and presentation of the interaction processes. A design office was selected to implement and manage the concept.
Delivery
An HMI department was established and prepared to develop high-quality HMI solutions for the client’s clients and own vehicles. Processes were introduced and implemented. The use of development and evaluation tools is well established and allows for automotive-oriented development. A multimodal HMI show car including interaction design, graphics, and a concept for the distribution of information across the various HMI entities was created. Various reports with analysis results, future technology and HMI trends were prepared and delivered.
Result
Based on this project the client was able to successfully position itself as a supplier of automotive HMI solutions and technologies and is now expanding its position as a first-tier supplier to the automotive industry. A show car with an innovative, multimodal, easy to use and highly intuitive HMI solution was presented. The client was able to make the right strategic decisions. The department is currently developing HMI solutions and technologies for a significant number of vehicle manufacturers.