Mazda is a training partner of Tec de Monterrey, that is, a company that works together with Design students to develop projects together. While my students were developing products for Mazda, user research was conducted to get to know them better.
The Students had the challenge of designing products that meet the needs of Mazda customers, and I, for my part, developed the redesign of the infotainment system interface based on the needs of these users.
1. The problem
A car infotainment system, short for "information and entertainment system", is a multimedia interface installed in vehicles to provide occupants with a combination of entertainment, navigation, connectivity, and information features. These systems aim to enhance the overall driving experience by integrating various technologies and services into the vehicle's dashboard. In this Case-study the Mazda's infotainment system was analyzed (user research) and then re-designed (user interface).
2. Insights
A usability test was carried out to find areas of opportunity in the Mazda infotainment system.
3. Solutions
The previous UX research was done on the real system of a Mazda car. The insights were of great value to begin creating the prototype of the new system; Below is the process for developing the first prototype:
Two versions: Neon & AI
Some users asked for a futuristic interface full of color and images (AI version) while others asked for a simpler but striking and futuristic interface at the same time (Neon version). These two prototypes were tested in a usability laboratory to obtain new insights.
4. Validating
For this first prototype, a usability analysis was carried out using the Maze platform. The test results are shown below:
5. UI
Based on the results of the validations, a new UI proposal for the infotainment system was designed. Subsequently, the same usability test was conducted using a high-fidelity prototype created in Figma. The success rate in the three tasks improved, as well as the completion time. This process involved iterating on the design to address user pain points identified in the initial tests. By refining the interface, we aimed to enhance user satisfaction and efficiency.
The high-fidelity prototype allowed us to simulate real-world usage more accurately, providing valuable insights that guided further improvements. Overall, this iterative approach resulted in a more user-friendly and efficient infotainment system interface.
The high-fidelity prototype allowed us to simulate real-world usage more accurately, providing valuable insights that guided further improvements. Overall, this iterative approach resulted in a more user-friendly and efficient infotainment system interface.
6. Takeaways
The current UI has a lot of text, it is clear but not optimal for a car, since users should not read so much text while driving. A new simplified UI helps you locate menus more quickly, prioritizing the most used activities. The categories can also be clearer so that users can more easily identify which of them contains the option they are looking for. Although the results of the new UI are much better, it is necessary to carry out tests in a more real context (while a user is driving).
