Franchise-defining Fleets Level-Up Their Driver Information Display Systems
Client FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Project COMPACT TRUCK CONTROLS INTERACTION STUDY
OVERVIEW
Display systems offer distinct opportunities to empower truck owners. Ford saw this potential and set out to define a new design approach for instrument clusters in its truck and SUV models. The transformation marked a formal shift by Ford to all digital vehicle displays, prompting fundamental questions about the evolving role of displays among their truck and SUV owner base.
01 THE CHALLENGE
Setting the course for an ideal truck and SUV information & control experience.
Ford engaged Lextant to help it uncover the key emotional drivers behind the ideal display and control and display experience for truck and SUV owners. Using the Lextant “desired consumer experience” methodology, consumers were given the tools and the context they needed to describe and visualize their expectations for a more satisfying offer.
02 THE RESPONSE
An ideal experience model gives designers the latitude to go further faster.
To keep concepts aligned with the “ideal” learning, Ford’s design team leveraged Lextant’s Experience Metrics to craft prototypes for testing. The process includes tools for capturing consumer reactions in ways that deepened learning about the rationale for preferences and allowed related concepts to be more easily compared.
The team tested a suite of design studies against these metrics over research iterations where Experience Metric insights guided refinements. The process helped the team more closely align design choices with truck owner needs, while identifying novel display configurations that could differentiate Ford in this market.
03 THE RESULT
The 2021 models for two Ford flagship brands debut a new, modern UI.
New Ford F-150 and Bronco models featuring control and display clusters based on the Lextant research arrived in the market in early 2021. The display conventions make essential information easier to access, read, and navigate. As the user moves between interaction modes, core information about an activity stays in the same position. Requests to refine a choice don’t introduce additional screens, new content comes to you.
