Rivian R1 Infotainment System
Joining in 2018 while the company was still in "stealth mode," I helped to lead the visual design direction for the infotainment and driver display user interfaces in the Rivian R1 vehicles and the Amazon Prime delivery van. Before my unexpected departure during Rivian's mass layoffs, I was leading the next design iteration for the UI system.

Client
Rivian
Aug 2018-2023

Role
Lead UI Design

R1 Pre-Production UI
I joined the UI/UX team in 2018 as team member number three. The UI was in a very early wireframe and prototype state. I was brought in to help define the visual look for the system. A week after I joined, we were a team of four, adding an additional UI designer. Between the two of us, we designed the first early visual design system for the in four months before the public debut of the R1 vehicles at the 2018 LA Autoshow. As the vehicles were closed to the public and static, we had a demo cycling through all of the various UI states on the driver and center displays.

2018 LA Auto Show Exhibit, designed by O2 Creative Solutions

R1 Post Production UI
After the reveal and considerable investments coming in from both Amazon and Ford, Rivian began to aggressively grow. As new leadership began to come in, our UI/UX team started to quickly grow. With new leadership, we took a step back and started to reevaluate the current visual design of the UI. Ultimately I felt the small window panels were too restrictive with our screen size and content. Taking the lead, I sketched out an alternate look & feel, and presented it to the team. We took the new look, refined it, and presented to RJ.

Defining the new framework
Receiving approval from Executive leadership, we had a brand new system framework and visual look to create. With only a year before the production launch of the R1T and R1S, together with the quickly growing UX and UX research teams, we began to dial in and refine the framework of the new system. We divided the work between the two different displays, with my focus primarily on the Center Display.

R1 Delivery
At the end of 2021, the first customer vehicles started to roll off the line in Normal, Illinois and be delivered to pre-order customers. The first 500 or so vehicles all went to employees as part of a final QA program designed to root out and final bugs. The feedback greatly helped our software, UI/UX teams identify not only simple visual issues, but real world user feedback in regards to functionality. Over the next few months we tuned and polished the in-vehicle software into the final product that is represented in the vehicles today.

RJ driving the first customer production vehicle off the line in Normal, Illinois. Sept 14, 2021.

“The user interface of the rectangular 15.6-inch touchscreen is the best of any all-screen infotainment center I’ve seen yet.”

- Wired

Drive Modes
8 drive modes launched with the initial software release for the R1T, All-Purpose, Sport, Conserve, Off-Road Auto, Rally, Drift, Rock Crawl, and Towing. Designed to adjust ride height, suspension stiffness, accelerator pedal response, all-wheel drive and more for both on-road and off-road terrain. As a brand elevating app, we showcased the vehicle in each terrain setting. Working with our internal 3D team, I helped to art direct the assets for each drive mode, as well as designing the app in close collaboration with the UX team.

Cross Platform UI
In addition to R1, I also worked on early visual UI designs for the Amazon Prime Van that helped to define the system during its prototyping stage. In addition, our UI/UX team worked directly with the charging team, designing and implementing the software for the Rivian Adventure Network of DC and L2 charging stations, being installed at many locations around the U.S.