Type
Independent
Role
Role
HMI Design
HMI Design
Research
Research
Ideation
Ideation
Branding
Branding
Prototyping
Timeline
Timeline
Sep - Dec 2025 (12 weeks)
Sep - Dec 2025 (12 weeks)
Tools
Tools
Figma
Figma
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine
Blender
Blender
After Effects
After Effects
Defender Off-Road Convoy Experience
Defender Off-Road Convoy Experience
Defender Off-Road Convoy Experience
Reimagining Defender off-road convoy driving as a shared system, using AR and vehicle-to-vehicle communication to support trust, coordination, and group awareness under challenging terrain conditions.
Reimagining Defender off-road convoy driving as a shared system, using AR and vehicle-to-vehicle communication to support trust, coordination, and group awareness under challenging terrain conditions.
Context
Context
This all started from my own off-road convoy experiences, where my friends and I relied on walkie-talkies as the primary means of communication in harsh, low-visibility terrain. Constant channel switching, repeated messages, and missed cues made coordination inconvenient and unreliable—especially in moments that demanded full attention on driving.
This all started from my own off-road convoy experiences, where my friends and I relied on walkie-talkies as the primary means of communication in harsh, low-visibility terrain. Constant channel switching, repeated messages, and missed cues made coordination inconvenient and unreliable—especially in moments that demanded full attention on driving.
In uneven terrain, line-of-sight between vehicles is lost in over 40–60% of convoy movement time.
In uneven terrain, line-of-sight between vehicles is lost in over 40–60% of convoy movement time.
Cyient, 2024
Cyient, 2024
The Problem
The Problem
Limited Visibility
Limited Visibility
No shared real-time awareness
No shared real-time awareness
Off-road driving is not just about terrain —
it’s about trust, coordination, and shared movement.
Off-road driving is not just about terrain —
it’s about trust, coordination, and shared movement.
A design challenge emerged…
How might we design a system that enables shared awareness in off-road convoys, so drivers feel coordinated and connected under extreme conditions?
How might we design a system that enables shared awareness in off-road convoys, so drivers feel coordinated and connected under extreme conditions?
How might we design a system that enables shared awareness in off-road convoys, so drivers feel coordinated and connected under extreme conditions?
Users & Roles
Users & Roles
Drivers vary widely in experience.
The system therefore focuses on status and confirmation, not instructions or commands.
Drivers vary widely in experience.
The system therefore focuses on status and confirmation, not instructions or commands.
Drivers vary widely in experience.
The system therefore focuses on status and confirmation, not instructions or commands.
Why Defender?
Why Defender?
Among off-road vehicles, Defender occupies a unique position where convoy driving is not occasional but fundamental.
Its usage often involves extreme terrain, limited visibility, and mixed-experience groups, where safety depends on collective coordination rather than individual performance.
Among off-road vehicles, Defender occupies a unique position where convoy driving is not occasional but fundamental.
Its usage often involves extreme terrain, limited visibility, and mixed-experience groups, where safety depends on collective coordination rather than individual performance.
Among off-road vehicles, Defender occupies a unique position where convoy driving is not occasional but fundamental.
Its usage often involves extreme terrain, limited visibility, and mixed-experience groups, where safety depends on collective coordination rather than individual performance.
Solution
Solution
Instead of telling drivers what to do, the system focuses on making the state of the convoy legible:
who is present, who is ready, how the group is progressing, and when collective risk is rising.
The system is intentionally quiet, peripheral, and status-based—allowing drivers to remain fully in control while feeling connected to the group.
I reframed convoy driving as a shared system, not a set of vehicles.
Instead of telling drivers what to do, the system focuses on making the state of the convoy legible:
who is present, who is ready, how the group is progressing, and when collective risk is rising.
The system is intentionally quiet, peripheral, and status-based—allowing drivers to remain fully in control while feeling connected to the group.
I reframed convoy driving as a shared system, not a set of vehicles.
Instead of telling drivers what to do, the system focuses on making the state of the convoy legible:
who is present, who is ready, how the group is progressing, and when collective risk is rising.
The system is intentionally quiet, peripheral, and status-based—allowing drivers to remain fully in control while feeling connected to the group.
I reframed convoy driving as a shared system, not a set of vehicles.
Design Goals
Design Goals
Goal 1
Goal 1
Shared awareness
Shared awareness
Goal 2
Goal 2
Low cognitive load
Low cognitive load
Goal 3
Goal 3
Social prescence / community among off-road drivers
Social prescence / community among off-road drivers
Brand Alignment
Brand Alignment
Defender’s core palette anchors the center display, with luminance-adjusted variants applied to AR overlays to maintain readability against real-world backgrounds.
Defender’s core palette anchors the center display, with luminance-adjusted variants applied to AR overlays to maintain readability against real-world backgrounds.
Design Scenarios
Design Scenarios
Scenario #1 - Instrument Panel & AR Windshield Display
Scenario #1 - Instrument Panel & AR Windshield Display
Alert System
Alert System
When a vehicle must stop due to abnormal tire pressure, the following driver receives a contextual alert.
When a vehicle must stop due to abnormal tire pressure, the following driver receives a contextual alert.
Scenario #2 - AR Windshield Display
Scenario #2 - AR Windshield Display
Low Visibility
Low Visibility
When visibility drops, the leading vehicle is overlaid with a subtle outline and a clear distance indicator, helping drivers maintain convoy continuity without adding instruction or distraction.
When visibility drops, the leading vehicle is overlaid with a subtle outline and a clear distance indicator, helping drivers maintain convoy continuity without adding instruction or distraction.
Scenario #3 - AR Windshield Display
Scenario #3 - AR Windshield Display
Uneven Terrain Guidance
Uneven Terrain Guidance
This system uses subtle AR ground cues to help drivers anticipate upcoming terrain changes.
This system uses subtle AR ground cues to help drivers anticipate upcoming terrain changes.
Scenario #4 - AR Windshield Display
Scenario #4 - AR Windshield Display
Convoy Formation
Convoy Formation
After descend, reframes off-road driving from a collection of individual vehicles into a single coordinated entity.
After descend, reframes off-road driving from a collection of individual vehicles into a single coordinated entity.
Scenario #5 - Center Screen
Scenario #5 - Center Screen
Pre-Descend
Pre-Descend
This is where subtle gamification comes in. Instead of seeing each driver as an icon, this layout allows the leader to see everyone's role in the convoy, as well as level of experience.
This is where subtle gamification comes in. Instead of seeing each driver as an icon, this layout allows the leader to see everyone's role in the convoy, as well as level of experience.
Scenario #6 - Center Screen & AR Windshield Display
Scenario #6 - Center Screen & AR Windshield Display
Camping / Social
Camping / Social
This allows driver to select their social status with a display on the windshield to connect with other drivers at the campsite.
This allows driver to select their social status with a display on the windshield to connect with other drivers at the campsite.
Reflection
Reflection
Working on this project allowed me to reflect on my own role as both a driver and a designer in off-road convoy situations. Having experienced the stress of relying on walkie-talkies in harsh terrain, I became more aware of how easily communication breaks down when attention is divided between the vehicle, the environment, and the group. Designing this system pushed me to translate those moments of friction into opportunities for quieter, more intuitive forms of shared awareness.
This project reshaped how I think about automotive interfaces—not as tools that demand interaction, but as systems that quietly support trust and coordination in the background. It reinforced my belief that the most meaningful driving experiences emerge when technology fades into the periphery, allowing drivers to feel connected to one another without needing to constantly speak, check, or confirm.
Working on this project allowed me to reflect on my own role as both a driver and a designer in off-road convoy situations. Having experienced the stress of relying on walkie-talkies in harsh terrain, I became more aware of how easily communication breaks down when attention is divided between the vehicle, the environment, and the group. Designing this system pushed me to translate those moments of friction into opportunities for quieter, more intuitive forms of shared awareness.
This project reshaped how I think about automotive interfaces—not as tools that demand interaction, but as systems that quietly support trust and coordination in the background. It reinforced my belief that the most meaningful driving experiences emerge when technology fades into the periphery, allowing drivers to feel connected to one another without needing to constantly speak, check, or confirm.