Future of Automobility | Role: Interaction Design Director, Concept Lead, Story Lead
The Future of Automobility point of view was created to explore how we might move people, things, spaces, and together as we approach the age of automobility.
Provoking Imagination and Attracting Like-Minded Collaborators
The Future of Automobility body of work was created to provoke discourse about the rise of autonomous vehicles. The site’s four chapters present future scenarios through photorealistic concept visualizations, immersive audio, and related research that inspired each vehicle concept feature. The work was widely covered in the media, resulting in many successful client collaborations.
Impact
This work attracted talent to IDEO by demonstrating the company’s commitment to deep craft and making time to create future vision work to attract like-minded collaborators. Visualizing and carrying out storytelling at higher levels of fidelity and integrating various disciplines within the creative process were specific aspects of the project brief.
The project content directly attracted new mobility clients, sparking many innovative collaborations and generating millions of dollars in revenue. Many clients were interested in and explored several aspects of the future outlined in the four chapters of the work as they applied to their business context.
The award-winning website presented an immersive way for visitors to experience possible mobility futures, and the project received awards and comprehensive media coverage.
Webby Winner
Websites and Mobile Sites Car Sites & Car Culture
People’s Voice Winner
Websites and Mobile Sites Car Sites & Car Culture
Related News
Mercedes-Benz Testing New Autonomous Control Lighting Scheme
Mercedes-Benz is introducing a new lighting approach to indicate when their vehicles shift from manual to autonomous control. Turquoise lighting will appear in the front light housing, side mirror element, and rear lighting cluster. The new lighting will appear on test vehicles in California over the next two years. Nevada has approved the approach for production, starting with the 2026 EQS sedan and S-class.
A similar approach to conveying what state a vehicle is in was explored extensively throughout the Future of Automobility Series.
Four Chapters of The Future of Automobility
The Future of Moving People: Slow Becomes Fast
As we move from struggling with today’s inefficient relationship between cars and infrastructure to one empowered by automobility, today's slow journeys will seem much faster as we are empowered to do much more while on the go.
The Future of Moving Things: 21st Century Mule
As we look ahead, we see self-driving delivery trucks—we call them 21st-Century mules—delivering everything from your new jeans to a hot lunch almost instantly.
The Future of Moving Spaces: Work On Wheels
As confidence grows in autonomous forms of mobility, a new stage of automobility will exist. It will bring inverse commutes, where working spaces come closer to where people live.
The Future of Moving Together: Yours, Mine, and Ours
As ride and car-sharing increase in popularity, those creating tomorrow's vehicles have the opportunity to streamline and enhance shared mobility experiences through thoughtful vehicle design.
Future of Automobility Summary Video
The Future of Automobility in the Media:
IDEO Imagines the Wild Future of Self-Driving Cars
The Future of Moving Together: IDEO Visualizes the Role of Autonomous Vehicles and Ride Sharing
Your Future Office Space Might Be on Wheels
Imagining A Future Where Autonomous Cars Let Everyone Carpool
Future of Automobility Gallery
