The Future of Automobility Series
Exploring the Future of Autonomous Mobility

About the Series

The Future of Automobility series envisions how we will transport people, goods, spaces, and together in entirely new ways as we transition into the era of automobility. This work seeks to spark innovation and drive forward-thinking solutions within the mobility landscape, paving the way for transformative advancements.

 

Related Services
Future Vision Work
Interaction Design
Visual Interface Design

Role
Interaction Design Director
Concept Lead
Story Lead

 
 
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Provoking Imagination and Attracting Like-Minded Collaborators

The Future of Automobility series was developed to spark meaningful discourse around the emergence of autonomous vehicles and their potential impact on society. Presented across four immersive chapters, the site explores future scenarios through photorealistic concept visualizations, spatial audio, and curated research that informed each vehicle’s design features. This thoughtful blend of storytelling and speculative design not only captured public imagination but also garnered widespread media attention, leading to numerous successful collaborations with forward-thinking clients across the mobility space.

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.

The Webby Awards Logo

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 distinctive new lighting signature to signal transitions between manual and autonomous driving modes. A turquoise illumination will be activated across key exterior touchpoints—including the front light housing, side mirror elements, and rear lighting cluster—clearly indicating when the vehicle is operating autonomously. This lighting system will begin appearing on test vehicles in California over the next two years as part of real-world validation efforts. Notably, the state of Nevada has approved the use of this lighting for production vehicles, with implementation set to begin on the 2026 EQS sedan and S-Class models.

The Future of Automobility Series extensively explored a similar approach to conveying a vehicle's state.

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

Looking ahead, we envision self-driving delivery trucks—our so-called 21st-century mules—efficiently transporting everything from a freshly pressed pair of jeans to a piping hot lunch, arriving almost instantly at your doorstep.

The Future of Moving Spaces: Work On Wheels

As confidence in autonomous forms of mobility grows, a new stage of automobility will emerge. It will involve inverse commutes, where working spaces are 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