Mobile and automotive app that controls vehicle lights
dylan nelson
UX Designer
Product Designer
UI Designer
Figma
Maze
Swytch
Designing a mobile and carplay app that connects to, customizes and controls vehicle lights.
ODX is an automotive lighting company focusing on 'accessories, cosmetics and customization of vehicles.' In 2024, I had the opportunity to collaborate on the product design of a mobile and vehicle app that uses Bluetooth connection to manage, control and customize vehicle lights.
Timeline: 2 Weeks (MVP) Tools: Figma, Figjam, Whimsical, Maze
Role: Product Designer
Analysis, Ideations, wireframes, user flows, prototyping, usability testing
Vehicle Lights: Challenges & Opportunity
Challenge: Vehicle lighting options offer limited customization, and manually turning each light on or off while driving can be inconvenient and potentially unsafe.
Opportunity: A mobile and vehicle app that connects to and controls vehicle lights via bluetooth, providing the user ability to customize mode, select advanced options and control via their mobile or vehicle screen.
Design Process
EMPATHIZE
Prior to joining this project, the ODX research and development team defined key features for the app. As someone relatively new to the industry I did some of my own research to acclimate myself and deeply understand the space. My research also aimed to validate prior results and ensure we are designing the right solutions.
1. Market Research
To get started, I conducted a quick research on the current state of automotive lighting solutions. Here are some findings:
Growing opportunity: R&D, technological advancements for customization
Government regulations for safety
Passenger car segment is the primary customer segment (77%)
Rise in demand for aesthetic lights
2. Competitor Audit
Next, I wanted to learn what current products are out there. My biggest takeaway is that while there are some apps that allow users to manage and customize lights- the customization is limited, and they are not user friendly.
Key Insights
Online Reviews
Because I did not have time or the opportunity to conduct user interviews, I resulted to the next best thing: I reviewed Google Play & App Store for reviews on competing applications.
Key Insight: Designs are not accessible, there should be a way to turn on/off all lights.
DEFINE
Business Goals
Using the project brief and all my findings from the previous stage, I defined the 3 business goals.
Must Have Features
As I only had two weeks to deliver an MVP, we focused on must have features for first launch.
IDEATE
Sketching and Low Fidelity Wireframes
To get started, I began by putting pen to paper and sketching different ideas.
DESIGN
TEST + ITERATE
Testing The Prototypes
I conducted unmoderated testing on 5 participants using Maze.
Goals:
Evaluate users’ understanding of product and tasks
Evaluate how quickly and easily users can complete tasks
Determine any errors
Final Designs
Impact
In April 2024, at the Canadian CMA show, the ODX team presented product demos to investors and dealerships across Canada, generating strong interest. The Canadian dealers are “waiting to buy it!” In negotiations with an American company to distribute across the US.
I also personally protoyped to stakeholders and potential business partners. This generated interest and questions about doing apps for other companies.
