Zeekr HMI platform EU localization
&innocation
Enhancing Zeekr HMI Platforms for EU Localization and Future Innovation
project OVERVIEW
Reviewing and improving the Zeekr HMI platform, with a focus on EU market localization and UX/UI design for in-car HUD, DIM, and CSD systems. Also including User research and data analysis, cross-functional collaboration, software issue managment to ensure seamless integration of HMI systems.
Responsibility: User Research, UX/UI Design, Quality Assurance
Keywords: User-center design,User research, UX verification,
Cross-functional collaboration
Introduction
Zeekr is a Pure Electric Vehicle Brand, held by Geely. I have participated in car projects including BX1E(Released as Zeekr X), DC1E(Released as Zeekr 001) and CX1E(Not released yet). The Zeekr 001 claims to be the world's first mass-produced EV shooting brake. The Zeekr X is an EV subcompact luxury crossover SUV. The CX1E is an upcoming family-oriented SUV. I do concept, develop and verify the automotive HMI platform for Zeekr DC1E, BX1E, and CX1E. Focusing on the in-car HUD, DIM and CSD(DHU).
HUD(Head-up display): The standard head-up display offers an overview of key information needed when driving while allowing drivers to keep focused on the road.
DIM(Driver Information Display): The 8.8 inch instrument, equips drivers with all the necessary information users need while driving. Information including Navigation directions synced via the navigation system, Driving aids such as Traffic-Sign Recognition, Media information, such as current songs and Air conditioning system controls.
CSD(Center Stack Display/DHU): The accessible controls on the central 15.4 inch touchscreen display. Provide state-of-the-art, user-friendly configuration that allows easy-to-access. Just like in a mobile phone, drivers will be able to personalize all elements of the Zeekr to your preference and needs. Climate, Safety features, charge, battery management, applications and much more.
Rear touchscreen: The 7.7 inch rear touchscreen enables full-control to the rear climate, audio and seat position - only on Zeekr 001 Privilege AWD.
HMI platform: a consistent in-car design system shared with common components, visual language, interaction model and principles. The purpose of building the HMI platform is to create brand connection, consistency between cars under Zeekr family. Also, save money and time in development, making users stay on pair with new trends.
the team I worked in:
HMI platform team
I worked in Zeekr Technology EU HMI platform team. Our responsibility:
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Support the creation of the global platform by attribute requirements and being involved in the design.
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Facilitate for the product teams at Zeekr Technology EU to create products that align with the product requirements.
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Make necessary changes where the EU market.
Participate in creating the global platform 🌏
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Create and distribute attribute requirements for digital UX that should be followed when designing HMI5.0
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Support SNC and Zeekr Design during the development of HMI5.0 with input and insights from the EU market (level of involvement is TBD depending on budget and sync with ZD)
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Suggest improvement for HMI3.0 and HMI5.0
Facilitate and ensure consistency of HMI for EU vehicles 🚗
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Facilitate for feature teams so that they have the necessary information and material to create a consistent product (e.g. access to design system, distribute information about strategies, knowledge about interaction model etc.)
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Ensure that the UI and UX of Zeekr Technology EU created and 3rd party products are consistent with the rest of the system
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Support EU localization on a platform level
Drive the work around translations, language and text handling for EU 🇪🇺
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Support with information and requirement of EU specific changes/additions (due to for example EU specific standards, culture or geographical differences) that affect the complete HMI system and/or are not covered by a product area. (e.g. date format, driver distraction guidelines).
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Evaluate and ensure quality of HMI for EU vehicles
Evaluate and ensure quality of HMI for EU vehicles 👩🏭
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Set up processes and methods for how to evaluate and measure usability and user experience
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In collaboration with other departments, conduct necessary usability testing, benchmark, and UX validation testing
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Verify attribute requirements
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Drive the work of HMI improvements if the quality is not good enough
Optimizing zeekr HMI Platforms for EU Localization
Zeekr was officially launched as an independent company in March 2021, with its first model, the Zeekr 001, launched on April 15, 2021, and deliveries in China starting in October 2021. Then, Zeekr is bringing the Zeekr 001 shooting brake as well as the Zeekr X city SUV to Europe. The Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X were developed at Zeekr's global design and development center by us.
In different markets, customers have varying demands and preferences. To meet the needs and preferences of EU customers, a user-friendly interface, fewer options, and strong system support for driving behavior are typically needed, combined with a great user experience. European regulations also demand more readability and less distraction.
⭐️ Language review. We built HMI for international users. We usually have a native service tech familiar with the system/process to do the translation. We have a global macro spreadsheet that includes Dutch, Norwegian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Danish. As soon as we have the software implemented with our changes to the language, we need to start verifying that everything is done accordingly. If we find that all requested changes has been implemented we can consider this done.
⭐️ Making UX guidelines: Driver Distraction Guideline. With the growing release of cars with touch-based infotainment systems Driver Distraction is becoming ever-more important. We create generic driver distraction guidelines for EU to be used by all projects that create HMI for the EU market. It is beneficial to the brand that we show that we take this seriously and protect the people in the car.
⭐️ Making UX guidelines: Notification guideline DIM&HUD. Before the language review activity planned with language supplier during the weeks, we need to supply a well-structured guideline on what to write in DIM and what to write in HUD. The translated notification must meet the following text length restrictions, and exception in the next slide Maximum text length and number of lines.
⭐️ Making UX guidelines: Text overflow issues guidelines. We raise the issue of text-overflow due to EU languages. We agreed that we would do an initial quick review of the UI specs to find potential text overflow issues and make corresponding guidelines.
We review all specs and identify and document potential overflow issues. Another reason to do this is to further raise the awareness of text-overflow to suppliers and partners so they sooner rather than later start adding EU texts in their specs to ensure they fit.
⭐️ Made UX/UI improvement proposal for HMI platform. We have done a benchmarking, and some improvement areas in the HMI of CSD were identified: Launcher & system UI, Driver Distraction, Volume, DIM & HUD, Climate, Ergonomic adjustments, Texts, Privacy settings, General CSD, User Profile, Media & Radio, Navigation, Settings Charging & Discharging, Discharging Information, Sounds and Startup sequence. Based on that, we made detailed suggestions for UX updates to improve usability and user experience to not only meet EU market customer needs but also to work for a global ZEEKR vehicle interface.
Prioritizations within the work has been based on following:
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Estimated quality and severity of existing issue.
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Possible impact if not addressed.
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Expected reach
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Frequency of use
⭐️ UX/UI improvement proposals for HMI 1.5 platform
⭐️ UX/UI improvement proposals for HMI 2.5 platform
⭐️ UX/UI improvement proposals for HMI 3.0 platform
patent 1:3D Car Home Screens with Dual Interior and Exterior View
Advancements in automotive Center Stack Displays (CSDs) and user interfaces are pivotal in elevating the driving experience. Many companies in today's automotive landscape integrate home screens with 3D car renderings, offering users a visually immersive experience. However, these systems primarily focus on controlling exterior functions such as windows, doors, and mirrors, overlooking the management of interior features. Despite their convenience, they often lack a holistic approach and fail to optimize screen space efficiently.
Zeekr's latest infotainment system follows this trend, in which its home screens presents users with a 3D car rendering and interactive exterior functions. Nevertheless, the current solution falls short in providing a convenient interface for managing car interior features on the home screens.
To address these limitations, we propose the development of a 3D Car Home Screens that in addition the existing exterior view also has an interior view, where the user can control car interior functions. This innovative solution aims to improve the ease-of-use of automotive interfaces by introducing this immersive dual-view system, allowing users to seamlessly control both interior and exterior functions from a single interface.
All Videos
patent 2:Accessibility Settings in Car Interfaces
Accessibility and customization settings, such as the ability to change text size, font, colors, zoom levels, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text, are common in computers and smartphones. These features provide significant benefits for users with varying needs, allowing them to tailor their devices for easier interaction. However, such settings are rarely found in modern car interfaces, despite the increasing complexity and functionality of infotainment systems.
The absence of accessibility settings in car interfaces poses a challenge for individuals with reduced vision and motor abilities. Unlike smartphones and computers, cars lack built-in options to customize fonts, colors, text sizes, or employ assistive technologies like text-to-speech, making it difficult for users with accessibility needs to interact comfortably with the system.
Additionally, there is a growing trend toward personalization in user interfaces. We hypothesize that users would appreciate the ability to personalize their car interface similarly to how they customize their phones, but such customizable features do not yet exist in car interfaces.
We propose the development of an Accessibility and Customization Settings Module for car interfaces. This module will provide a range of adjustable features, ensuring inclusivity and enhancing the user experience for people with vision impairments, motor difficulties, or a desire for personalized settings. The key components of this solution are as follows:
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Text Size and Font Customization
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Color and Contrast Adjustment
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Zoom Functionality
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Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text
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Personalized Profiles
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Simplified Interface Mode
HMI platform benchmark
Benchmark cars refer to vehicles that set a standard of quality, performance, or innovation within their class or the automobile industry as a whole. These vehicles often serve as a point of reference against which other cars are measured. I worked in a team to do EV benchmark work in China and Sweden during my task.
⭐️ Benchmark in China. During my business trip in China, we benchmark the following cars: Nio ET5t - Nio’s OS,
Aito M5 - Huawei Harmony OS, Xpeng G9 - Xpeng’s OS, Lynk & Co 08 - FlymeAuto OS, Ji Yue 02 - Geely & Baidu joint venture.
We do UI benchmarks for different brands of cars, especially the font size, icon size, and widget/card size.
We benchmark how different cars perform consistency guideline in UX/UI. Main findings can be summarized:
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Rounded edges
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Coherent use of colour
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Font size and weight
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Card-type design
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Differentiation but familiar style
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Similar interaction patterns
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Consistent iconography
Calm appearance
Apreciated by EU customers
Personalised experience
User can select wall paper and easily swipe to change
⭐️ Benchmark in Sweden. To better understand EV competitors in Europe, we explored the European market performance of two prominent Chinese EV brands, MG and BYD, through their popular models MG4 and BYD Atto 3, due to their increasing sales in Europe. Additionally, we evaluated the Volvo EX30, because it serves as a direct competitor to our BX1e-EU model.
This comprehensive one-day evaluation aimed at dissecting localisation aspects for MG and BYD, focusing mainly on language and the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) integration, while assessing the Volvo EX30 more for its competitive edge in design and usability. We test drove each model roughly for 1 hour, documenting as much as we could related to the predetermined aspects. The material was analysed and summarised.
Our findings highlighted the Volvo EX30's good design and usability. The MG4 was noted for its essential features and good value for cost, whereas the BYD Atto 3 was characterized by its inconsistent and overwhelming, both interior design and system. Both the MG4 and the BYD Atto 3 models had localization issues, notably in translation, as well as long text adjustment and overall UI adaptation.
We also need further and deeper evaluation of the system and perform more long-term usability testing to truly be able to pinpoint our position on the European market across all aspects against all direct competitors.