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Redefining Luxury Driving Experiences with Lincoln

Showcasing Lincoln’s serene driver interface with calm animations and intuitive controls, enhancing luxury and usability through innovative HMI design.

BACKGROUND & PROBLEM STATEMENT

Lincoln, a leading luxury automotive brand under Ford, sought to elevate its in-car experience to reflect its "Quiet Flight" design philosophy. Faced with increasing competition in the luxury vehicle market, Lincoln aimed to craft a serene and intuitive Human-Machine Interface (HMI) which set it apart. The challenge was to create a future-ready system that embodied luxury, innovation, and technical sophistication while appealing to tech-savvy drivers.

Advanced HUD designs integrated with ADAS and hybrid-electric systems, offering clarity and seamless functionality for a superior driving experience.

RESEARCH, INSIGHTS, & DEVELOPMENT

Our rigorous approach combined industry research, collaborative design, and advanced engineering to bring Lincoln’s vision to life:

  • Research & Insights:

    • Conducted user behavior analysis across flagship models, including Navigator and Nautilus, to understand expectations for luxury and usability.

    • Analyzed competitive trends in luxury automotive HMI systems to benchmark differentiation opportunities.

    • Partnered with Ford stakeholders in vision workshops to align on goals prioritizing serenity, minimalism, and emotional connection.

  • Development:

    • Designed and tested prototypes with iterative feedback to refine user interface elements.

    • Implemented rigorous visual and motion design, delivering rich, dynamic animations that enhanced brand perception while maintaining system performance.

    • Integrated advanced HUDs and ADAS visuals for clarity and safety, blending form and function seamlessly.

    • Collaborated closely with Ford’s production teams to ensure smooth implementation for production vehicles, ensuring design fidelity at scale.

    • Future-proofed the HMI architecture for electric and autonomous vehicles, creating a platform adaptable to evolving technologies.

A minimalistic center stack interface designed for simplicity and elegance, reflecting Lincoln’s Quiet Flight ethos in every detail.

Lincoln: Driver Experience

Close-up of Lincoln’s motion design elements, highlighting fluid transitions and premium animations that redefine luxury driving.

Lincoln: Drive Cluster & H.U.D.

Lincoln Navigator’s refined interior featuring the dynamic HMI interface, blending rich motion visuals with serene usability.

Lincoln: Center Stack

An adaptable HMI system showcasing its scalability for electric and autonomous vehicles, designed to future-proof Lincoln’s luxury experience.

Solution

The resulting HMI set a new benchmark for in-car luxury, blending advanced technology with sophisticated design:

  • Innovative Features:

    • Minimalistic clusters and calm, visually rich animations created a serene driving interface.

    • Advanced HUD designs integrated seamlessly with hybrid-electric system displays, enhancing clarity and usability.

  • Dynamic Scalability:

    • Developed a cohesive design language adaptable across Lincoln’s entire vehicle lineup, as well as other Ford models.

    • Scalable architecture supported advanced features like electric and autonomous vehicle capabilities.

  • Design Execution:

    • Visual and motion design excellence cultivated a rich brand experience, harmonizing Lincoln’s luxury ethos with intuitive functionality.

    • Built production-ready solutions, enabling seamless integration of design into manufacturing.

Results

Our collaboration with Lincoln delivered measurable success, solidifying its position in the luxury automotive market:

  • Industry Recognition:

    • The Navigator achieved the highest JD Power APEAL rating for automotive HMI, affirming the success of our design execution.

    • The MKX/Nautilus earned top accolades in the midsize SUV category, showcasing the scalability of the solution.

  • Consumer Impact:

    • Drivers praised the serene, intuitive interface for elevating the luxury driving experience.

  • Business Value:

    • Key design elements were adopted across Ford models, amplifying return on investment and reinforcing Lincoln’s competitive positioning.

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