To gain a thorough understanding of the fundamental causes of driver distractions, I began the research phase of the project with extensive secondary research and direct interviews with frequent drivers.

Recognizing the project's quick speed and time limits, I used a phased strategy to accelerate design iteration. The first phase focused on learning about public perception of electric vehicles and identifying user experience pain points. Phase 2 concentrated on quickly acquiring important research findings through user interviews, heuristic evaluations, and analysis of online public response.

My comprehensive design audit of Rivian and other leading EV interfaces (such as Waymo and Xiaomi) provided crucial insights: accessibility and safety surfaced as top priorities in Rivian's design philosophy.

It became evident that clearly displayed, critical information on driver dashboards and center consoles is required for an optimal user experience. Furthermore, the audit emphasized the need of utilizing minimalist, clean typography and images along with intuitive information architecture to avoid confusing menu navigation.

Through usability testing with 18 participants, I highlighted significant areas for improvement in the prototypes. A crucial conclusion was that two speed displays created confusion, limiting drivers' spontaneous eye movement. While the left-hand side pop-up was largely positively accepted, one of my participants provided a critical insight that profoundly altered the project's path.

They said, "This is an important feature... but, given its importance, I believe it should take up the full screen width. I can't see how close other vehicles are when they are close to hitting me."

This strong response emphasized the necessity for full-screen, real-time proximity alerts to improve critical safety awareness.