Driver Experience Guidelines for Gracenote Nexus
In 2024, Gracenote launched Nexus, a next generation automotive solution. Along with a robust API, it provides an Android Automotive OS white label reference application, offering a holistic view of entertainment options across multiple content types and sources. As the lead product designer on Nexus, I wanted to document a set of guiding principles that would ensure our reference app offered a user experience that was valuable to drivers, thereby allowing our customers to finally compete with technologies like Carplay and Android Auto.
Why Nexus?
First, a little background on the current state of the automotive industry.
Automakers have long wished to be able to retain drivers in their own native ecosystem. However, popular technologies like Carplay and Android Automotive have effectively cut them out of the loop. This has prevented them from creating new revenue streams such as monetizing the data generated by drivers in their cars. In fact, drivers report having many negative experiences with native infotainment and are very skeptical of automakers’ ability to deliver a good experience which has led to a lack of trust and adoption.
However, electrification and connection in vehicles have given automakers an opportunity: the ability to continuously improve and update the software “over the air”. Carmakers can finally compete with the big tech companies.
At the same time, driver needs have evolved and changed. Drivers are spending more time waiting in their cars. Either due to vehicle charging or due to new habits developed post-pandemic, drivers more and more regard their car as a “third-space” where they can eat, relax, work and consume entertainment. Screens have proliferated in the car and there are more apps than ever offered to drivers either natively or through app stores.
Gracenote sought to develop a solution for our automotive customers that helps them retain customers in their native infotainment ecosystems, generate new revenue streams and develop long-term branded relationships with their drivers.
I considered the reasons that Carplay and Android Automotive are so successful. To be sure, they offer a familiar interface and guarantee a seamless experience as the driver moves in and out of their car. But at the end of the day, aren’t they merely a projection of a mobile experience onto an automotive screen? Isn’t there a way to anticipate driver needs and exceed their expectations? Isn’t there a better way to bring simplicity, safety and ease to the driver experience?
I set out to document what I saw as the guiding principles our product team should adhere to while crafting our solution.
Driver Experience Guiding Principles
Content-first Home Screen: Our solution should display multiple content types and across multiple sources, providing a centralized view of content choices. Allow drivers to quickly choose from a subset of choices building a bridge to where the driver can access the content. Allow a driver to perform common tasks and multi-task from one consolidated view. Discourage browsing of individual apps.
Real-Time Updates: Our solution should update sports data and radio station availability in real time.
Modularity: Our solution should be flexible, adapting to a wide range of screen sizes and orientations. Allow the driver to customize the UI and rearrange elements on the fly.
Glanceability: Google recommends drivers not take their eyes off the road for longer than two seconds. Our solution must use best practices for things like text size and contrast for automotive UIs as well as appropriately-sized touch targets.
Flexible Data Densities: Depending on screen location (driver, passenger, rear seat) and context (driving vs. parked), we should display the right amount of text for each situation.
Cross-Linked Media: In order to anticipate driver needs, we should cross link from one content type to another and expose relationships to facilitate engaging with related content. We should create discovery opportunities during parked mode or rear seat screens that increase stickiness to the native platform.
Contextualization: Our solution should take cues from vehicle context to inform content discovery. In addition, our solution should be able to adapt in real-time to changes in everything from trip duration and vehicle location to occupants and speed of travel.
Personalization: Our solution should allow an automaker to leverage both implicit and explicit driver preferences to create localized profiles upon which personalized content recommendations can be made.
Final thoughts
Our goal with Nexus is to support easy-to-integrate, highly customizable user interfaces with real-time, contextualized and relevant content so that automakers can win drivers over from phone projection technologies. The Driver Experience Guiding Principles ensure that we bring safety, simplicity and ease-of-use to the driver experience for the future of connected cars.