
Nissan HMI Design Internship
MY ROLE
HMI Design, UI Design, Research
TEAM
Ruifeng Gao: HMI Lead
Kunxiong: HMI Designer
Yuwei Liu: HMI Designer
Ting Dong: HMI Designer
TIMELINE
Oct - Dec 2022 (9 weeks)
OVERVIEW
During my two-month internship at a five-member HMI team of “Smart Connection Sector,” I participated in three projects:
1) a UX project for a manufactured car,
2) a UI project for a concept vehicle,
3) a research-based concept design for a self-led speculative exploration.
Due to NDA, I cannot share too much information about the specifics.
*Photos used in this page are not under NDA.
HIGHLIGHTS

✨ Designed an innovative AR experience
As a core member of the design team, I participated in the first phase of a brand new in-car AR experience, designing three UI proposals and optimizing based on committee reviews.
🗣️ Negotiate with Product Managers
When designing a brand new immersive mode as part of the OS for a vehicle to be manufactured in several years, my team and I negotiated with product managers and safety committee regularly to push the proposal through.
📝 Organize Brainstorming Workshops
As part of a research project on the future HMI of smart cabin, I designed and organized three brainstorming workshops with 5 participants to co-imagine new needs and features for multiple scenarios.
🔎 Research on Smart Cabin Industry
I conducted deep desktop research on smart cabin industry (technologies, policies, market) and consumer electronics industry, followed by analysis and proposal of the trends of future smart cabin.
📚 Host a lecture on AR to employees
I hosted an 1-hour lecture to the product & interaction department with over 60 members, introducing AR technologies and its potential in automobile industry.
🎨 Collaborating with UI Designer
As a member of the HMI/UX team, I collaborated with UI designer, and followed through the UI design workflow including mood board, and sketching UI prototypes in Sketch, PhotoShop, and Blender.