BMW Designworks · 2019 · Shown at CES 2020
Overview
BMW i Interaction Ease is a concept model that envisions the experience of the future with autonomous mobility. It was created with the ambition to set the foundation for an autonomous vehicle that can interact and communicate with passengers in a genuinely intuitive way — not through screens and buttons, but through light, sound, and spatial presence.
My Role
As the primary creative technologist and interaction designer, I was responsible for both the design and the technology that brought the interaction system to life. I designed and built the micro-interactions the vehicle would express with its passengers, as well as the electronic and digital systems that powered them — from lighting rigs to embedded hardware and sensor integration.
User Journey
We mapped the full passenger journey — from approaching the vehicle, entering, riding, and exiting — identifying every moment where the vehicle could acknowledge, guide, or delight. Each interaction was designed to feel ambient and unobtrusive, never demanding attention but always present when needed.
Interaction Design
The interaction language was built around light — ambient, directional, and reactive. I designed a system of micro-interactions that expressed the vehicle's awareness: welcoming passengers as they approached, guiding attention during the ride, and signaling transitions. Each pattern was prototyped and iterated directly in the physical model.
Prototyping
Prototyping was physical and iterative. I built and tested lighting systems, sensor rigs, and embedded electronics directly within the model — testing pattern designs on real materials and refining the behavior of the system in context. The process moved rapidly between digital simulation and hands-on fabrication.
Result
BMW i Interaction Ease was unveiled at CES 2020, demonstrating a vision for how autonomous vehicles could develop a genuine personality and relationship with their passengers — not as a gadget, but as an intelligent companion designed around human presence.
