Audi MMI Dashboard — UX Case Study
UX Case Study · Infotainment

Elevating
MMI Dashboard
Experience

Crafting a seamless, intuitive multimedia interface for Audi’s luxury vehicles — balancing driver safety, brand precision, and deep personalization.

Company
Audi × Elektrobit
Role
UX Designer
Timeline
Q2 2021 — Q1 2023
Deliverables
Design System · HMI Spec
01 Problem Statement

The
Challenge

Integrating an Android-based extension into Audi’s native infotainment system required more than a technical bridge — it demanded a cohesive experience that honored the brand’s uncompromising standards while serving drivers in real conditions.

How might we enhance the Audi MMI Dashboard to address user pain points, improve usability, and ensure intuitive driver-vehicle interaction, while upholding the brand’s commitment to precision, sophistication, and innovation?

Android Integration
Seamlessly integrate an Android-based extension into the native Audi infotainment ecosystem without disrupting existing UX patterns.
Intuitive Interaction
Provide a seamless, intuitive experience aligned with Audi’s core brand values of precision and sophistication.
Simplified Navigation
Ensure drivers can access and control all features without distraction, reducing cognitive load while in motion.
Deep Personalization
Introduce meaningful customization options, allowing users to tailor the dashboard to their preferences and driving habits.
02 Research & Process

How We
Got Here

P
Primary Research — User Interviews
Conducted in-depth interviews with 5 current Audi vehicle owners to gather insights on their pain points, behavioral patterns, and preferences regarding the existing MMI Dashboard.
S
Secondary Research — Competitive Analysis
Analyzed dashboard implementations across electric and high-end vehicles to benchmark industry standards and identify innovative features driving the competitive landscape.
B
Brand & HMI Specification Review
Deep review of Audi Design’s brand guidelines for automotive applications alongside the Product Requirements Document — feature specifications, design constraints, and regulatory requirements.
I
Ideation — Brainstorming & Wireframing
Cross-functional brainstorming sessions with design and development teams, followed by initial sketches and low-fidelity wireframes to rapidly explore layout improvements and interaction patterns.
03 Design Principles

Guiding
Philosophy

01 ── Principle
Precision & Sophistication
Every pixel and interaction reflects Audi’s commitment to quality. The interface must feel as refined as the physical interior — nothing gratuitous, nothing missing.
02 ── Principle
Intuitive Interaction
Interactions designed to be understood in split seconds. A driver at speed must navigate the system effortlessly and safely — comprehension before complexity.
03 ── Principle
Seamless Integration
The new Android framework must feel native, not bolted on. A cohesive experience across all touchpoints ensures trust in the system and brand confidence.
04 The Solution

Introducing
Dashboard

A dedicated page in the interface where drivers access their most-used functions via customizable widgets. Quick access reduces distraction. Personalization builds ownership.

Navigation
📍
Munich · 14 min
Media · Spotify
♪
Einaudi — Experience
Weather
17°
Partly Cloudy
Phone
📞
3 recent calls
Smart Assistant
⚠ Low fuel — nearby stations suggested
Range
247
km remaining
✦ Dashboard Edit Mode
Media
✦ Selected — choose app
Phone
Navigation
+
Smart
Pre-filtered app suggestions shown based on selected widget size · Single-screen interaction
05 Widget Design

Individual
Widgets

Widget 01
Phone Widget
One of the most-used dashboard functions. Covers all call management scenarios: incoming calls, active calls, hold, conference calls, and switching between calls. The call list is the default state; active call management surfaces contextually.
  • Incoming call with answer / decline
  • Active call with hold, mute, end controls
  • Conference call management
  • Switch between concurrent calls
Thomas Müller
Active call
02:14
A
Anna Schmidt
14:22
M
Max Bauer
11:05
K
Klara Vogt
09:30
Widget 02
Media Widget
Grants access to core playback controls from the fullscreen media player. Multiple iterations refined source-switching to reduce steps, and enriched the display with dynamic album information.
  • Essential playback controls surfaced inline
  • Simplified source switching: Spotify, Radio, Web
  • Dynamic album art and track metadata
  • Consistent with the full media app patterns
🎵
Experience
Ludovico Einaudi
⏮ ⏪ ⏸ ⏩ ⏭
Spotify
Radio
Web
Widget 03
Smart Widget
A context-aware, scrollable list of situational suggestions. The system adapts its recommendations to current driving conditions — low fuel, approaching a toll, traffic rerouting — and invites the driver to take action.
  • Context-aware suggestion engine
  • Scrollable list — no full-screen overlay needed
  • One-tap action on each suggestion
  • Scenario-driven: fuel, routes, reminders
Fuel level low — 47km range remaining. 3 stations nearby on your route.
NAVIGATE →
Traffic ahead on A9 — alternative route saves 12 min.
REROUTE →
Arriving at destination in 14 min. Parking available nearby.
Widget 04
Weather Widget
Designing the weather widget required building logic for dynamic background and infographic changes based on time of day, while accounting for timezone shifts across regions. Multiple iterations balanced information density with visual elegance.
  • Time-of-day adaptive background rendering
  • Timezone-aware regional support
  • Dynamic weather iconography
  • Condensed forecast without information overload
17°
Munich · Partly Cloudy
⛅
Feels like
14°
Wind
18 km/h
Humidity
62%
Rain
20%
06 Learnings & Takeaways

What We
Took Away

01 · Collaboration
Developer Collaboration is Essential
Close coordination with the development team is crucial for translating design concepts into functional applications. Early alignment on technical constraints prevents costly late-stage revisions and produces better outcomes for both disciplines.
02 · Mindset
Adaptability & Flexibility
Being open to feedback and willing to iterate throughout the project leads to better solutions. Holding designs loosely — while holding principles firmly — allows the product to evolve toward something genuinely better.
03 · Inclusion
Emphasis on Accessibility
Ensuring the dashboard is accessible to a diverse global user base — considering different languages, cultural norms, and cognitive models — is not a constraint but an opportunity to create more universal, humane design.
04 · Process
Comprehensive Testing
Rigorous testing at each development stage surfaces issues early — when they are inexpensive to fix. A reliable, user-friendly interface is the result of many small corrections made with discipline and consistency over time.