UTV
UX & UI of a driver panel system
I led the UX/UI design of a complete infotainment and dashboard system for a UTV. The project covered everything from icon design and interaction patterns to the overall layout of the entire driver panel. Alongside design, I took on a coordinating and leadership role to keep a complex, fast-moving project aligned across teams.
Software
Figma, Illustrator, Jira, Excel
Duration
Part time 2 years+
Delivery
Complete dashboard screen UI, Infotainment system UI, Icons for physical buttons, Project tracking log
My Role
UI & UX Designer, Acting product manager
This project began as a design concept for a UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) but quickly evolved into a potential production-ready system. I designed the full user experience — including the dashboard screen, infotainment system, and the overall layout of the driver panel, combining digital and physical interactions.
The process included research and benchmarking through hands-on testing, in-store visits in both the US and Sweden, as well as online analysis. I explored early interior concepts through sketches and multiple design directions. In parallel, I worked closely with engineering, development, and supply chain to ensure the design was feasible and coherent despite tight timelines and shifting requirements.
To support cross-team coordination, I stepped in as acting project manager to coordinate cross-functional teams, facilitate decision-making, and keep the project on track.
Project Brief
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Result
The final outcome was a cohesive driver environment — combining digital and physical interactions into one unified system. From iconography and interaction patterns to the full layout of the driver panel. The design balances usability, clarity, and brand expression while meeting technical and production constraints.
Infotainment system
Dashboard screen
The project was shaped by strong strategic and executive influence. Some decisions — such as maintaining a dark UI despite daylight-heavy use cases and prioritizing a touchscreen in a glove-intensive environment — were driven by brand direction and budget.
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While I didn’t win every discussion, I successfully advocated for critical usability improvements. Key high-frequency interactions, such as volume and essential driving functions, were kept as physical controls to ensure tactile accessibility and safety.
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The project was nearing production, but I had to hand it over when company priorities shifted. Having been closely involved throughout the journey, it was challenging to leave this project before it was completed.
Process - highlights
I benchmarked existing UTVs and similar vehicles through hands-on testing, including driving different UTVs in the US, combined with store visits in both the US and Sweden and online research. This helped me understand common interaction patterns, screen setups, and expectations in real-world use
Based on these findings, I developed early interior sketches and explored different layout options for the driver panel. I worked iteratively, adjusting screen size, placement, and information structure to find a balanced solution between usability, brand direction, and technical constraints.
Early interior concepts and design explorations
Testing UTVs in the US, both on- and off-road.
From Research to Interior Concepts
Designing Beyond the Screen
I worked holistically across digital and physical touchpoints — from screen flows and iconography to steering wheel controls and overall panel layout.
Ensured coherence between hardware constraints, interaction patterns, and visual hierarchy.
Collaboration with Industrial Design on steering wheel UX, as well as dashboard screen size and placement.
Icon exploration.
Aligning key interaction points across the driver experience.
Creating Structure in a Complex Project
When product ownership was unclear, I stepped in as an acting product manager to ensure the design work could move forward in a structured way. I scheduled and led alignment meetings, followed up on open questions via email and Teams, and made sure decisions were documented and shared across teams.
To keep track of the growing system, I created a project tracking log in Excel covering all key user interactions and features. This clarified dependencies between engineering, development, and supply chain, and ensured nothing critical was overlooked despite changing requirements.
The experience was very valuable and helped me grow professionally. However, the time required for coordination reduced the time available for hands-on design work.
Challenges & Learnings
1. Navigating Missing Product Ownership
The project initially lacked clear product ownership, with multiple POs rotating in a short time and no defined gateways between teams. To keep the work moving and ensure design reliability, I stepped into a leadership role beyond UX. I facilitated meetings, documented decisions, followed up on dependencies, and acted as a bridge between engineering, development, and supply chain.
This was a steep learning experience that gave me a deeper understanding of cross-functional dependencies, decision-making under uncertainty, and the operational realities behind complex product development. While it created clarity, it also reduced the time available for hands-on UX work — highlighting the cost of missing structure.
2. Balancing Executive Vision and User Needs
The project was heavily impacted by sudden shifts from top management. The target user changed late in the process, and the brief was rewritten within a single day. What began as a trade-show concept was suddenly expected to be production-ready within months. This required rapid adaptation and strong user advocacy. I learned how to communicate user needs clearly and diplomatically at executive level, back design decisions with new insights, and navigate trade-offs — keeping user needs a priority even when compromises were necessary.