DUOLABS
Work

Character-themed navigation (R&D)

We did R&D on a navigation app whose entire standard interface was redrawn in one character concept. It was an internal project meant to test what screen presentation could do rather than to ship commercially, and it did not become a product. Navigation is read while driving, so even with a character theme the route guidance had to stay readable. The map, guidance, buttons, and status indicators were rebuilt for the theme, and elements the standard components could not handle were implemented by hand.

Launch
2013
Client
A navigation software company
Type
Vehicle & Navigation
01 / 04

The same route guidance, redrawn in a character concept

A character-themed navigation app works like ordinary navigation, but its entire interface changes into one character concept. Screen elements such as the map, route guidance, buttons, and status indicators were reinterpreted and rebuilt one by one to fit the theme. It was an in-house R&D project meant to validate screen presentation techniques, not a commercial release.

The same route guidance, redrawn in a character concept
02 / 04

Custom components made for what the standard ones could not show

The character theme was hard to express with only the screen components that the app development tools provide out of the box. Elements such as themed buttons, guidance markers, and status indicators were implemented by hand, and interactions and visual elements were tried out screen by screen. Along the way we built broad experience in how to divide and design screen components.

Custom components made for what the standard ones could not show
03 / 04

Presentation styles tested by varying motion and layout

The character-themed navigation was closer to technical validation and exploration than to a commercial release. With the same guidance information, a range of presentation styles, animations, and screen layouts was tried. The aim was to find out how far things could go rather than to pick a single right answer.

Presentation styles tested by varying motion and layout
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A balance where guidance still reads first, even with the fun added

The basic rule of a navigation app is that it must stay easy to use while driving. To keep that rule while applying a character theme, the focus was on balancing the readability of information against visual fun. This R&D was our third navigation project with the same company, and it was the period of deepening our screen techniques right before the major update that followed.

A balance where guidance still reads first, even with the fun added

Highlights

01

Map, guidance, buttons, and status indicators redrawn in a character theme

02

Custom components built for what standard components could not express

03

Experiments in balancing readable guidance with visual fun

Insights

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