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Functionality alone is no longer sufficient to sell cars. Interiors are set to become the new battleground where customers will be won and lost. Those manufacturers that are successful will be the ones that manage to embody the desires and emotions of their customers in the vehicle design and execution. The choice of materials and their inherent tactile qualities can be a powerful way of connecting with the customer and enhancing a vehicle’s appeal and brand perception. This document describes how the International Automotive Research Centre (IARC) at The University of Warwick has been working with Jaguar Land Rover, researching current knowledge and techniques relevant to Affective Design, tactility and the automotive NPI process to address these challenges.

With the quality of mainstream automobiles improving considerably over the past decade, and continuing to do so, it is becoming more difficult for the premium automotive manufacturers to differentiate their products from their less expensive competitors. The customers' perception of quality, often referred to within the industry as craftsmanship, is considered an important differentiator for premium brands and a crucial component of competitiveness [1]. Whilst vehicle design is fundamental to this customer-perceived quality, the delivery of the design is also critical and without the manufacturing capability to deliver the craftsmanship targets set, the New Product Introduction (NPI) process is flawed. This research investigates the roles of the vehicle manufacturer and supplier in the delivery of a premium vehicle, the factors that influence component and whole vehicle maturation, and the tools and processes, both current and in development, available to OEM and supplier.

The advent of 3D displays offers Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designers and engineers new opportunities to shape the user's experience of information within the vehicle. However, the application of 3D displays to the in-vehicle environment introduces a number of new parameters that must be carefully considered in order to optimise the user experience. In addition, there is potential for 3D displays to increase driver inattention, either through diverting the driver's attention away from the road or by increasing the time taken to assimilate information. Manufacturers must therefore take great care in establishing the ‘do’s and ‘don’t's of 3D interface design for the automotive context, providing a sound basis upon which HMI designers can innovate. This paper describes the approach and findings of a three-part investigation into the use of 3D displays in the instrument cluster of a road car, the overall aim of which was to define the boundaries of the 3D HMI design space.