Designing an in-car video service before the category had conventions

The FLO TV Rear Seat Entertainment system was an in-vehicle video product built around Qualcomm's nationwide mobile broadcast network. It combined dual remote controls, multiple screens, subscription and activation flows, vehicle electronics, and dealership distribution.

There was no established model for how families would discover and watch live content across multiple screens in a car. The product also had to respect driver-distraction constraints, work with physical remote controls, and make an unfamiliar subscription service understandable.

I worked with Chrysler's design team, frog design, engineering, and the FLO TV UX team to prototype and test interaction models under realistic conditions.

I was the lead experience designer, responsible for product and interaction design across the guide, remote-control behavior, onboarding, activation, payment, account management, testing prototypes, and the in-car experience.

• Defined core use cases and interaction models across front- and rear-seat contexts
• Designed the guide, navigation, onboarding, subscription, and account flows
• Coordinated with automotive partners, industrial design, engineering, and service teams
• Built high-fidelity vehicle prototypes for formative user testing
• Tuned motion and feedback so the interface felt coherent with physical controls

I first built the concept into my Toyota 4Runner, then created a more life-like research setup in a rental minivan. The test vehicle supported front- and rear-seat viewing, remote-control events, and a server-driven interactive prototype.

• Launched with OEM partners including Chrysler and Mercedes, plus after-market distribution through Best Buy
• Covered electronics, software, antenna, network testing, remote control, rear-seat screens, payment, activation, and account management
• Won 2010 CES In-Vehicle Video Honoree and Best of Innovations awards
• Featured in a Super Bowl XLIV commercial

• FLO TV Super Bowl XLIV commercial
• Automotive Design Process
• Automotive Use Cases
• UI Specification
• Interactive Wireframes
• Interactive Wireframes - Chrysler
• Automotive Personas
• Remote Control State Diagram
• Remote Control Button Mapping
• Prototype Architecture Diagram