Rivian
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to build and manage scalable design systems.
Objective
At Rivian, I led the development of a scalable design system integrating mobile and in-vehicle experiences across key features like Climate, Energy, Gear Guard, and Location. This system accelerated design-to-engineering workflows by 30%, reduced UI inconsistencies by 40%, and established a foundation for future AI-assisted functionalities.
At a fast-moving electric vehicle (EV) startup, building a design system from scratch came with unique challenges. Rapid product changes, tight timelines, and cross-functional collaboration demanded a flexible, scalable system that could support both digital and physical experiences.
Key challenges included:
- Scalability: Designing for apps, in-car displays, and future touchpoints.
- Rapid Evolution: Adapting quickly to shifting product and business needs.
- Team Alignment: Unifying hardware, software, and marketing efforts.
- Balance: Combining innovative design with usability and accessibility.
Despite these hurdles, building the system early allowed us to scale design efficiently and create a consistent, future-ready user experience.
Crafting Mobile 3.0
To build a seamless EV experience, I structured the design system development into eight clear phases. Each phase was designed to move quickly, adapt to real-world constraints, and ensure scalability across digital and in-car touchpoints.
🔍 Discover → 📐 Define → 🧩 Build → 🎯 Prototype → 📚 Document → 🧪 Test → 🚀 Launch → ♻️ Evolve
Designing at speed doesn’t mean cutting corners — it means building smarter. The system we created helped drive not just products, but the future of the EV experience.
Safety First Driver Display
- Non-touch interaction (only via steering wheel buttons, rotary knobs, etc.)
- Glanceability is critical — drivers should understand information at a quick glance without cognitive overload.
- Physical feedback (button click feels) matters.
- Limited real estate — often smaller screen sizes, simple layouts, strict visual hierarchy.
- Real-time updates — dynamic information like speed, range, alerts, navigation, etc.
Center Display with Scalability
Focus on key interactions like navigation, media, and climate control, ensuring accessibility and minimal distractions. Create reusable components aligned with Rivian’s brand and design flexible layouts that adapt to different screen sizes. Define intuitive touch, gesture, and voice controls with clear feedback.
Design components for real-time data, like battery status and speed, and for climate controls. Build a reusable component library with clear guidelines, ensuring scalability for future updates and integration across systems.
Results
The design system we built at Rivian was more than a toolkit — it was a catalyst for operational efficiency, cross-platform cohesion, and user-centered innovation. By addressing complexity early and architecting for flexibility, we accelerated design-to-development velocity, reduced experience fragmentation, and elevated the overall quality of our digital and in-vehicle interfaces.
Looking ahead, the system is positioned to seamlessly integrate AI-driven personalization, predictive insights, and adaptive interactions — ensuring that Rivian’s digital ecosystem evolves in step with the dynamic needs of its users. I am proud to have contributed to laying this foundation, and even more excited by the possibilities that lie ahead.
"Working with Kevin has been fantastic, we've had some good laughs and faced challenges together."
