Mercedes C-Class Head Up Display

This new Mercedes Head Up concept empowers the driver to be focused on the road ahead while driving. The design includes only the most important information, preventing any unnecessary distractions.

Introduction & Problem

The current Mercedes HUD doesn’t fit the image and design philosophy of Mercedes Benz. It appears to be an undesigned and expensive add on.We believe that form follows function and the interface should become a part of the car. Thus we have combined the high-end interior design and modern technology in the car to form a seamless integration of the HUD into the C-Class. We have used the shape of the dashboard and the steering wheel as the foundation of the HUD’s design. The horizontal line of the has been used as the main design element to create a corporate look that fits into a Mercedes car.

Mercedes C-Class

Mercedes C-Class Cockpit

Grid

The HUD doesn’t have a single primary feature, rather we have used the horizontal line as the point of departure for a grid of the variety of functions available on this interface.

Grid in action

Concept

Every function is centred around the horizontal line. The speed is centered in a circle. Your allowed maximum speed is a bit smaller to your right. The navigation is simple and self explanatory, well spaced to the left, with navigation arrows under your driving speed. Additional navigation information such as street names or directions are located beneath the arrows.

Night Modus

If you exceed the speed limit the HUD will gently signal the driver in the form of circles around your speed.The number of circles is related to your driving speed and maximum speed on the road. Once you reach a critical speed the extra circle turns i yellow or orange to indicate that you should reduce your speed.

Infotainment

The infotainment will not be a prominent feature. The function will appear and disappear depending on the context.

Type face

The Mercedes corporate font is „Corporate S, E and A„ by Kurt Weidemann. This font is not optimised for digital screen interfaces. Thus we have changed the font to better suit its application.

(We are not allowed to name this font)

Process

We began our research by exploring the Mercedes brand as a whole, looking at the fine details that have developed their classic identity. Additionally, we visited a Mercedes Centre to see how the current HUD looks and feels in the actual vehicle. A friendly salesman agreed to take us on a test drive so we could better understand the user experience when interacting with the HUD. Being able to see the HUD live in action was a game changer and it helped our team to visualise the right proportions and the desired structure of the horizontal design element.

Once we had finalised the shape and proportions of our design, we began to test our product on screen using video prototypes

Current Mercedes Head Up Display

Conclusion

This new Mercedes Head Up concept empowers the driver to be focused on the road ahead while driving. The design includes only the most important information, preventing any unnecessary distractions. Each element appears as it its context deems it necessary, again limiting any distractions from the road. This design has achieved our goal of developing a way to combine the traditional and world renowned high quality standards of Mercedes with contemporary digital technology.