Nook
A collaboration between Academy of Art University and Zoox — designing the digital experience for an autonomous micromobility pod, from the moment a passenger opens the app to the moment they arrive.
The Brief
Design a compact autonomous micromobility pod for 1–2 occupants — filling the gap between a scooter and a compact car. Fully app-hailed, driverless, and accessible to riders of all abilities. The vehicle must democratize the last mile and the local loop.
While the team designed the physical vehicle — Nook — my focus was the digital layer: the app, the in-vehicle HUD, and the full interaction from boarding to arrival.
Research
User research revealed two distinct passenger types with different needs. Daily commuters prioritize efficiency, predictability, and privacy — they want a clean ETA and nothing else. City newcomers want the opposite: flexibility, discovery, and a sense of connection to an unfamiliar place.
Both groups shared core expectations: safety, comfort, and a feeling of control — even without a driver.
The Design Question
Daily commuters are well-served by existing solutions. But city newcomers had no good answer: how do you help someone discover a place they don't know — from inside a vehicle that drives itself?
That question became the focus of my contribution: Explore Mode.
Explore Mode
Explore Mode is a ride experience built around discovery rather than efficiency. Instead of the fastest route, it takes a scenic path — surfacing landmarks, points of interest, and neighborhood context along the way. 10 extra minutes in exchange for a richer experience.
The mode is selected at boarding, on the welcome screen — a deliberate placement. The choice happens before the ride begins, not buried in settings.
Boarding Experience
When a passenger boards, the vehicle greets them by name, confirms their destination, and prompts them to begin the ride. The animation is designed to feel like an arrival — calm, welcoming, and unhurried.
In-Vehicle HUD
In Explore Mode, the HUD surfaces landmark information as the vehicle approaches points of interest — giving newcomers context without requiring them to look anything up. ETA and date remain visible at all times.
Icon System
A custom dot-matrix icon system for the in-vehicle interface. Each icon is built on a 12×12 binary grid — consistent, scalable, and visually distinct from standard UI icons. The style references the display aesthetic of classic transit systems.
City Map
A minimal line-art map of San Francisco built from real OSM street data — 5,988 road segments rendered as white strokes on a transparent background. Designed to sit inside the HUD without competing with primary information.
Outcome
The project was presented to the Zoox team. Explore Mode reframes the autonomous vehicle not just as transportation infrastructure, but as a way to help people feel at home in a new city — without a guide, a map app, or a driver.