Ford's Electric Future

INDUSTRY

AUTOMOTIVE

CLIENT:

FORD

EXECUTION:

AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION

No car. No playbook. Just a deadline.

When Ford committed to bringing its first fully electric vehicle to CES, they didn’t just need a car—they needed an experience. One that would make battery-powered driving intuitive, inspiring, and impossible to ignore. The catch? The vehicle didn’t exist yet.

We teamed up with Ford engineers and UX leads to co-create the in-car digital experience from scratch. In just 16 weeks, we imagined, prototyped, and refined the entire user interface for the Ford Focus Electric: from dashboard interactions to a mobile app that kept drivers connected, informed, and confident.

challenge.

Reintroduce Ford as an EV pioneer—at CES—without a production car, and in an ecosystem skeptical of range, usability, and digital interfaces. We had to translate a complex system into something emotionally resonant and shockingly simple to use.

solution.

Behind the scenes, this wasn’t your typical UI project. Ford didn’t have a production-ready vehicle. What they did have was ambition, a vision for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and a tight 16-week window. So we embedded with their engineering and HMI teams, absorbing their principles and systems like a startup sprinting through Series A. No playbook. No precedent. Just high-stakes collaboration and fast iteration.

We led experience design for the new MyFord Touch interface, a driver-centered display system tailored for electric vehicles. We reimagined how range, efficiency, and battery status were communicated—translating complex technical data into calm, confidence-building visuals. We introduced the Emotive Display—a subtle animation of butterflies that encouraged eco-conscious driving behavior. It was more than design. It was a behavioral nudge wrapped in a beautiful UI.

In addition to the production-ready in-car interface, our team partnered with the exhibit design group to create a fully interactive console for the trade show floor—giving attendees a hands-on experience with the new HMI. The result was a seamless blend of product and storytelling, built to inspire both press and partners.

Alongside this, we designed MyFord Mobile, the companion app that extended the car’s intelligence into the driver’s pocket—offering remote control, social achievements, and tools to locate charging stations with ease.

results.

This wasn’t just about putting a new interface on a screen—it was about helping Ford reclaim its innovation edge during a pivotal moment in the EV race. By making electric driving intuitive and even delightful, the work reframed what people expected from an electric car. It proved that UI could be a brand experience, that storytelling could happen at 70mph, and that even without a car in production, design could drive momentum.

Set the tone for Ford’s electric future with a globally recognized launch
Drove press buzz and earned widespread coverage from PCWorld, Wired, and major auto outlets
Became a global demo vehicle featured at auto shows around the world

Ford didn’t just launch a car. They launched a conversation—and we got to help start it.