An overview of the first iteration of Microsoft's Fluent Design - the new Xbox One dashboard UI

An abstract overview of the Fluent Design System

A floating home/action menu allows for the user to engage with most access points/areas of the system without having to leave their current location. This makes them feel more confident in using it without the threat of being thrown away from where they are. 

Popup layering is a very effective way of providing hierarchy and breadcrumbs to the system, particularly as the user moves from one part of a single application to the other. In this example they are moving from the 'People' tab to the 'Friends' tab. 

A very obvious button selection state is particularly useful on a TV interfaces because of the quantity of elements on-screen (enabled by the huge real estate of the display). This selection state is also tailored to the account holder's chosen colour, so mine is blue. This adds an effective layer of customisation, and has a big impact on the appearance of the system. 

Dark Mode dashboard with Purple profile colour

System theme selection

A ubiquitous feature in automotive UI design - Light and Dark modes, is now making its way into desktop, mobile and now console user interfaces. The same practical reasoning applies to all - using the system in a bright environment is easier in Light Mode, and using Dark Mode is easier in a dark environment. It's also a customisation feature that people really like to have.

Revised personal objectives

My three stage plan from Level 5 remains in place:

1. Start with automotive user experience design
2. Expand to public transport user experience design e.g. electric aircraft, Hyperloop
3. Spacecraft UX design

and then
4. Follow the future

Created with the knowledge that it will continuously and inevitably evolve/change entirely. This plan is a workable progress guide, rather than a concrete plan for my life. It's likely that my desires and interests will change over time; this is exciting, not worrying.  




A reflection of Jaguar Land Rover

Various press images of areas in the Land Rover Design Studio 


 

Credit: JLR Newsroom
Feat. Massimo Frascella, a member of the clay modelling team,
and a small part of the Land Rover Design Studio in the background

To reflect on the summer of 2017 and by extension Level 5, it could safely have been said that I didn't expect to reach stage 1 of my plan straight after graduation, never mind before graduating. But my placement at Jaguar Land Rover as an Interface Designer was incredibly useful, insightful and humbling. My designs, though unable to be shown here, will be used by hundreds of thousands of people on the next generation touchscreen system for all Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. My sense of imposter syndrome was real - sat in the ridiculously impressive Land Rover Design Studio, with the incredibly inspiring future of this giant, revered company, sat before me, it felt more like I'd sneaked in rather than been offered a place. The new Range Rover Velar hints at the design-led future of the product lineup, and it's a future I'd be super excited to be a part of as a graduate. My manager has offered me the chance to return upon graduation, and it'd take something very special to dissuade me.

My mission remains the same - to work with the people making the future exciting, and use design to empower them.


FUTURE TRANSPORT, SPACE EXPLORATION, RENEWABLE ENERGY. 

Glug Leeds 2017 - three things learnt

Glug is a series of informal talks and networking sessions for creative people around the world. I attended their event in Leeds in September 2017 in order to gauge and interact with the the local creative community - it's free for students, which is great.

Three things learnt:

A hell of a lot can be achieved in one year
If you're going through hell, keep going
Success is different for everyone, and so it should be