The Project

Vay is pioneering a unique approach to driverless mobility where human decision-making meets state-of-the-art AI. Professionally trained Remote Drivers operate vehicles in real time from a Remote Driving Station equipped with a steering wheel, pedals, and full vehicle controls, while customers experience a seamless, driverless ride.

After a successful freelance project, the CEO invited me to join as Lead Product Designer. I worked closely with the CEO, CTO, and engineering team, also serving as the product manager until we expanded the team. I was responsible for designing three interconnected product surfaces: the customer-facing mobile app, the in-car passenger experience, and the Remote Driver workstation.

The Challenge

This was an entirely new product category with no established design patterns to follow. The challenges were unprecedented: how do you make passengers feel safe in a car with no one in the driver's seat? How do you design a workstation that enables a remote driver to safely operate a vehicle through camera feeds with the same confidence as being behind the wheel? And how do you ensure all three surfaces (app, car, and workstation) work together seamlessly across every ride scenario?

Safety regulations added another layer of complexity. Every interface element in the driver workstation needed to comply with automotive industry standards (ISO 26262 and ISO/SAE 21434). The system had to account for edge cases like connection loss, emergency stops, customer cancellations, and handoffs between remote and autonomous driving modes.

One key insight from usability testing was that passengers felt significantly more comfortable when they could hear the remote driver during the ride. This discovery reshaped our entire UX strategy and helped Vay gain a competitive edge.

What I Designed

Customer App

End-to-end ride booking experience, from requesting a driverless vehicle to tracking arrival, boarding, riding, and drop-off. Designed to build trust with first-time users of a completely new mobility service.

In-Car Experience

The passenger-facing screens inside the vehicle, providing ride status, route information, and communication with the remote driver. Designed to replace the reassurance a physical driver normally provides.

Driver Workstation

A multi-screen control interface including a front-view display with 60+ status indicators and a tablet dashboard for vehicle controls, mission management, map navigation, and customer communication.

Deep Dive

Designing the Remote Driver Workstation

The driver workstation was the most complex surface I designed at Vay. A remote driver needs to operate a vehicle in real time through camera feeds, with the same confidence and safety as sitting behind the wheel. Every pixel matters when someone's life depends on reading a status indicator correctly at a glance.

Mapping the Problem Space

I started by mapping every function a remote driver would need across the entire ride lifecycle, from receiving a mission to parking the vehicle. This resulted in an inventory of 60+ discrete controls and status indicators, spanning vehicle diagnostics, customer communication, navigation, and safety systems. The feature map became the foundation for every layout decision that followed.

Two-Screen Architecture

Through usability testing with drivers, I discovered that splitting information across two screens (a front display and a side tablet) dramatically reduced cognitive load. The front screen shows only what the driver needs while actively driving: camera feeds, speed, and critical warnings. The tablet handles everything else: mission management, vehicle controls, map, and customer communication. This separation meant drivers could stay focused on the road while having full control within arm's reach.

The Tablet Interface

The tablet needed to pack dense information into a layout that remains scannable during a live drive. I designed a four-zone layout: a secondary dashboard (vehicle controls, status, alerts) on the left, a mission dialog at top, a map in the center, and mission details on the right. Every element was sized and positioned based on testing with actual remote drivers, optimizing for the specific viewing angle and distance of the workstation setup.

Front Screen & Safety Indicators

The front screen surrounds the driver's camera feeds and hosts all safety-critical indicators. I designed a status system using color-coded indicators that comply with ISO 26262 standards, where the driver can assess vehicle health in a single glance. Critical alerts like ABS, airbag, emergency braking, and connection status are positioned in the driver's peripheral vision, so they're noticed immediately without pulling focus from the road.

Complete service architecture · All driver workstation screens & interactions

End-to-end user flow · Customer app journey

The Outcome

Through extensive usability testing, conducting over 50 studies to solve unprecedented challenges faced by both vehicle operators and passengers, I crafted a cohesive experience across all three product surfaces that enabled Vay to go from prototype to commercial operation.

My work was integral to Vay securing a $95 million Series B round, and the company became the first in Europe to receive a permit to operate driverless vehicles on public roads. Vay launched its commercial service in Las Vegas, with remotely driven vehicles operating on public streets.

I also built a design team of three. In a startup environment where headcount approvals were hard to come by, I identified someone in another role with a strong interest in design, mentored her, and she eventually became our full-time app designer.

Work

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Vay

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The Project

The Challenge

What I Designed

Customer App

In-Car Experience

Driver Workstation

Designing the Remote Driver Workstation

Mapping the Problem Space

Two-Screen Architecture

The Tablet Interface

Front Screen & Safety Indicators

The Outcome

Work

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