Legacy Project
Hummer EV HMI
Benchmark in-car UX for an iconic vehicle
LEGACY PROJECT:
This work predates the founding of BlackBox Infinite and was led by John LePore during his tenure as Principal / Chief Creative alongside the amazing team at Perception (2006-2022). Shared with the generous permission of General Motors.
GMC HUMMER EV HMI MONTAGE
A new benchmark for Automotive HMI
The Hummer EV was a special program— a product that General Motors developed with a strong point of view and high expectations. John recognizes his own team, as well as many others at General Motors who welcomed bold and unprecedented concepts in the development of the Hummer EV, especially Bill Thompson and Scott Martin who led GM's digital experience discipline.
A Moonshot
At the outset of the project, John LePore and his creative counterpart at General Motors, Scott Martin, explored the many archetypes that might define this new and exciting vehicle. Some of the conversation covered expected ground — the Hummer's militaristic heritage, or visions of space-marine ATVs.
The epiphany came from an unexpected direction. Scott Martin surfaced a project from General Motors' own archives: the Lunar Roving Vehicle that carried Apollo astronauts across the surface of the Moon in 1971. Built by Boeing with General Motors, the rover ran on GM's own wheels, motors, and suspension.
The Hummer EV operating system contains a wide array of features and functions, including multiple display layouts, a suite of off-road centric tools, and even it's own bespoke typeface.
Motion With Meaning
The Hummer EV HMI isn't just a plane of information, but a living, breathing surface adapting to the drivers needs, the vehicle's capabilities, and the environment's conditions.
Hummer EV is one of GM's first vehicles to cycle between a day and night mode to maximize visibility in varying lighting conditions. This human factors need became a canvas for an unusually cinematic transition from state to state.
Hero Interactions
Throughout the Hummer EV Digital Experience, there are several key interactions that celebrate dramatic moments within the vehicle. From statements of incredible performance, to capabilities never before seen in an automobile, these moments leverage our cinematic capabilities to capture the spirit of the incredible GMC Hummer EV.
Every mode change in the hummer EV triggers a custom animation tied to the vehicle's capabilities.
Hummer EV's innovative crabwalk feature comes to life with a cinematic visualization
Beauty in the Details
Working on a vehicle as revoluntionary as the Hummer EV allowed our team to forge new ground in our approach, but designing the human-machine-interface was far from an exercise in aesthetics. Every decision was motivated by our obsession with each pixel having purpose. We worked closely with the team at GMC to ensure that every single on-screen element was tailored to maximize legibility, clarity and contrast.
We developed a custom typeface, specifically for use on the Hummer EV. This typeface was carefully designed to reflect the angularity of the vehicle, as well as the future-forward approach to this amazing EV. This typeface was carefully designed over several months, and ultimately optimized by GMC for implementation throughout the vehicle.
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Extra Credit
John LePore was honored to appear alongside the GM team in marketing materials for the Hummer EV, explaining the philosophy behind the design in GM’s product films. You can view the Hummer EV 'Features & Details' film here.