Hertz NeverLost 6
Hertz NeverLost 6
UX/UI Technical Case Study
01: Discovery & Research
Uncovering User Pain Points to Redefine the Future of In-Car Navigation.
The Hertz NeverLost 6 project began with a clear directive: reinvent the in-car navigation experience to better serve modern travelers while retaining the brand’s legacy of reliability and location intelligence. As GPS-enabled smartphones became ubiquitous, the value of a standalone rental car navigation system was being challenged—yet it remained essential for international travelers, those without data plans, and users who preferred a built-in solution.
To design a competitive and compelling product, we needed to understand the shifting expectations of connected travelers, the shortcomings of prior NeverLost versions, and the technical constraints of embedded vehicle systems.
Stakeholder Discovery:
We kicked off the project with cross-functional interviews spanning:
Hertz Product and Fleet Management teams
Navigation hardware vendors and automotive OEM partners
Marketing, Customer Service, and Field Operations teams
Key business goals emerged:
Reduce customer frustration and support call volume
Increase engagement with location-based services and destination content
Deliver a modern, intuitive experience that could rival smartphones without requiring mobile connectivity
User Research:
We conducted field studies and intercept interviews at Hertz rental locations and with users in-vehicle. Our research covered:
Business travelers
Leisure renters (domestic and international)
Technophobic and older adult drivers
Power users of GPS/navigation tools
Methods included:
In-car ride-alongs observing real-time usage and route planning behavior
Diary studies documenting frustrations and workarounds over multi-day rentals
Surveys at rental kiosks capturing impressions, usability complaints, and feature requests
Key Pain Points Identified:
Poor touchscreen responsiveness and outdated UI metaphors
Overwhelming menus with unclear iconography and redundant categories
Lack of real-time traffic awareness or points-of-interest relevancy
Cumbersome address entry workflows, especially while stationary or unfamiliar with the area
Minimal visual feedback and no route preview, increasing anxiety in unfamiliar cities
No personalization—users couldn’t save routes, recent destinations, or preferences
Competitive & Heuristic Analysis:
We benchmarked the NeverLost 6 first release from Navigation Solutions system against:
Google Maps and Apple Maps (smartphone default UX)
Garmin and TomTom in-vehicle systems
OEM embedded systems in Ford, Toyota, and BMW
This helped us isolate where NeverLost underperformed: speed, customization, visual clarity, and contextual awareness.
Personas Developed:
We synthesized our findings into three primary personas:
The On-the-Go Business Traveler – needs fast, no-nonsense routing and voice guidance to maximize time efficiency
The Family Vacationer – values destination discovery, scenic routes, and ease of use with kids in the car
The Cautious International Driver – requires simple, intuitive design with multilingual support and offline reliability
This discovery phase clarified both user expectations and system limitations, laying the groundwork for a human-centered reinvention of NeverLost—one that prioritized simplicity, glanceable UI, real-time relevance, and confidence in motion.
02 Problem Framing & UX Strategy
Transforming Failure into Opportunity: Reframing NeverLost 6 with a Safety-First, Modular, Cross-Platform UX Strategy.
Our discovery work revealed a fundamental misalignment between how travelers navigate today and how the NeverLost system functioned. While the hardware was still viable, the experience felt outdated, rigid, and unintuitive—forcing users to rely on their smartphones instead of the in-vehicle system they had paid to rent.
We reframed the challenge from “modernizing an old GPS” to a more customer-centered opportunity:
“How might we design a smart, intuitive, and traveler-centric navigation system that restores trust, reduces friction, and enhances the journey for rental car customers on the move?”
This meant addressing both technical legacy constraints and modern UX expectations, while ensuring the system worked for a wide spectrum of drivers—often under stressful, time-sensitive conditions.
Core UX Challenges:
Cognitive Overload: Previous versions featured dense menus, small touch targets, and unclear iconography—slowing task completion and increasing driver frustration.
Static Navigation: Without real-time data or contextual relevance, NeverLost felt passive and inflexible, offering little value beyond basic routing.
Unfamiliarity Anxiety: Rental car customers were often in unfamiliar places, driving unfamiliar vehicles, under pressure—requiring systems that felt fast, friendly, and foolproof.
Lack of Personalization: No saved destinations, no recent history, no traveler profiles—forcing repeat users to re-enter data every time.
Zero Delight: No thoughtful details, no proactive help, no joy in the journey—just utility, and often frustration.
UX Strategy Pillars:
1. Design for the Unfamiliar Driver
Simplify everything. Large touch targets, minimal choices per screen, clear visual hierarchy, and bold navigation prompts that reduce decision time while in motion.
2. Reimagine the Information Architecture
Flatten the menu system into a task-based model: Go Somewhere, Explore, Recent, Favorites, Settings. Eliminate unnecessary submenus and redundant options.
3. Enable Contextual Relevance
Introduce real-time overlays (e.g., traffic, fuel stations, scenic detours) and adapt content based on trip length, time of day, and destination type.
4. Personalize the Journey
Allow temporary user profiles, recent trip memory, and quick access to frequent destinations (e.g., hotel, airport, favorite restaurants) using a touch-and-go approach.
5. Build Trust Through Clarity and Feedback
Use progressive disclosure, route previews, zoomable maps, and strong confirmation patterns. Every action should feel safe, visible, and reversible.
This UX strategy redefined NeverLost as more than just a digital map—it became a travel companion, built for temporary users in high-stakes, unfamiliar environments. From route planning to on-the-fly detours, the system would offer confidence, clarity, and convenience—earning back user trust with every turn.
03: Architecture & Workflow
Designing a Modular, Scalable Navigation System Optimized for Speed, Safety, and Cross-Platform User Continuity.
Following our problem framing and strategy development, we reimagined the NeverLost 6 experience around a task-oriented, real-time architecture—designed to reduce friction, support situational awareness, and accommodate a wide range of driver behaviors. The previous system’s menu-heavy structure was replaced with a lightweight, purpose-driven flow that mirrored the traveler’s mindset: get in, get going, stay informed.
This phase focused on defining a navigation framework that was glanceable, predictable, and interrupt-resilient—all while constrained by embedded hardware and offline data limitations.
Legacy Workflow Pain Points:
Deeply nested menu trees (e.g., “Where To > Address > Enter Street > Confirm > Enter City > Confirm > Enter ZIP”)
Linear back-stack navigation made it hard to recover from missed inputs
No quick access to recent or frequent destinations
No flexibility in mid-route rerouting or point-of-interest exploration
Lack of UI responsiveness caused users to over-tap or abandon interaction
New Architecture Model:
We rebuilt the application into five core functional modules, each mapped to a singular user goal:
Go Somewhere – Address entry, voice search, recent places, saved favorites
Explore Nearby – Points of interest by category (gas, food, lodging), sorted by distance or relevance
Route in Progress – Real-time navigation with zoom controls, ETA, traffic indicators, and audible turn-by-turn
Trip Tools – Reroute, stop guidance, add a stop, switch voice settings, report an issue
Settings & Help – Language, units, volume, system info, accessibility, customer support
Each module used a consistent navigation pattern:
Top-level context-aware header (e.g., “Exploring near LAX”)
Large primary CTA
Flat, swipeable or scrollable option list
Persistent BACK and HOME anchors for recoverability
Left-right carousel logic for map views and POI categories
Workflow Optimizations:
We designed key workflows to minimize input steps and maximize confidence:
Quick Navigation (Hotel to Airport)
Tap “Go Somewhere”
Tap “Recent” → Airport listed by time proximity
Tap to confirm route → Preview screen with ETA, route options, and voice toggle
Tap “Start Navigation”
Explore While En Route (Find Food Nearby)
Tap “Explore Nearby”
Scroll through category icons or voice-search “Mexican food”
See list view and map view simultaneously
Tap location → Add as stop or re-route
Mid-Route Interruptions (Lost GPS, Wrong Turn, User Panic)
Route recalculation auto-triggers with banner feedback and estimated delay
“Resume Last Route” prompt shown if app was closed or powered down
All confirmation screens use large, unambiguous CTAs for clarity while in motion
State Management Model:
We defined three primary states to drive system behavior:
Stationary State – Full menu access, safe for browsing and trip planning
In-Motion State – Minimal interaction, only glance-safe overlays and voice guidance
Interrupted State – Smart recovery tools to restore sessions, recalibrate GPS, or reorient the user
This tiered state model supported driver safety, reduced cognitive load, and created a predictable rhythm of interaction throughout the trip.
By redefining the core architecture around real-world rental use cases, we replaced the outdated complexity of past NeverLost systems with an intuitive, map-centric, and context-responsive experience—built for drivers who didn’t have time to learn, but needed to trust it immediately.
04: Wireframing & Prototyping
Building 162 Screens from Scratch: Custom Wireframes and Prototypes Optimized for Safety, Speed, and Scale.
With a simplified architecture and task-based workflow model in place, we moved into wireframing and prototyping to explore, test, and validate the redesigned NeverLost 6 experience. Our goal was to deliver a frictionless, glanceable, and confidence-inspiring interface—specifically tailored to users navigating unfamiliar environments, often under time pressure and with limited digital literacy.
This phase focused on balancing clarity with flexibility, designing for a wide spectrum of users—from business travelers to tech-averse international renters.
Wireframing Approach:
We began with low-fidelity wireframes, focusing on:
Core navigation flows (Start a Route, Explore POIs, Resume Previous Trip)
UI structure for key states: Pre-Trip Planning, Active Navigation, and Post-Trip Summary
Interaction logic tied to large touch targets, simplified iconography, and left-right carousel behavior
Quick-action tiles and contextual overlays for common actions like reroute, cancel, mute, and add stop
All early wireframes were built as grayscale templates that emphasized information hierarchy and interaction priority without visual styling distractions.
Key Low-Fi Concepts Explored:
Dynamic Route Preview screen with 3D map toggle, turn-by-turn list, and real-time traffic indicators
Dual-view “Explore Nearby” layout, showing map and list simultaneously
One-button address entry modes: Full keyboard, recent locations, and predictive text suggestions
Modular Quick Actions tray during active navigation (Pause, Detour, Add Stop, Mute Guidance)
Map interaction logic for pinch-zoom, tap-to-select POIs, and swipeable category filters
We validated these wireframes through stakeholder walk-throughs, internal usability audits, and early-stage user testing with simulated driving tasks.
Interactive Prototypes:
We built interactive mid-fidelity prototypes using Axure and later transitioned to Adobe XD and Figma for interactive overlays, user flows, and developer alignment.
Prototypes included:
Home screen to route planning (3-tap flow)
Live reroute scenario triggered by GPS drift or user input
Explore Nearby > Restaurant > Add Stop
Simulated Garmin map integration with voice prompt overlays
Confirmation and error states (e.g., route unavailable, poor satellite signal)
Prototypes were loaded onto in-vehicle tablets and tested during live ride-along scenarios, including:
Urban downtown driving (Chicago, Los Angeles)
Highway travel with route changes
Rental pickup/drop-off location wayfinding
Design Principles Reinforced Through Prototyping:
Minimize interaction depth—never more than 3 taps to route start
Persistent orientation tools—visible ETA, directional compass, route summary always available
Glance-safe UI—no stacked modals, no hidden actions, and no dense text blocks
Error resilience—non-destructive flows with “Cancel,” “Undo,” and “Resume Last Route” options visible at key junctions
The prototyping phase allowed us to simulate and refine real-world driver workflows, pressure-test layout decisions, and stress-test mental models in motion. Each prototype became a living proof-of-concept, validated by driver behaviors and supported by feedback loops across UX, product, and engineering teams.
This foundation set the stage for usability testing in diverse driving scenarios and prepared us for final UI design and implementation.
05: User Testing & Validation
Real-World Testing Refined Navigation for Safety, Speed, and Confidence.
With our interactive prototypes in hand, we moved into a multi-phase user testing process designed to validate usability, clarity, and responsiveness under real-world driving conditions. Our core objective was to ensure that NeverLost 6 could be used confidently by renters from all backgrounds—whether tech-savvy or not—without distracting from the driving experience.
We focused on motion-contextual testing, simulating conditions renters face: unfamiliar routes, time pressure, and physical interaction limits while in a vehicle.
Expanded Hardware Testing:
To improve screen visibility and interaction clarity, we also tested a larger, alternative head unit with a high-brightness display and broader viewing angles. This variant provided improved legibility in daylight and reduced screen glare—two recurring pain points from prior versions. Users responded positively to the increased interface scale and elevated mounting position, noting enhanced readability and reduced eye strain while driving.
Test Cohorts:
We recruited 30+ participants from key user segments:
Business travelers focused on efficiency and reliability
Vacationing families with kids and complex itineraries
International renters less familiar with U.S. road systems or English-language instructions
Older adults and non-digital natives representing accessibility and cognitive load challenges
Participants were tested in rental cars, Hertz customer lots, and simulated drive routes using in-vehicle tablets running high-fidelity prototypes.
Key Scenarios Tested:
Entering and starting a route from a hotel to the airport
Adding a stop mid-route (e.g., gas station or food)
Exploring POIs by category or voice search
Recovering from a missed turn or GPS interruption
Using the system with no prior instruction or onboarding
Interacting with the device while stationary vs. in motion
Evaluation Metrics:
Time to task completion for route creation and rerouting
Glance duration and number of taps for in-motion actions
Error rates and recovery success (missed taps, misroutes, back-navigation)
System trust and user confidence measured through post-test surveys
Perceived usefulness vs. personal smartphone navigation tools
Key Insights:
Route preview with turn-by-turn list was highly preferred over default map-only view
Users favored list + map hybrid POI views, especially in unfamiliar cities
Voice search reduced stress—but fallback to typing had to be seamless and forgiving
Persistent BACK and HOME anchors helped prevent user frustration during wrong turns or mis-taps
A “Resume Last Route” feature was seen as a major confidence booster for interrupted sessions
Notably, international users and older participants appreciated:
High-contrast interface themes
Large, consistent touch targets
Language toggle and offline help screen available from every primary screen
Resulting Design Refinements:
Replaced dropdown menus with scrollable tiles and icon buttons for faster in-motion scanning
Re-sequenced address entry to prioritize city → street → number, matching natural recall patterns
Simplified POI categories based on user expectations (e.g., “Food” instead of “Dining & Beverage”)
Added route preview timer with visual confirmation before guidance begins
Reinforced visual feedback for reroute triggers (GPS loss, wrong turn, exit missed)
User testing confirmed that the NeverLost 6 experience was now usable, understandable, and recoverable—even under pressure. More importantly, renters described the interface as “calming,” “smart,” and “easy to trust”—an important shift from the frustration and abandonment associated with earlier versions.
This validation phase ensured that the system supported diverse use cases and cognitive profiles, building toward a final visual design system that could scale across vehicles and future updates.
06: Visual Design & Accessibility
Clarity in Motion: A Driver-Centric Visual System Built for Confidence, Glanceability, and Universal Access
With user testing validating interaction models and workflows, we transitioned into high-fidelity visual design—creating a system that was clean, modern, and built for drivers in motion. The visual identity of NeverLost 6 had to rebuild user trust, instill confidence at a glance, and provide clarity in high-pressure driving conditions—all while respecting the constraints of embedded vehicle hardware and varying screen sizes.
Our design goal: make every element unmistakable, glanceable, and safe, whether users were navigating a city center or highway on-ramp.
Visual Design Goals:
Simplify the interface to reduce decision time
Design for high visibility under all lighting conditions
Create a consistent and brand-aligned system across all screens
Support accessibility and multilingual use without overwhelming the layout
Key Design Principles:
1. Glanceable Hierarchy
We implemented a strict hierarchy using large, high-contrast typography, bold primary buttons, and smart grouping of information:
Top section: active route summary (ETA, miles, next turn)
Center: dynamic map with traffic overlays and callouts
Bottom: context-sensitive action bar (e.g., Add Stop, Mute, Cancel)
2. Scalable UI Components
Every component was built as a modular, reusable block, allowing us to support screen sizes ranging from compact in-dash units to larger tablet-style displays in Hertz premium vehicles.
3. Adaptive Color Modes
We developed two core themes:
Day Mode – light background, dark text/icons for high readability in daylight
Night Mode – dark background, desaturated UI elements to minimize glare and eye strain during nighttime driving
4. Iconography and Visual Language
We moved away from dense menus and introduced a universal icon set for navigation, categories (food, gas, lodging), and controls (volume, zoom, reroute). Each icon was tested for legibility at a distance.
Accessibility Enhancements:
WCAG AA contrast ratios for all text and touch targets
Large touch zones (44px minimum) to reduce interaction errors during movement
Designed for offline-first operation with minimal dependency on live data
Multilingual support built into the layout and language toggles surfaced on the home screen
Haptic and audio cues for key interactions (e.g., reroute confirmation, GPS lock, payment success)
Future-readiness for text-to-speech guidance enhancements and screen reader compatibility
Visual Delight & Brand Reintroduction:
We didn’t just design for utility—we reintroduced confidence and delight to the Hertz NeverLost brand through thoughtful microinteractions:
Route start animations
Smooth map zoom/pan transitions
Animated progress rings for recalculation
Subtle movement in category tiles to indicate proximity or popularity
These touches gave the system a feeling of responsiveness and intelligence without distracting from the task of driving.
Outcome:
The final visual system made NeverLost 6 feel modern, intuitive, and ready to assist—not overwhelm. It empowered travelers to make decisions quickly, understand where they were going, and recover gracefully if things changed.
By combining strong visual hierarchy, smart UI logic, and accessibility-forward thinking, we delivered a navigation experience tailored to the unique pressures of rental car travel—earning back user trust with every interaction.
07: Engineering Handoff & Iteration
Seamless Design-to-Dev Execution with Custom Tooling for Embedded, Mobile, and Scalable Cross-Platform Delivery.
With the design system validated and visual direction finalized, we transitioned into the engineering handoff phase—translating design intent into a functional, performant embedded navigation product. Given the hardware constraints of in-vehicle systems, the success of NeverLost 6 hinged on tight design-engineering alignment, platform-specific adaptation, and continuous iteration based on in-field feedback.
Our goal was to ensure that the final product felt just as responsive and intuitive on the road as it did in prototypes and simulations.
Handoff Deliverables:
We provided a fully annotated and implementation-ready design package, including:
Interactive redlines and developer specs (Figma + PDF exports)
Component libraries with scalable UI assets for different screen sizes and form factors
Touch target zones and logic maps for all button inputs and state transitions
Voice guidance and visual timing alignment specs (e.g., when to trigger visual prompts relative to spoken directions)
Offline-first design constraints including graceful error states, preloaded map logic, and memory management strategies
State-based navigation model defining transitions between planning, active guidance, and reroute recovery
Collaboration Approach:
We partnered closely with embedded systems engineers, firmware developers, and Garmin (the underlying map tech provider) through agile delivery sprints and weekly syncs to resolve edge cases and optimize for performance.
Key implementation considerations included:
Memory optimization for offline map tiles and POI data caching
GPU rendering performance on mid-tier vehicle head units
Responsiveness of animation layers (e.g., zoom/pan transitions and route recalculation feedback)
Localization and language switch handling across the full system
Input lag prevention through button debounce logic and gesture threshold tuning
Iteration in the Field:
We supported field validation through:
In-car QA sessions with real-world drivers across major cities (NYC, Chicago, LA)
Bug triage and design QA cycles using ticketing systems (Jira + QA logs)
Visual tuning for different lighting conditions and screen qualities (matte vs. glossy, low-brightness displays)
Adjustments to default route zoom levels and guidance thresholds based on driver feedback during turns and exits
Notable Improvements During Iteration:
Adjusted map loading animation to prevent flickering or visual lag during zoom-in/out
Streamlined “Resume Last Route” behavior to persist across power cycles and GPS loss
Simplified the POI filtering system to improve responsiveness when switching categories
Added fallback states for offline rerouting, prompting users with approximate time estimates and “Continue Anyway” options
Improved multi-language support to avoid layout breaks in non-Latin scripts (e.g., Japanese, German)
Outcome:
Through close collaboration and continuous iteration, we delivered an embedded navigation experience that preserved design intent without compromising on responsiveness, safety, or clarity. Engineering and design operated as one integrated team—ensuring that what we shipped wasn’t just usable, but delightful, intuitive, and road-ready.
The NeverLost 6 system re-established Hertz’s in-car navigation as a trusted, brand-aligned travel companion, ready for today’s drivers and future-proofed for tomorrow’s fleet.
More Works
Hertz NeverLost 6
UX/UI Technical Case Study
01: Discovery & Research
Uncovering User Pain Points to Redefine the Future of In-Car Navigation.
The Hertz NeverLost 6 project began with a clear directive: reinvent the in-car navigation experience to better serve modern travelers while retaining the brand’s legacy of reliability and location intelligence. As GPS-enabled smartphones became ubiquitous, the value of a standalone rental car navigation system was being challenged—yet it remained essential for international travelers, those without data plans, and users who preferred a built-in solution.
To design a competitive and compelling product, we needed to understand the shifting expectations of connected travelers, the shortcomings of prior NeverLost versions, and the technical constraints of embedded vehicle systems.
Stakeholder Discovery:
We kicked off the project with cross-functional interviews spanning:
Hertz Product and Fleet Management teams
Navigation hardware vendors and automotive OEM partners
Marketing, Customer Service, and Field Operations teams
Key business goals emerged:
Reduce customer frustration and support call volume
Increase engagement with location-based services and destination content
Deliver a modern, intuitive experience that could rival smartphones without requiring mobile connectivity
User Research:
We conducted field studies and intercept interviews at Hertz rental locations and with users in-vehicle. Our research covered:
Business travelers
Leisure renters (domestic and international)
Technophobic and older adult drivers
Power users of GPS/navigation tools
Methods included:
In-car ride-alongs observing real-time usage and route planning behavior
Diary studies documenting frustrations and workarounds over multi-day rentals
Surveys at rental kiosks capturing impressions, usability complaints, and feature requests
Key Pain Points Identified:
Poor touchscreen responsiveness and outdated UI metaphors
Overwhelming menus with unclear iconography and redundant categories
Lack of real-time traffic awareness or points-of-interest relevancy
Cumbersome address entry workflows, especially while stationary or unfamiliar with the area
Minimal visual feedback and no route preview, increasing anxiety in unfamiliar cities
No personalization—users couldn’t save routes, recent destinations, or preferences
Competitive & Heuristic Analysis:
We benchmarked the NeverLost 6 first release from Navigation Solutions system against:
Google Maps and Apple Maps (smartphone default UX)
Garmin and TomTom in-vehicle systems
OEM embedded systems in Ford, Toyota, and BMW
This helped us isolate where NeverLost underperformed: speed, customization, visual clarity, and contextual awareness.
Personas Developed:
We synthesized our findings into three primary personas:
The On-the-Go Business Traveler – needs fast, no-nonsense routing and voice guidance to maximize time efficiency
The Family Vacationer – values destination discovery, scenic routes, and ease of use with kids in the car
The Cautious International Driver – requires simple, intuitive design with multilingual support and offline reliability
This discovery phase clarified both user expectations and system limitations, laying the groundwork for a human-centered reinvention of NeverLost—one that prioritized simplicity, glanceable UI, real-time relevance, and confidence in motion.
02 Problem Framing & UX Strategy
Transforming Failure into Opportunity: Reframing NeverLost 6 with a Safety-First, Modular, Cross-Platform UX Strategy.
Our discovery work revealed a fundamental misalignment between how travelers navigate today and how the NeverLost system functioned. While the hardware was still viable, the experience felt outdated, rigid, and unintuitive—forcing users to rely on their smartphones instead of the in-vehicle system they had paid to rent.
We reframed the challenge from “modernizing an old GPS” to a more customer-centered opportunity:
“How might we design a smart, intuitive, and traveler-centric navigation system that restores trust, reduces friction, and enhances the journey for rental car customers on the move?”
This meant addressing both technical legacy constraints and modern UX expectations, while ensuring the system worked for a wide spectrum of drivers—often under stressful, time-sensitive conditions.
Core UX Challenges:
Cognitive Overload: Previous versions featured dense menus, small touch targets, and unclear iconography—slowing task completion and increasing driver frustration.
Static Navigation: Without real-time data or contextual relevance, NeverLost felt passive and inflexible, offering little value beyond basic routing.
Unfamiliarity Anxiety: Rental car customers were often in unfamiliar places, driving unfamiliar vehicles, under pressure—requiring systems that felt fast, friendly, and foolproof.
Lack of Personalization: No saved destinations, no recent history, no traveler profiles—forcing repeat users to re-enter data every time.
Zero Delight: No thoughtful details, no proactive help, no joy in the journey—just utility, and often frustration.
UX Strategy Pillars:
1. Design for the Unfamiliar Driver
Simplify everything. Large touch targets, minimal choices per screen, clear visual hierarchy, and bold navigation prompts that reduce decision time while in motion.
2. Reimagine the Information Architecture
Flatten the menu system into a task-based model: Go Somewhere, Explore, Recent, Favorites, Settings. Eliminate unnecessary submenus and redundant options.
3. Enable Contextual Relevance
Introduce real-time overlays (e.g., traffic, fuel stations, scenic detours) and adapt content based on trip length, time of day, and destination type.
4. Personalize the Journey
Allow temporary user profiles, recent trip memory, and quick access to frequent destinations (e.g., hotel, airport, favorite restaurants) using a touch-and-go approach.
5. Build Trust Through Clarity and Feedback
Use progressive disclosure, route previews, zoomable maps, and strong confirmation patterns. Every action should feel safe, visible, and reversible.
This UX strategy redefined NeverLost as more than just a digital map—it became a travel companion, built for temporary users in high-stakes, unfamiliar environments. From route planning to on-the-fly detours, the system would offer confidence, clarity, and convenience—earning back user trust with every turn.
03: Architecture & Workflow
Designing a Modular, Scalable Navigation System Optimized for Speed, Safety, and Cross-Platform User Continuity.
Following our problem framing and strategy development, we reimagined the NeverLost 6 experience around a task-oriented, real-time architecture—designed to reduce friction, support situational awareness, and accommodate a wide range of driver behaviors. The previous system’s menu-heavy structure was replaced with a lightweight, purpose-driven flow that mirrored the traveler’s mindset: get in, get going, stay informed.
This phase focused on defining a navigation framework that was glanceable, predictable, and interrupt-resilient—all while constrained by embedded hardware and offline data limitations.
Legacy Workflow Pain Points:
Deeply nested menu trees (e.g., “Where To > Address > Enter Street > Confirm > Enter City > Confirm > Enter ZIP”)
Linear back-stack navigation made it hard to recover from missed inputs
No quick access to recent or frequent destinations
No flexibility in mid-route rerouting or point-of-interest exploration
Lack of UI responsiveness caused users to over-tap or abandon interaction
New Architecture Model:
We rebuilt the application into five core functional modules, each mapped to a singular user goal:
Go Somewhere – Address entry, voice search, recent places, saved favorites
Explore Nearby – Points of interest by category (gas, food, lodging), sorted by distance or relevance
Route in Progress – Real-time navigation with zoom controls, ETA, traffic indicators, and audible turn-by-turn
Trip Tools – Reroute, stop guidance, add a stop, switch voice settings, report an issue
Settings & Help – Language, units, volume, system info, accessibility, customer support
Each module used a consistent navigation pattern:
Top-level context-aware header (e.g., “Exploring near LAX”)
Large primary CTA
Flat, swipeable or scrollable option list
Persistent BACK and HOME anchors for recoverability
Left-right carousel logic for map views and POI categories
Workflow Optimizations:
We designed key workflows to minimize input steps and maximize confidence:
Quick Navigation (Hotel to Airport)
Tap “Go Somewhere”
Tap “Recent” → Airport listed by time proximity
Tap to confirm route → Preview screen with ETA, route options, and voice toggle
Tap “Start Navigation”
Explore While En Route (Find Food Nearby)
Tap “Explore Nearby”
Scroll through category icons or voice-search “Mexican food”
See list view and map view simultaneously
Tap location → Add as stop or re-route
Mid-Route Interruptions (Lost GPS, Wrong Turn, User Panic)
Route recalculation auto-triggers with banner feedback and estimated delay
“Resume Last Route” prompt shown if app was closed or powered down
All confirmation screens use large, unambiguous CTAs for clarity while in motion
State Management Model:
We defined three primary states to drive system behavior:
Stationary State – Full menu access, safe for browsing and trip planning
In-Motion State – Minimal interaction, only glance-safe overlays and voice guidance
Interrupted State – Smart recovery tools to restore sessions, recalibrate GPS, or reorient the user
This tiered state model supported driver safety, reduced cognitive load, and created a predictable rhythm of interaction throughout the trip.
By redefining the core architecture around real-world rental use cases, we replaced the outdated complexity of past NeverLost systems with an intuitive, map-centric, and context-responsive experience—built for drivers who didn’t have time to learn, but needed to trust it immediately.
04: Wireframing & Prototyping
Building 162 Screens from Scratch: Custom Wireframes and Prototypes Optimized for Safety, Speed, and Scale.
With a simplified architecture and task-based workflow model in place, we moved into wireframing and prototyping to explore, test, and validate the redesigned NeverLost 6 experience. Our goal was to deliver a frictionless, glanceable, and confidence-inspiring interface—specifically tailored to users navigating unfamiliar environments, often under time pressure and with limited digital literacy.
This phase focused on balancing clarity with flexibility, designing for a wide spectrum of users—from business travelers to tech-averse international renters.
Wireframing Approach:
We began with low-fidelity wireframes, focusing on:
Core navigation flows (Start a Route, Explore POIs, Resume Previous Trip)
UI structure for key states: Pre-Trip Planning, Active Navigation, and Post-Trip Summary
Interaction logic tied to large touch targets, simplified iconography, and left-right carousel behavior
Quick-action tiles and contextual overlays for common actions like reroute, cancel, mute, and add stop
All early wireframes were built as grayscale templates that emphasized information hierarchy and interaction priority without visual styling distractions.
Key Low-Fi Concepts Explored:
Dynamic Route Preview screen with 3D map toggle, turn-by-turn list, and real-time traffic indicators
Dual-view “Explore Nearby” layout, showing map and list simultaneously
One-button address entry modes: Full keyboard, recent locations, and predictive text suggestions
Modular Quick Actions tray during active navigation (Pause, Detour, Add Stop, Mute Guidance)
Map interaction logic for pinch-zoom, tap-to-select POIs, and swipeable category filters
We validated these wireframes through stakeholder walk-throughs, internal usability audits, and early-stage user testing with simulated driving tasks.
Interactive Prototypes:
We built interactive mid-fidelity prototypes using Axure and later transitioned to Adobe XD and Figma for interactive overlays, user flows, and developer alignment.
Prototypes included:
Home screen to route planning (3-tap flow)
Live reroute scenario triggered by GPS drift or user input
Explore Nearby > Restaurant > Add Stop
Simulated Garmin map integration with voice prompt overlays
Confirmation and error states (e.g., route unavailable, poor satellite signal)
Prototypes were loaded onto in-vehicle tablets and tested during live ride-along scenarios, including:
Urban downtown driving (Chicago, Los Angeles)
Highway travel with route changes
Rental pickup/drop-off location wayfinding
Design Principles Reinforced Through Prototyping:
Minimize interaction depth—never more than 3 taps to route start
Persistent orientation tools—visible ETA, directional compass, route summary always available
Glance-safe UI—no stacked modals, no hidden actions, and no dense text blocks
Error resilience—non-destructive flows with “Cancel,” “Undo,” and “Resume Last Route” options visible at key junctions
The prototyping phase allowed us to simulate and refine real-world driver workflows, pressure-test layout decisions, and stress-test mental models in motion. Each prototype became a living proof-of-concept, validated by driver behaviors and supported by feedback loops across UX, product, and engineering teams.
This foundation set the stage for usability testing in diverse driving scenarios and prepared us for final UI design and implementation.
05: User Testing & Validation
Real-World Testing Refined Navigation for Safety, Speed, and Confidence.
With our interactive prototypes in hand, we moved into a multi-phase user testing process designed to validate usability, clarity, and responsiveness under real-world driving conditions. Our core objective was to ensure that NeverLost 6 could be used confidently by renters from all backgrounds—whether tech-savvy or not—without distracting from the driving experience.
We focused on motion-contextual testing, simulating conditions renters face: unfamiliar routes, time pressure, and physical interaction limits while in a vehicle.
Expanded Hardware Testing:
To improve screen visibility and interaction clarity, we also tested a larger, alternative head unit with a high-brightness display and broader viewing angles. This variant provided improved legibility in daylight and reduced screen glare—two recurring pain points from prior versions. Users responded positively to the increased interface scale and elevated mounting position, noting enhanced readability and reduced eye strain while driving.
Test Cohorts:
We recruited 30+ participants from key user segments:
Business travelers focused on efficiency and reliability
Vacationing families with kids and complex itineraries
International renters less familiar with U.S. road systems or English-language instructions
Older adults and non-digital natives representing accessibility and cognitive load challenges
Participants were tested in rental cars, Hertz customer lots, and simulated drive routes using in-vehicle tablets running high-fidelity prototypes.
Key Scenarios Tested:
Entering and starting a route from a hotel to the airport
Adding a stop mid-route (e.g., gas station or food)
Exploring POIs by category or voice search
Recovering from a missed turn or GPS interruption
Using the system with no prior instruction or onboarding
Interacting with the device while stationary vs. in motion
Evaluation Metrics:
Time to task completion for route creation and rerouting
Glance duration and number of taps for in-motion actions
Error rates and recovery success (missed taps, misroutes, back-navigation)
System trust and user confidence measured through post-test surveys
Perceived usefulness vs. personal smartphone navigation tools
Key Insights:
Route preview with turn-by-turn list was highly preferred over default map-only view
Users favored list + map hybrid POI views, especially in unfamiliar cities
Voice search reduced stress—but fallback to typing had to be seamless and forgiving
Persistent BACK and HOME anchors helped prevent user frustration during wrong turns or mis-taps
A “Resume Last Route” feature was seen as a major confidence booster for interrupted sessions
Notably, international users and older participants appreciated:
High-contrast interface themes
Large, consistent touch targets
Language toggle and offline help screen available from every primary screen
Resulting Design Refinements:
Replaced dropdown menus with scrollable tiles and icon buttons for faster in-motion scanning
Re-sequenced address entry to prioritize city → street → number, matching natural recall patterns
Simplified POI categories based on user expectations (e.g., “Food” instead of “Dining & Beverage”)
Added route preview timer with visual confirmation before guidance begins
Reinforced visual feedback for reroute triggers (GPS loss, wrong turn, exit missed)
User testing confirmed that the NeverLost 6 experience was now usable, understandable, and recoverable—even under pressure. More importantly, renters described the interface as “calming,” “smart,” and “easy to trust”—an important shift from the frustration and abandonment associated with earlier versions.
This validation phase ensured that the system supported diverse use cases and cognitive profiles, building toward a final visual design system that could scale across vehicles and future updates.
06: Visual Design & Accessibility
Clarity in Motion: A Driver-Centric Visual System Built for Confidence, Glanceability, and Universal Access
With user testing validating interaction models and workflows, we transitioned into high-fidelity visual design—creating a system that was clean, modern, and built for drivers in motion. The visual identity of NeverLost 6 had to rebuild user trust, instill confidence at a glance, and provide clarity in high-pressure driving conditions—all while respecting the constraints of embedded vehicle hardware and varying screen sizes.
Our design goal: make every element unmistakable, glanceable, and safe, whether users were navigating a city center or highway on-ramp.
Visual Design Goals:
Simplify the interface to reduce decision time
Design for high visibility under all lighting conditions
Create a consistent and brand-aligned system across all screens
Support accessibility and multilingual use without overwhelming the layout
Key Design Principles:
1. Glanceable Hierarchy
We implemented a strict hierarchy using large, high-contrast typography, bold primary buttons, and smart grouping of information:
Top section: active route summary (ETA, miles, next turn)
Center: dynamic map with traffic overlays and callouts
Bottom: context-sensitive action bar (e.g., Add Stop, Mute, Cancel)
2. Scalable UI Components
Every component was built as a modular, reusable block, allowing us to support screen sizes ranging from compact in-dash units to larger tablet-style displays in Hertz premium vehicles.
3. Adaptive Color Modes
We developed two core themes:
Day Mode – light background, dark text/icons for high readability in daylight
Night Mode – dark background, desaturated UI elements to minimize glare and eye strain during nighttime driving
4. Iconography and Visual Language
We moved away from dense menus and introduced a universal icon set for navigation, categories (food, gas, lodging), and controls (volume, zoom, reroute). Each icon was tested for legibility at a distance.
Accessibility Enhancements:
WCAG AA contrast ratios for all text and touch targets
Large touch zones (44px minimum) to reduce interaction errors during movement
Designed for offline-first operation with minimal dependency on live data
Multilingual support built into the layout and language toggles surfaced on the home screen
Haptic and audio cues for key interactions (e.g., reroute confirmation, GPS lock, payment success)
Future-readiness for text-to-speech guidance enhancements and screen reader compatibility
Visual Delight & Brand Reintroduction:
We didn’t just design for utility—we reintroduced confidence and delight to the Hertz NeverLost brand through thoughtful microinteractions:
Route start animations
Smooth map zoom/pan transitions
Animated progress rings for recalculation
Subtle movement in category tiles to indicate proximity or popularity
These touches gave the system a feeling of responsiveness and intelligence without distracting from the task of driving.
Outcome:
The final visual system made NeverLost 6 feel modern, intuitive, and ready to assist—not overwhelm. It empowered travelers to make decisions quickly, understand where they were going, and recover gracefully if things changed.
By combining strong visual hierarchy, smart UI logic, and accessibility-forward thinking, we delivered a navigation experience tailored to the unique pressures of rental car travel—earning back user trust with every interaction.
07: Engineering Handoff & Iteration
Seamless Design-to-Dev Execution with Custom Tooling for Embedded, Mobile, and Scalable Cross-Platform Delivery.
With the design system validated and visual direction finalized, we transitioned into the engineering handoff phase—translating design intent into a functional, performant embedded navigation product. Given the hardware constraints of in-vehicle systems, the success of NeverLost 6 hinged on tight design-engineering alignment, platform-specific adaptation, and continuous iteration based on in-field feedback.
Our goal was to ensure that the final product felt just as responsive and intuitive on the road as it did in prototypes and simulations.
Handoff Deliverables:
We provided a fully annotated and implementation-ready design package, including:
Interactive redlines and developer specs (Figma + PDF exports)
Component libraries with scalable UI assets for different screen sizes and form factors
Touch target zones and logic maps for all button inputs and state transitions
Voice guidance and visual timing alignment specs (e.g., when to trigger visual prompts relative to spoken directions)
Offline-first design constraints including graceful error states, preloaded map logic, and memory management strategies
State-based navigation model defining transitions between planning, active guidance, and reroute recovery
Collaboration Approach:
We partnered closely with embedded systems engineers, firmware developers, and Garmin (the underlying map tech provider) through agile delivery sprints and weekly syncs to resolve edge cases and optimize for performance.
Key implementation considerations included:
Memory optimization for offline map tiles and POI data caching
GPU rendering performance on mid-tier vehicle head units
Responsiveness of animation layers (e.g., zoom/pan transitions and route recalculation feedback)
Localization and language switch handling across the full system
Input lag prevention through button debounce logic and gesture threshold tuning
Iteration in the Field:
We supported field validation through:
In-car QA sessions with real-world drivers across major cities (NYC, Chicago, LA)
Bug triage and design QA cycles using ticketing systems (Jira + QA logs)
Visual tuning for different lighting conditions and screen qualities (matte vs. glossy, low-brightness displays)
Adjustments to default route zoom levels and guidance thresholds based on driver feedback during turns and exits
Notable Improvements During Iteration:
Adjusted map loading animation to prevent flickering or visual lag during zoom-in/out
Streamlined “Resume Last Route” behavior to persist across power cycles and GPS loss
Simplified the POI filtering system to improve responsiveness when switching categories
Added fallback states for offline rerouting, prompting users with approximate time estimates and “Continue Anyway” options
Improved multi-language support to avoid layout breaks in non-Latin scripts (e.g., Japanese, German)
Outcome:
Through close collaboration and continuous iteration, we delivered an embedded navigation experience that preserved design intent without compromising on responsiveness, safety, or clarity. Engineering and design operated as one integrated team—ensuring that what we shipped wasn’t just usable, but delightful, intuitive, and road-ready.
The NeverLost 6 system re-established Hertz’s in-car navigation as a trusted, brand-aligned travel companion, ready for today’s drivers and future-proofed for tomorrow’s fleet.
More Works
Hertz NeverLost 6
UX/UI Technical Case Study
01: Discovery & Research
Uncovering User Pain Points to Redefine the Future of In-Car Navigation.
The Hertz NeverLost 6 project began with a clear directive: reinvent the in-car navigation experience to better serve modern travelers while retaining the brand’s legacy of reliability and location intelligence. As GPS-enabled smartphones became ubiquitous, the value of a standalone rental car navigation system was being challenged—yet it remained essential for international travelers, those without data plans, and users who preferred a built-in solution.
To design a competitive and compelling product, we needed to understand the shifting expectations of connected travelers, the shortcomings of prior NeverLost versions, and the technical constraints of embedded vehicle systems.
Stakeholder Discovery:
We kicked off the project with cross-functional interviews spanning:
Hertz Product and Fleet Management teams
Navigation hardware vendors and automotive OEM partners
Marketing, Customer Service, and Field Operations teams
Key business goals emerged:
Reduce customer frustration and support call volume
Increase engagement with location-based services and destination content
Deliver a modern, intuitive experience that could rival smartphones without requiring mobile connectivity
User Research:
We conducted field studies and intercept interviews at Hertz rental locations and with users in-vehicle. Our research covered:
Business travelers
Leisure renters (domestic and international)
Technophobic and older adult drivers
Power users of GPS/navigation tools
Methods included:
In-car ride-alongs observing real-time usage and route planning behavior
Diary studies documenting frustrations and workarounds over multi-day rentals
Surveys at rental kiosks capturing impressions, usability complaints, and feature requests
Key Pain Points Identified:
Poor touchscreen responsiveness and outdated UI metaphors
Overwhelming menus with unclear iconography and redundant categories
Lack of real-time traffic awareness or points-of-interest relevancy
Cumbersome address entry workflows, especially while stationary or unfamiliar with the area
Minimal visual feedback and no route preview, increasing anxiety in unfamiliar cities
No personalization—users couldn’t save routes, recent destinations, or preferences
Competitive & Heuristic Analysis:
We benchmarked the NeverLost 6 first release from Navigation Solutions system against:
Google Maps and Apple Maps (smartphone default UX)
Garmin and TomTom in-vehicle systems
OEM embedded systems in Ford, Toyota, and BMW
This helped us isolate where NeverLost underperformed: speed, customization, visual clarity, and contextual awareness.
Personas Developed:
We synthesized our findings into three primary personas:
The On-the-Go Business Traveler – needs fast, no-nonsense routing and voice guidance to maximize time efficiency
The Family Vacationer – values destination discovery, scenic routes, and ease of use with kids in the car
The Cautious International Driver – requires simple, intuitive design with multilingual support and offline reliability
This discovery phase clarified both user expectations and system limitations, laying the groundwork for a human-centered reinvention of NeverLost—one that prioritized simplicity, glanceable UI, real-time relevance, and confidence in motion.
02 Problem Framing & UX Strategy
Transforming Failure into Opportunity: Reframing NeverLost 6 with a Safety-First, Modular, Cross-Platform UX Strategy.
Our discovery work revealed a fundamental misalignment between how travelers navigate today and how the NeverLost system functioned. While the hardware was still viable, the experience felt outdated, rigid, and unintuitive—forcing users to rely on their smartphones instead of the in-vehicle system they had paid to rent.
We reframed the challenge from “modernizing an old GPS” to a more customer-centered opportunity:
“How might we design a smart, intuitive, and traveler-centric navigation system that restores trust, reduces friction, and enhances the journey for rental car customers on the move?”
This meant addressing both technical legacy constraints and modern UX expectations, while ensuring the system worked for a wide spectrum of drivers—often under stressful, time-sensitive conditions.
Core UX Challenges:
Cognitive Overload: Previous versions featured dense menus, small touch targets, and unclear iconography—slowing task completion and increasing driver frustration.
Static Navigation: Without real-time data or contextual relevance, NeverLost felt passive and inflexible, offering little value beyond basic routing.
Unfamiliarity Anxiety: Rental car customers were often in unfamiliar places, driving unfamiliar vehicles, under pressure—requiring systems that felt fast, friendly, and foolproof.
Lack of Personalization: No saved destinations, no recent history, no traveler profiles—forcing repeat users to re-enter data every time.
Zero Delight: No thoughtful details, no proactive help, no joy in the journey—just utility, and often frustration.
UX Strategy Pillars:
1. Design for the Unfamiliar Driver
Simplify everything. Large touch targets, minimal choices per screen, clear visual hierarchy, and bold navigation prompts that reduce decision time while in motion.
2. Reimagine the Information Architecture
Flatten the menu system into a task-based model: Go Somewhere, Explore, Recent, Favorites, Settings. Eliminate unnecessary submenus and redundant options.
3. Enable Contextual Relevance
Introduce real-time overlays (e.g., traffic, fuel stations, scenic detours) and adapt content based on trip length, time of day, and destination type.
4. Personalize the Journey
Allow temporary user profiles, recent trip memory, and quick access to frequent destinations (e.g., hotel, airport, favorite restaurants) using a touch-and-go approach.
5. Build Trust Through Clarity and Feedback
Use progressive disclosure, route previews, zoomable maps, and strong confirmation patterns. Every action should feel safe, visible, and reversible.
This UX strategy redefined NeverLost as more than just a digital map—it became a travel companion, built for temporary users in high-stakes, unfamiliar environments. From route planning to on-the-fly detours, the system would offer confidence, clarity, and convenience—earning back user trust with every turn.
03: Architecture & Workflow
Designing a Modular, Scalable Navigation System Optimized for Speed, Safety, and Cross-Platform User Continuity.
Following our problem framing and strategy development, we reimagined the NeverLost 6 experience around a task-oriented, real-time architecture—designed to reduce friction, support situational awareness, and accommodate a wide range of driver behaviors. The previous system’s menu-heavy structure was replaced with a lightweight, purpose-driven flow that mirrored the traveler’s mindset: get in, get going, stay informed.
This phase focused on defining a navigation framework that was glanceable, predictable, and interrupt-resilient—all while constrained by embedded hardware and offline data limitations.
Legacy Workflow Pain Points:
Deeply nested menu trees (e.g., “Where To > Address > Enter Street > Confirm > Enter City > Confirm > Enter ZIP”)
Linear back-stack navigation made it hard to recover from missed inputs
No quick access to recent or frequent destinations
No flexibility in mid-route rerouting or point-of-interest exploration
Lack of UI responsiveness caused users to over-tap or abandon interaction
New Architecture Model:
We rebuilt the application into five core functional modules, each mapped to a singular user goal:
Go Somewhere – Address entry, voice search, recent places, saved favorites
Explore Nearby – Points of interest by category (gas, food, lodging), sorted by distance or relevance
Route in Progress – Real-time navigation with zoom controls, ETA, traffic indicators, and audible turn-by-turn
Trip Tools – Reroute, stop guidance, add a stop, switch voice settings, report an issue
Settings & Help – Language, units, volume, system info, accessibility, customer support
Each module used a consistent navigation pattern:
Top-level context-aware header (e.g., “Exploring near LAX”)
Large primary CTA
Flat, swipeable or scrollable option list
Persistent BACK and HOME anchors for recoverability
Left-right carousel logic for map views and POI categories
Workflow Optimizations:
We designed key workflows to minimize input steps and maximize confidence:
Quick Navigation (Hotel to Airport)
Tap “Go Somewhere”
Tap “Recent” → Airport listed by time proximity
Tap to confirm route → Preview screen with ETA, route options, and voice toggle
Tap “Start Navigation”
Explore While En Route (Find Food Nearby)
Tap “Explore Nearby”
Scroll through category icons or voice-search “Mexican food”
See list view and map view simultaneously
Tap location → Add as stop or re-route
Mid-Route Interruptions (Lost GPS, Wrong Turn, User Panic)
Route recalculation auto-triggers with banner feedback and estimated delay
“Resume Last Route” prompt shown if app was closed or powered down
All confirmation screens use large, unambiguous CTAs for clarity while in motion
State Management Model:
We defined three primary states to drive system behavior:
Stationary State – Full menu access, safe for browsing and trip planning
In-Motion State – Minimal interaction, only glance-safe overlays and voice guidance
Interrupted State – Smart recovery tools to restore sessions, recalibrate GPS, or reorient the user
This tiered state model supported driver safety, reduced cognitive load, and created a predictable rhythm of interaction throughout the trip.
By redefining the core architecture around real-world rental use cases, we replaced the outdated complexity of past NeverLost systems with an intuitive, map-centric, and context-responsive experience—built for drivers who didn’t have time to learn, but needed to trust it immediately.
04: Wireframing & Prototyping
Building 162 Screens from Scratch: Custom Wireframes and Prototypes Optimized for Safety, Speed, and Scale.
With a simplified architecture and task-based workflow model in place, we moved into wireframing and prototyping to explore, test, and validate the redesigned NeverLost 6 experience. Our goal was to deliver a frictionless, glanceable, and confidence-inspiring interface—specifically tailored to users navigating unfamiliar environments, often under time pressure and with limited digital literacy.
This phase focused on balancing clarity with flexibility, designing for a wide spectrum of users—from business travelers to tech-averse international renters.
Wireframing Approach:
We began with low-fidelity wireframes, focusing on:
Core navigation flows (Start a Route, Explore POIs, Resume Previous Trip)
UI structure for key states: Pre-Trip Planning, Active Navigation, and Post-Trip Summary
Interaction logic tied to large touch targets, simplified iconography, and left-right carousel behavior
Quick-action tiles and contextual overlays for common actions like reroute, cancel, mute, and add stop
All early wireframes were built as grayscale templates that emphasized information hierarchy and interaction priority without visual styling distractions.
Key Low-Fi Concepts Explored:
Dynamic Route Preview screen with 3D map toggle, turn-by-turn list, and real-time traffic indicators
Dual-view “Explore Nearby” layout, showing map and list simultaneously
One-button address entry modes: Full keyboard, recent locations, and predictive text suggestions
Modular Quick Actions tray during active navigation (Pause, Detour, Add Stop, Mute Guidance)
Map interaction logic for pinch-zoom, tap-to-select POIs, and swipeable category filters
We validated these wireframes through stakeholder walk-throughs, internal usability audits, and early-stage user testing with simulated driving tasks.
Interactive Prototypes:
We built interactive mid-fidelity prototypes using Axure and later transitioned to Adobe XD and Figma for interactive overlays, user flows, and developer alignment.
Prototypes included:
Home screen to route planning (3-tap flow)
Live reroute scenario triggered by GPS drift or user input
Explore Nearby > Restaurant > Add Stop
Simulated Garmin map integration with voice prompt overlays
Confirmation and error states (e.g., route unavailable, poor satellite signal)
Prototypes were loaded onto in-vehicle tablets and tested during live ride-along scenarios, including:
Urban downtown driving (Chicago, Los Angeles)
Highway travel with route changes
Rental pickup/drop-off location wayfinding
Design Principles Reinforced Through Prototyping:
Minimize interaction depth—never more than 3 taps to route start
Persistent orientation tools—visible ETA, directional compass, route summary always available
Glance-safe UI—no stacked modals, no hidden actions, and no dense text blocks
Error resilience—non-destructive flows with “Cancel,” “Undo,” and “Resume Last Route” options visible at key junctions
The prototyping phase allowed us to simulate and refine real-world driver workflows, pressure-test layout decisions, and stress-test mental models in motion. Each prototype became a living proof-of-concept, validated by driver behaviors and supported by feedback loops across UX, product, and engineering teams.
This foundation set the stage for usability testing in diverse driving scenarios and prepared us for final UI design and implementation.
05: User Testing & Validation
Real-World Testing Refined Navigation for Safety, Speed, and Confidence.
With our interactive prototypes in hand, we moved into a multi-phase user testing process designed to validate usability, clarity, and responsiveness under real-world driving conditions. Our core objective was to ensure that NeverLost 6 could be used confidently by renters from all backgrounds—whether tech-savvy or not—without distracting from the driving experience.
We focused on motion-contextual testing, simulating conditions renters face: unfamiliar routes, time pressure, and physical interaction limits while in a vehicle.
Expanded Hardware Testing:
To improve screen visibility and interaction clarity, we also tested a larger, alternative head unit with a high-brightness display and broader viewing angles. This variant provided improved legibility in daylight and reduced screen glare—two recurring pain points from prior versions. Users responded positively to the increased interface scale and elevated mounting position, noting enhanced readability and reduced eye strain while driving.
Test Cohorts:
We recruited 30+ participants from key user segments:
Business travelers focused on efficiency and reliability
Vacationing families with kids and complex itineraries
International renters less familiar with U.S. road systems or English-language instructions
Older adults and non-digital natives representing accessibility and cognitive load challenges
Participants were tested in rental cars, Hertz customer lots, and simulated drive routes using in-vehicle tablets running high-fidelity prototypes.
Key Scenarios Tested:
Entering and starting a route from a hotel to the airport
Adding a stop mid-route (e.g., gas station or food)
Exploring POIs by category or voice search
Recovering from a missed turn or GPS interruption
Using the system with no prior instruction or onboarding
Interacting with the device while stationary vs. in motion
Evaluation Metrics:
Time to task completion for route creation and rerouting
Glance duration and number of taps for in-motion actions
Error rates and recovery success (missed taps, misroutes, back-navigation)
System trust and user confidence measured through post-test surveys
Perceived usefulness vs. personal smartphone navigation tools
Key Insights:
Route preview with turn-by-turn list was highly preferred over default map-only view
Users favored list + map hybrid POI views, especially in unfamiliar cities
Voice search reduced stress—but fallback to typing had to be seamless and forgiving
Persistent BACK and HOME anchors helped prevent user frustration during wrong turns or mis-taps
A “Resume Last Route” feature was seen as a major confidence booster for interrupted sessions
Notably, international users and older participants appreciated:
High-contrast interface themes
Large, consistent touch targets
Language toggle and offline help screen available from every primary screen
Resulting Design Refinements:
Replaced dropdown menus with scrollable tiles and icon buttons for faster in-motion scanning
Re-sequenced address entry to prioritize city → street → number, matching natural recall patterns
Simplified POI categories based on user expectations (e.g., “Food” instead of “Dining & Beverage”)
Added route preview timer with visual confirmation before guidance begins
Reinforced visual feedback for reroute triggers (GPS loss, wrong turn, exit missed)
User testing confirmed that the NeverLost 6 experience was now usable, understandable, and recoverable—even under pressure. More importantly, renters described the interface as “calming,” “smart,” and “easy to trust”—an important shift from the frustration and abandonment associated with earlier versions.
This validation phase ensured that the system supported diverse use cases and cognitive profiles, building toward a final visual design system that could scale across vehicles and future updates.
06: Visual Design & Accessibility
Clarity in Motion: A Driver-Centric Visual System Built for Confidence, Glanceability, and Universal Access
With user testing validating interaction models and workflows, we transitioned into high-fidelity visual design—creating a system that was clean, modern, and built for drivers in motion. The visual identity of NeverLost 6 had to rebuild user trust, instill confidence at a glance, and provide clarity in high-pressure driving conditions—all while respecting the constraints of embedded vehicle hardware and varying screen sizes.
Our design goal: make every element unmistakable, glanceable, and safe, whether users were navigating a city center or highway on-ramp.
Visual Design Goals:
Simplify the interface to reduce decision time
Design for high visibility under all lighting conditions
Create a consistent and brand-aligned system across all screens
Support accessibility and multilingual use without overwhelming the layout
Key Design Principles:
1. Glanceable Hierarchy
We implemented a strict hierarchy using large, high-contrast typography, bold primary buttons, and smart grouping of information:
Top section: active route summary (ETA, miles, next turn)
Center: dynamic map with traffic overlays and callouts
Bottom: context-sensitive action bar (e.g., Add Stop, Mute, Cancel)
2. Scalable UI Components
Every component was built as a modular, reusable block, allowing us to support screen sizes ranging from compact in-dash units to larger tablet-style displays in Hertz premium vehicles.
3. Adaptive Color Modes
We developed two core themes:
Day Mode – light background, dark text/icons for high readability in daylight
Night Mode – dark background, desaturated UI elements to minimize glare and eye strain during nighttime driving
4. Iconography and Visual Language
We moved away from dense menus and introduced a universal icon set for navigation, categories (food, gas, lodging), and controls (volume, zoom, reroute). Each icon was tested for legibility at a distance.
Accessibility Enhancements:
WCAG AA contrast ratios for all text and touch targets
Large touch zones (44px minimum) to reduce interaction errors during movement
Designed for offline-first operation with minimal dependency on live data
Multilingual support built into the layout and language toggles surfaced on the home screen
Haptic and audio cues for key interactions (e.g., reroute confirmation, GPS lock, payment success)
Future-readiness for text-to-speech guidance enhancements and screen reader compatibility
Visual Delight & Brand Reintroduction:
We didn’t just design for utility—we reintroduced confidence and delight to the Hertz NeverLost brand through thoughtful microinteractions:
Route start animations
Smooth map zoom/pan transitions
Animated progress rings for recalculation
Subtle movement in category tiles to indicate proximity or popularity
These touches gave the system a feeling of responsiveness and intelligence without distracting from the task of driving.
Outcome:
The final visual system made NeverLost 6 feel modern, intuitive, and ready to assist—not overwhelm. It empowered travelers to make decisions quickly, understand where they were going, and recover gracefully if things changed.
By combining strong visual hierarchy, smart UI logic, and accessibility-forward thinking, we delivered a navigation experience tailored to the unique pressures of rental car travel—earning back user trust with every interaction.
07: Engineering Handoff & Iteration
Seamless Design-to-Dev Execution with Custom Tooling for Embedded, Mobile, and Scalable Cross-Platform Delivery.
With the design system validated and visual direction finalized, we transitioned into the engineering handoff phase—translating design intent into a functional, performant embedded navigation product. Given the hardware constraints of in-vehicle systems, the success of NeverLost 6 hinged on tight design-engineering alignment, platform-specific adaptation, and continuous iteration based on in-field feedback.
Our goal was to ensure that the final product felt just as responsive and intuitive on the road as it did in prototypes and simulations.
Handoff Deliverables:
We provided a fully annotated and implementation-ready design package, including:
Interactive redlines and developer specs (Figma + PDF exports)
Component libraries with scalable UI assets for different screen sizes and form factors
Touch target zones and logic maps for all button inputs and state transitions
Voice guidance and visual timing alignment specs (e.g., when to trigger visual prompts relative to spoken directions)
Offline-first design constraints including graceful error states, preloaded map logic, and memory management strategies
State-based navigation model defining transitions between planning, active guidance, and reroute recovery
Collaboration Approach:
We partnered closely with embedded systems engineers, firmware developers, and Garmin (the underlying map tech provider) through agile delivery sprints and weekly syncs to resolve edge cases and optimize for performance.
Key implementation considerations included:
Memory optimization for offline map tiles and POI data caching
GPU rendering performance on mid-tier vehicle head units
Responsiveness of animation layers (e.g., zoom/pan transitions and route recalculation feedback)
Localization and language switch handling across the full system
Input lag prevention through button debounce logic and gesture threshold tuning
Iteration in the Field:
We supported field validation through:
In-car QA sessions with real-world drivers across major cities (NYC, Chicago, LA)
Bug triage and design QA cycles using ticketing systems (Jira + QA logs)
Visual tuning for different lighting conditions and screen qualities (matte vs. glossy, low-brightness displays)
Adjustments to default route zoom levels and guidance thresholds based on driver feedback during turns and exits
Notable Improvements During Iteration:
Adjusted map loading animation to prevent flickering or visual lag during zoom-in/out
Streamlined “Resume Last Route” behavior to persist across power cycles and GPS loss
Simplified the POI filtering system to improve responsiveness when switching categories
Added fallback states for offline rerouting, prompting users with approximate time estimates and “Continue Anyway” options
Improved multi-language support to avoid layout breaks in non-Latin scripts (e.g., Japanese, German)
Outcome:
Through close collaboration and continuous iteration, we delivered an embedded navigation experience that preserved design intent without compromising on responsiveness, safety, or clarity. Engineering and design operated as one integrated team—ensuring that what we shipped wasn’t just usable, but delightful, intuitive, and road-ready.
The NeverLost 6 system re-established Hertz’s in-car navigation as a trusted, brand-aligned travel companion, ready for today’s drivers and future-proofed for tomorrow’s fleet.
More Works