Disclaimer : This was a confidential project. The screens & visuals shown here are my own conceptual recreations and do not represent the actual client work.
Station Switching Flow – When users switched between radio stations, the interface kept them on the station selection screen instead of returning to the player screen.
This:
Broke the listening experience by requiring extra taps to resume playback
Conflicted with mental models from other car infotainment systems
Increased distraction and cognitive load for drivers
Direct Tuner Screen Anatomy – The keypad needed to display only valid frequency numbers for the target market (e.g., in the UK, FM frequencies start with 1, 8, or 9).
I started by mapping out the current flow for switching stations to understand exactly where friction was happening.
From there, I rethought the hierarchy so that “listening” would always take priority over “browsing,” keeping the driver’s main goal front and center.
I reviewed the architecture to make sure the player and station list could communicate smoothly, then sketched out multiple low-fidelity wireframes to explore faster, cleaner ways to switch stations.
In the new flow, once a user selects a station, the system takes them straight back to the player screen so they can hear it right away—no extra taps needed.
The station list is still just one action away, but it’s no longer the default view after selection. This simple change meant less distraction, quicker feedback, and a smoother, more intuitive experience for drivers.
For the direct tuner, the main challenge was making sure the keypad only showed valid frequency numbers for the region the car was in. I started by researching FM frequency rules in different markets, then mapped out how these constraints could be built directly into the interface. I also reviewed competitor systems to see how they handled this, and considered ways to make the experience feel seamless without making the interface feel restrictive.
The keypad was redesigned to display only numbers that could actually lead to a valid frequency in the user’s region. For example, in the UK, FM stations can start with 1, 8, or 9—so those became the only first, digit options. This meant no dead ends, no wasted taps, and no guesswork for the driver, making the process faster, safer, and frustration-free.
Even small modules can have a big ripple effect on the whole system
Consistency across screens makes the experience feel effortless for users
Driver safety should be treated as a foundation to design from
Tiny tweaks in flow can make a huge difference in how smooth and intuitive it feels