Your car, talking back.

That was the motto at kick-off. Fiat wanted a brand-new app to compete in the fast-growing smart-car market, at a time when connected cars were still new to Turkey.

A dongle in the car sent its data to the phone. The app, known in the project as Fiat Connect, had to turn that data into what drivers need most, within what the dongle could actually do.

I was the UI designer on the project at Userspots, who designed the UX and UI for Fiat and Tofaş. I worked with a UX designer and a PM, and my focus was the interface and the system behind it.

• UI design for the mobile app (dark) and the web platform (light)
• The prototype for the bright-light readability tests
• A design system document covering both themes
• Interaction prototypes with the developers
• Testing on two Fiat cars at the Tofaş factory in Bursa

1. 01

   Research

   Connected cars were new to the local market, so we mainly studied competitors abroad.

2. 02

   Flows and prototype tests

   First flows and wireframes, then prototype tests with potential users. Together with the UX designer and the PM, we defined the primary features and reshaped the UX. Once the UI was designed, we tested it with users again, which improved the iconography and the experience.

3. 03

   On the factory floor

   Two Fiat engineers supported testing at the Tofaş factory in Bursa. We improved features by trying them on two Fiat test cars.

4. 04

   Dark theme, bright light

   Fiat wanted a dark mobile interface, and a dark UI can struggle in sunlight. I prepared a prototype for another round of user tests, and we revised the colour palette based on what we found.

5. 05

   Designing for the dongle

   The dongle’s technical capabilities set hard limits. We kept revising the design together with the development team.

Because the app is always in touch with the car, it doesn’t wait to be opened. If the car is being towed, a set limit is exceeded or a fault shows up, the driver gets an instant notification.

We built the real-time flow between car and app around what drivers need most, the pain points in talking to their car, and remote control.

• Emergency help sits at the most reachable point, one tap away.
• Remote access, central locking first, works even when you’re away from the car.
• Speed and distance limits that the driver sets, with a notification when they’re crossed.
• Trips on a map, with fuel and trip stats.
• A driving profile built from how you drive, with tips to improve and a ranking that turns efficient driving into a game.

After the mobile app we designed MyFiat, a desktop web version with most of the app’s features. It also works on mobile, so drivers can check on their car from any screen with the same look and a similar experience.

The web uses a light theme with the same design concept. I adapted the component library to the new colours and delivered a design system document that covers both the dark and the light theme.

The app worked only with selected Fiat models, but users and the industry took to it, as one of the first connected-car apps developed in Turkey.