Company: Arrival
Project: design a new version of a diagnostic test device that allows automotive engineers to connect their laptop to vehicles to check its performance and potential issues.
Role: Head of design
Responsibilities: design direction, 3D visualisation and product management.
Team: Head of design (x1), Industrial designer (x1), Product owner (x1)
Challenge
The Diagnostic Tool Lite (DTL) is a portable diagnostic test device that offers direct interfaces for 2 CAN channels and 1 LIN Channel. It allows the user to connect the device to their laptop and use smart applications for diagnostics, testing, plotting, and simulation.
The product is mobile and can be held in the hand or placed on an uneven surface like a dashboard. The user may have greasy hands or might be wearing gloves, so grip features and large rubber over-mouldings for grip and protection are typical of similar products.
To align with other Arrival-designed products, the design needs to adhere to the company’s design principles of minimal, mindful, and magical.
Solution
We defined 3 key considerations that need to be made for this product: grip, durability, and legibility.
- Tennis ball: a lozenge-shaped design that reduces visible splits and feels comfortable in the hand. This simple and scalable form can be applied to future similar Arrival products.
- Rubber case: the existing design would be slightly adapted to be placed in a rubber case providing grip and protection.
Outcomes
We selected the Tennis Ball design to be 3D printed and tested with Arrival and UPS engineers. After some refinements mainly around the lights and inscriptions on the device, the new version of the DTL will be released in mid-2023.
Industrial designer: Kimahni Emsley