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RAM Mobile Workplace: Reimagining the Modern Truck Console
RAM Mobile Workplace: Reimagining the Modern Truck Console
RAM Mobile Workplace: Reimagining the Modern Truck Console
Designing a 2030+ dual-screen digital cockpit for RAM trucks centered on mobile productivity, job-site utility, and contextual driving modes.
Designing a 2030+ dual-screen digital cockpit for RAM trucks centered on mobile productivity, job-site utility, and contextual driving modes.
Role: UX Designer (4 Person Team Project)
Context: Automotive UX course client project for Stellantis
Timeline: August 2026 (Active Project — 2 Months Remaining)
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Screen Studio, Auto Layout, Hardware Specification Frames
Role: UX Designer (4 Person Team Project)
Context: Automotive UX course client project for Stellantis
Timeline: August 2026 (Active Project — 2 Months Remaining)
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Screen Studio, Auto Layout, Hardware Specification Frames
Overview
Overview
As part of the UMSI Future of Mobility challenge with Stellantis, our 4-person team was tasked with designing a forward-looking (2030+) digital cockpit experience. We selected the RAM brand to address how modern trucks are increasingly utilized as mobile workplaces.
Mobile Workplace Friction: RAM drivers rely on their trucks for both hard labor and daily business logistics, yet standard infotainment interfaces lack contextual tools for job-site preparation and work-life separation.
Dual-Display Architecture: Design a driver cluster for glanceable driving information alongside a central console for complex task management.
Stellantis Client Pitch: Deliver a comprehensive competitive audit and production-ready, wireframed digital system to present directly to Stellantis automotive stakeholders.
As part of the UMSI Future of Mobility challenge with Stellantis, our 4-person team was tasked with designing a forward-looking (2030+) digital cockpit experience. We selected the RAM brand to address how modern trucks are increasingly utilized as mobile workplaces.
Mobile Workplace Friction: RAM drivers rely on their trucks for both hard labor and daily business logistics, yet standard infotainment interfaces lack contextual tools for job-site preparation and work-life separation.
Dual-Display Architecture: Design a driver cluster for glanceable driving information alongside a central console for complex task management.
Stellantis Client Pitch: Deliver a comprehensive competitive audit and production-ready, wireframed digital system to present directly to Stellantis automotive stakeholders.
Research & Competitive Benchmarking
Research & Competitive Benchmarking
Opportunity Statement Alignment:
We focused on RAM’s key brand challenge: "The Truck Has Become the Office" and "Towing Creates Cognitive Load". Our goal was to create seamless workflows that reduce cognitive load while managing tools, towing, and navigation.
Opportunity Statement Alignment:
We focused on RAM’s key brand challenge: "The Truck Has Become the Office" and "Towing Creates Cognitive Load". Our goal was to create seamless workflows that reduce cognitive load while managing tools, towing, and navigation.
In-Car Competitive Analysis:
We conducted a descriptive competitive review comparing the 2025 RAM 1500 Rebel against three market competitors: the 2026 Toyota Tundra SR, 2026 BYD Shark 6 Premium, and 2026 Rivian R1T Quad.
Key Findings:
Physical Controls vs. Touchscreen Overhead: Physical controls are less common in modern screen-focused trucks. While RAM and Toyota preserve tactile physical controls for core tasks, competitors like BYD and Rivian shift almost all operations into touchscreen menus.
Navigation & Menu Consistency: Primary navigation is kept persistent in a bottom bar across RAM, BYD, and Rivian, whereas Toyota positions its navigation sidebar on the left.
Accessibility of Crucial Controls: Important vehicle and climate controls are not always easy to access, forcing drivers to dive through multi-layered touchscreen menus while driving.
Core Recommendations:
Keep frequently used controls (like climate and volume) easily reachable and persistent to minimize driver distraction.
Limit the depth of nested touchscreen menus required to locate critical vehicle settings.
Maintain primary navigation in a fixed, consistent screen location that clearly indicates the active state.
In-Car Competitive Analysis:
We conducted a descriptive competitive review comparing the 2025 RAM 1500 Rebel against three market competitors: the 2026 Toyota Tundra SR, 2026 BYD Shark 6 Premium, and 2026 Rivian R1T Quad.
Key Findings:
Physical Controls vs. Touchscreen Overhead: Physical controls are less common in modern screen-focused trucks. While RAM and Toyota preserve tactile physical controls for core tasks, competitors like BYD and Rivian shift almost all operations into touchscreen menus.
Navigation & Menu Consistency: Primary navigation is kept persistent in a bottom bar across RAM, BYD, and Rivian, whereas Toyota positions its navigation sidebar on the left.
Accessibility of Crucial Controls: Important vehicle and climate controls are not always easy to access, forcing drivers to dive through multi-layered touchscreen menus while driving.
Core Recommendations:
Keep frequently used controls (like climate and volume) easily reachable and persistent to minimize driver distraction.
Limit the depth of nested touchscreen menus required to locate critical vehicle settings.
Maintain primary navigation in a fixed, consistent screen location that clearly indicates the active state.
System Architecture & Wireframe Execution
System Architecture & Wireframe Execution
Dual-Screen Layout & Content Blocks:
Organized core cockpit functions into distinct structural blocks based on driver priority and ergonomic reach, then translated them into mid-fidelity wireframes using Figma Auto Layout:
Driver Cluster Display: Focused on high-visibility driving data
Center Display: Built around persistent Status Bar and primary app navigation bars, supporting dedicated wireframes for Home View, App Selector, Navigation, Music Selector, and Vehicle Controls.
Visual Direction: Developed three distinct visual mood boards, ranging from high-contrast industrial styling to rugged job-site utilities, to establish a clean, daylight-readable aesthetic.
Dual-Screen Layout & Content Blocks:
Organized core cockpit functions into distinct structural blocks based on driver priority and ergonomic reach, then translated them into mid-fidelity wireframes using Figma Auto Layout:
Driver Cluster Display: Focused on high-visibility driving data
Center Display: Built around persistent Status Bar and primary app navigation bars, supporting dedicated wireframes for Home View, App Selector, Navigation, Music Selector, and Vehicle Controls.
Visual Direction: Developed three distinct visual mood boards, ranging from high-contrast industrial styling to rugged job-site utilities, to establish a clean, daylight-readable aesthetic.
Contextual "Ram Focus" Features:
Designed specialized layout frames directly addressing Stellantis’s 2030+ brief by introducing contextual driving modes:
Ram Focus: Work Mode: Surfaces job-site tools upon arriving at a location—including one-tap "Start Work Mode," job location mapping, towing camera feeds, and trailer stability indicators.
Ram Focus: Off-Road: Transitions the console into an adventure view displaying pitch/roll gauges, ground clearance toggles, front camera views, and trail assist settings.
Contextual "Ram Focus" Features:
Designed specialized layout frames directly addressing Stellantis’s 2030+ brief by introducing contextual driving modes:
Ram Focus: Work Mode: Surfaces job-site tools upon arriving at a location—including one-tap "Start Work Mode," job location mapping, towing camera feeds, and trailer stability indicators.
Ram Focus: Off-Road: Transitions the console into an adventure view displaying pitch/roll gauges, ground clearance toggles, front camera views, and trail assist settings.
Current Status & Project Roadmap
Current Status & Project Roadmap
This project is currently active and ongoing, with two months remaining before our final presentation to Stellantis leadership.
Upcoming Deliverables (Next 2 Months):
Transitioning wireframes into high-fidelity, polished visual designs incorporating daylight and dark modes.
Building fully interactive prototype flows in Figma for the final presentation to Stellantis.
This project is currently active and ongoing, with two months remaining before our final presentation to Stellantis leadership.
Upcoming Deliverables (Next 2 Months):
Transitioning wireframes into high-fidelity, polished visual designs incorporating daylight and dark modes.
Building fully interactive prototype flows in Figma for the final presentation to Stellantis.
