Design x Wei Koh
Principal UX Designer at Rivian
Illustration by Bonnie Kate Wolf
Interview conducted by Bonnie Cheng on October 22, 2020.
Tell us a bit about yourself. When did you start designing, and how did your life as a designer begin?
My name is Wei, and I am a Principal UX Designer at Rivian. I was born in Singapore and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and I now live in the Bay Area with my lovely wife, our beautiful daughter, and a chirpy albino parakeet named Silky. As a child, I grew up drawing racing cars and comic books with my older brother and sister. We took turns writing comic book stories about a pair of hippopotamuses named Balo and Lolo, who are always getting into all kinds of trouble.
But as it turned out, I was actually the least artistic of my siblings. I went on to study computer science in school. After grad school, I worked as a color imaging researcher at Hewlett-Packard (HP) Labs, where we invented new product ideas that we pitched to executives in hopes that they would like our ideas and make it into a product. It was during this time that I realized the need for good design and started immersing myself in all things design-related. I eventually transitioned into a design role at HP, where I worked on an enterprise web portal, a desktop file sharing app, and a touchscreen music player.
You are an impressive inventor, with eleven granted patents and an additional ten pending! What is an invention you are extremely proud of?
That’s a tough question. It’s like choosing your favorite child, so I’ll cheat a little and pick two. I’m incredibly proud of my first granted patent, which is for a printing system and method that uses invisible inks to print colored images that are only viewable under non-visible radiation. This was a cross-site collaborative effort where my colleagues in Israel handled the ink formulations and I was responsible for testing, measuring, and providing color coordinates for the inks. After several failed attempts, it was a special moment when we were finally able to successfully print using the invisible inks and see the color images magically appear under ultraviolet or infrared light.
The second one would be my most recent patent, which I found out was granted two days ago. It is for an autonomous parking system that enables a vehicle to park itself in a parking garage and drive itself back to pick up the driver. I designed the mobile app to trigger the autonomous parking feature, monitor the status of the vehicle, and view a live dashcam feed. The company decided to make a video to showcase this technology, and I ended up starring as the main actor in the video, which was quite a thrill.
How did you get from computer science into user experience design in the automotive industry? Are you a car enthusiast?
I’ve loved cars all my life. Although I don’t consider myself a mechanic by any means, I’ve always enjoyed doing small repairs and maintenance work on my cars. About five years ago, a friend of mine approached me to see if I was interested in an opportunity at a car navigation company. When I looked it up, I was immediately drawn to the excitement of the whole in-vehicle design space, which consists of multiple communication modalities, including audio, visual, and haptics. Having designed for desktop, web, and mobile in the past, I saw this as a great opportunity to challenge myself and learn about the automotive industry at the same time. So I took the plunge, and here I am.
Recent automotive technology advancements have focused less on the engine and powertrain, and more on the in-vehicle experience. What are your thoughts on designers’ roles in this shift?
I think it’s a very exciting time for the auto industry. The focus on in-vehicle experience is a terrific win for the user. With the advances in technology and automation, I think it’s important that designers craft delightful and intuitive interfaces for drivers and passengers. At the same time, we must keep them as safe as possible for when prominent, unforeseen circumstances occur.
“I think it’s a very exciting time for the auto industry. The focus on in-vehicle experience is a terrific win for the user.”
Users have the expectation to seamlessly integrate their phone or other devices to the vehicle’s system so that they can listen to their favorite music or podcast, place phone calls from their contacts, and read text messages in a safe and integrated manner without having to take their eyes off the road more than a second. It would be very unpleasant and frustrating for the driver if their phone is not correctly communicating with the head unit, which may lead to a potentially dangerous situation while driving.
What does the future of the in-car experience look like to you?
It’s a great question. I can’t predict the future, but I see the future of the in-car experience as a seamless extension of our digital lives, where every occupant—drivers and passengers—can have safe, personalized, and stress-free experiences.
“I can’t predict the future, but I see the future of the in-car experience as a seamless extension of our digital lives…”
The concepts coming from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)—such as the plush seats, interior color lighting options, and a fully-stocked entertainment experience—are designed to provide a calming and enjoyable environment for drivers to get from point A to point B. I believe this is where more vehicle OEMs are moving towards, a delight experience under the drivers’ control to keep them relaxed and refreshed when they arrive at their destination.
Autonomous vehicles are no longer just a possibility, but a reality. However, many Americans still don’t trust self-driving cars. What are your views on autonomous vehicles?
Autonomous vehicles show a lot of promise, but there are still a few hurdles to overcome in order for fully autonomous vehicles to become ubiquitous. Meanwhile, I see Level 2 automation, such as Tesla’s autopilot, continuing to increase in use and maturity. There is also a gradual rise of Level 3 automation in recent years, where vehicles can drive itself without any human intervention, but only under certain limited conditions. Society would need to learn to accept them. Most importantly, laws and regulations would have to catch up to the autonomous driving form of transportation to ensure the public’s safety and trust.
Autonomous vehicles open up lots of possibilities for people who are unable to drive themselves, whether they are physically disabled, of elderly age, or children who just need to get to school but don’t drive yet. Having a car that can drive people in a safe manner without needing an expert driver behind the wheel can definitely provide a lot of possibilities.
As a Principal UX Designer at Rivian, what do you love most about your job?
I love Rivian’s mission statement, which is to keep the world adventurous forever. Also, the fact that I’m working with some of the brightest minds in the industry to design and develop products to help achieve that mission is incredible. It’s a very exciting environment.
Who and what has inspired you and influenced your work?
When I was taking courses in design, my instructors and classmates inspired me to pursue a career change into the design field. Once I got into the field, all my talented colleagues inspired me with their creative ideas and different points of views. Outside of the classroom and office, I take inspiration from my travels to different parts of the world. Two summers ago, I traveled to Spain with my family where we visited the amazing Alhambra in Granada, several Gaudí sites in Barcelona, and the Dalí Museum in Figueres.
I returned fully energized and inspired. Meeting and interacting with people from all walks of life helps me empathize with different target user groups. Discovering so many different points of view and seeing how design has evolved over the years inspires me to experiment with new ideas while drawing from the past.
“I returned fully energized and inspired. Meeting and interacting with people from all walks of life helps me empathize with different target user groups.”
What design projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently leading the design of Rivian’s in-vehicle navigation app, as well as our advanced driver-assistance systems and self-driving experiences. These are two projects that I’m very passionate about. They involve helping the user discover their next adventure, guiding them smoothly to that destination, and making sure that the journey is as safe as possible. As we progress towards fully autonomous vehicles, navigation becomes all the more important in order for the user to specify where they want to go and for the vehicle to figure out the best way to get there.
If you could wave a magic wand and magically solve anything, what would it be?
On a global level, eradicating COVID-19, cancer, and other diseases; preventing climate change, and achieving equal rights for all regardless of race or gender identity are right up there at the top of the list.
In the autonomous driving space, I would say that having the infrastructure and laws in place to allow the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles would be amazing. Hopefully, we’re not too far away from this becoming a reality.
