Tesla had just announced the P85D, a dual motor version of the wildly successful Model S. With greater acceleration, greater torque, and increased range, the P85D was more of everything the world loved about the Model S. This was also the launch of the now infamous ‘Insane Mode’. Additionally, this was the first iteration of Autopilot, a groundbreaking combination of engineering, hardware, and software that delivered safe self-driving on public roads. This was an exciting and vitally important time for both the client, Tesla Motors and our partner agency, George P. Johnson.

In 2015 Tesla Motors was a flagship client for George P. Johnson. After successfully pitching and winning Tesla as a new client it was critical that our global program launch on a high note. To that end Spinifex Group partnered with George P. Johnson to create digital engagements that informed and delighted attendees inside of the product salon. I worked as the Creative Director of the digital engagements in the Tesla Motors booth for Detroit, Geneva, and Shanghai. We pulled out all of the stops in the design and fabrication of these digital engagements and I have shared some of the production and process details below.

The primary purpose of these digital engagements was first to entertain and inform regarding the newly announced Autopilot and Dual Motor, and second to extend the Tesla brand in an authentic way. It was important then that these designs be useful and informative while also sleek and desirable.

The solution was a series of touch enabled display surfaces that disappeared into the surface of purpose-built steel and glass tables. Custom design and fabrication combined touch foil film with layers of smoked glass to create an engagement that is able to disappear when not in use. Programmatically, a Unity app was created that simulated lane awareness, collision detection, weather, and various driving conditions while highlighting the virtual Model S in use.

Simple, comfortable, casual, engaging, informative, delightful, novel

Numerous factors including HCI principles, desired art direction, use case, and special considerations such as a user interface that worked from either side of the table informed the final interface design.

Determined in combination with the client and our agency partners to include booth design, aesthetics, Human Computer Interaction considerations, media, and detailed wireframes

Flattened where possible, owning to the special considerations of the auto show use case, user needs, and desired throughput of the experience itself in terms of desired dwell time within the booth.

– Chicago Tribune

– Jalopnik

– CNN