Making a Mustang a Mustang
Redesigning the Mustang Mach-E’s digital cockpit to restore a cohesive, performance-driven identity.
Overview
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is Ford's first all-electric SUV and the first to carry the Mustang name into an entirely new vehicle category. The Mustang badge carries a specific promise: boldness, tension, and performance.
While the Mach-E delivers mechanically, its digital cockpit fails to carry that promise forward. The cluster and infotainment adopt a neutral, efficiency-focused visual language that feels disconnected from Mustang's heritage, leaving a gap between what the car is capable of and what the driver experiences.
This project redesigns the Mach-E's digital cockpit to close that gap, creating a cohesive cluster and ICS experience that restores Mustang's performance identity while respecting the practical demands of an everyday EV driver.
Problem
In automotive UX, branding is not purely aesthetic. The interface shapes driver expectation, emotional engagement, and perceived performance before a single button is pressed. For a nameplate as identity-driven as the Mustang, that responsibility is even greater.
The current Mach-E interface is clean and usable, but it reads as a generic EV rather than a Mustang. Three friction points define the gap:
Lack of Mustang Identity
The visual language adopts a neutral, tablet-like aesthetic that underrepresents the boldness and mechanical intensity the Mustang brand has always embodied.
Fragmented System Design
The cluster and infotainment operate as visually and functionally separate systems, breaking the coherence of the driver's experience across their two primary touchpoints.
Underdeveloped Drive Modes
Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled introduce behavioral variation, but lack the meaningful visual and emotional differentiation that would make each mode feel distinct and purposeful.
The system is functional. It just doesn't feel like a Mustang.
Roles
UX Designer
UX Researcher
Interaction Designer
Goals
Performance-driven identity
Restore a visual language that reflects Mustang's heritage and mechanical intensity.
Unified system
Bring the cluster and infotainment together into a cohesive interaction experience.
Meaningful mode differentiation
Create distinct visual and emotional personalities across Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled.
Balanced intensity
Match the emotional energy of the Mustang brand while respecting the practical demands of an everyday EV driver.
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Adobe Photoshop
Screens Studio
Pinterest
Timeline
April 2025
3-Week Concept Sprint
Design Process
Secondary Research
Historical Interface Analysis
EV Cluster Functional Analysis
Problem Framing
Interaction and System Redesign
Prototyping & Iteration
1 Research and Discovery
Analyzing legacy, perception, and system constraints to define the design gap.
To identify where the Mach-E's digital experience falls short, I analyzed three areas: the historical evolution of Mustang's dashboard design, real owner sentiment from forums and reviews, and the functional constraints of the current cluster and ICS.
Historical Interface Analysis
The Mustang dashboard has always centered performance. Classic analog clusters emphasized tachometer dominance, circular symmetry, and high contrast, reinforcing speed, tension, and mechanical power through every design decision.
The 2019 Mustang GT digital cluster modernized that identity while preserving its hierarchy. Strong contrast and tachometer emphasis translated analog intensity into a digital system without sacrificing what made it feel like a Mustang.
The Mach-E takes a different approach. The interface prioritizes spatial clarity and EV efficiency, minimizing visual tension in favor of legibility. In doing so, it deprioritizes the performance cues that have defined the nameplate for over 60 years.
Key Observations
Classic Mustangs centered performance metrics as the dominant visual anchor
The 2019 digital cluster preserved performance hierarchy within a modern layout
The Mach-E shifts toward neutral minimalism and reduced contrast
Performance cues are visually secondary to efficiency metrics
2019 Mustang GT (S550 Digital Cluster) - A digital reinterpretation of classic performance dials. Strong contrast and tachometer emphasis maintain Mustang’s bold, driver-focused character in a modern interface.
1967 Mustang GT - Bold circular gauges and mechanical symmetry reinforce a performance-first identity. The layout centers the driver’s focus on speed, feedback, and control.
2024 Mustang Mach-E - A minimalist EV layout prioritizing clarity and efficiency. The shift toward neutrality reduces the performance-driven hierarchy seen in previous generations.
To further analyze the gap, I conducted a side-by-side visual audit of the 2019 Mustang GT cluster and the Mach-E cluster, annotating key differences in hierarchy, performance emphasis, and brand expression.
User Identification
Who is going to be driving the Aurora Momentum? Who will you become?
Purchasing a vehicle is not a small decision. A vehicle is meant to represent who you are or who you aspire to be. Therefore, creating a general idea of who the niche group of people this vehicle is being designed for was an important part of the discovery phase.
The design brief stated that Aurora’s mid-level SUV, Momentum, was designed for families and individuals who lead active lifestyles and require a versatile vehicle that can keep up. They appreciate the value proposition of an EV and the additional features the mid-level variant offers.
Through the creation of a photo collage, I was able to envision who the user of the Momentum is going to be.
Aurora Momentum SUV drivers:
Have active lifestyles
Always on the go
Middle class adults
Young families
Appreciate aesthetic in life
Like luxurious things, but not the price tag
Environmentally concious
Owner Sentiment and Perspective
What are the current Mach-e drivers saying?
To understand how drivers perceive the Mach-E’s digital experience, I reviewed discussions from Mustang and Mach-E owner forums as well as Reddit threads. While drivers acknowledge the vehicle’s performance and EV capabilities, recurring feedback reveals a tension between brand expectation and interface expression.
Several owners described the experience as feeling disconnected from Mustang heritage. Drive modes such as Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled were noted to lack clear visual differentiation, relying primarily on subtle color shifts rather than meaningful changes in layout or hierarchy. Recent updates also drew criticism for deprioritizing speed visibility, affecting glanceability and driver confidence.
Many discussions point to a broader identity expectation gap: drivers associate “Mustang” with a specific performance heritage and vehicle archetype, and some feel the Mach-E’s form factor challenges that expectation. This places greater responsibility on the digital cockpit to reinforce Mustang identity through hierarchy, tone, and driving-state feedback.
“It’s like if they released something that looks like a Hummer but called it a Prius… it’s just wrong.”
— r/MustangMachE discussion, 2024
Beyond form factor debates, owners also expressed frustration with how the digital interface prioritizes information—particularly following recent over-the-air updates that altered the instrument cluster layout.
“My speedometer showed the speed right in the center of the screen. Now I have a car in the center and my speed is pushed all the way to the right where my steering wheel blocks it… it’s a total waste of space.”
— Mach-E Forum owner thread, Jan 2024
These insights clarify the design opportunity: restore visual hierarchy, differentiate driving states, and reintroduce performance emphasis so the digital experience feels unmistakably Mustang.
2 - Ideation
Brainstorming Sessions
Multiple brainstorming sessions helped define the information architecture and flow for three screens, steering wheel buttons, and four smart buttons. We were given a list of specific features the vehicle needed to include, so I began organizing the flow for those.
During the ideation phase for Aurora's Momentum model, I explored design possibilities using knowledge of the target user group, benchmark analysis, and an understanding of Aurora's brand.
I engaged in sketching and ideation, experimenting with layout structures, interface elements, and visual aesthetics to create an intuitive user experience.
Information Architecture
To create a structured and intuitive infotainment system, I first organized the required features into three key screens—Driver Display, Central Touchscreen, and Heads-Up Display (HUD)—then branched out the information architecture (IA) from there. This approach ensured that each screen had a clear function, allowing for seamless interaction and minimal driver distraction.
Driver Display → Provides customizable layouts for navigation, media, and real-time vehicle diagnostics, allowing drivers to tailor the display to their preferences, as well as speed.
Central Touchscreen → Serves as the primary hub for navigation, entertainment, and vehicle settings, designed for effortless interaction and quick access to core features. Includes HVAC
Heads-Up Display (HUD) → Projects critical driving information (e.g., speed, turn-by-turn navigation) onto the windshield, keeping drivers informed without taking their eyes off the road.
3 - Wireframing and Prototyping
Key Design Decisions
Customizable Driver’s Display
Users can change the media information on the drivers display using the steering wheel buttons
A customizable driver’s display allows the user to choose their own driver’s display layout for their personal or daily needs. The user can display media such as music and navigation directions.
Driving modes have different content that can be displayed.
Due to the adventurous nature of the users, it was key to emphasize the adventure aspects that the Momentum offers such as the “Adventure Mode” driving mode on the driver’s display
Integrated search in navigation with location details and community features
To fit the active and adventurous lifestyle of the Momentum consumer, there is a 3-D model of the elevation and hiking trails (or off-road trail) of the destination.
Star ratings of hiking and “adventure” locations from other Momentum drivers.
Integrated search and details of popular “adventure” locations allows the user to feel a sense of community and makes planning the next trip fast.
The user can save this location to their profile for a different time.
Smart Buttons for HVAC, Gear Shift, and Volume
The four smart buttons are designed for quick and intuitive HVAC control, gear shifting, and adjusting the volume without having multiple physical buttons.
These buttons change based on the display screen the user is currently on and also whether a button on the screen was clicked.
There is no physical PRND handle or button in the car. Therefore I designed one of the static buttons to host the PRND. Once the PRND button is pushed, the parking brake activates.
Both the drivers and passenger sides have access to a volume control to make changing the volume accessible for both users.
Style Guide
Sketches
I then began multiple iterations of sketching to further define the information architecture of each display and the features within them. Creating these sketches allowed me to physically test the layout on a screen with similar dimensions to understand how it would actually work in a car and if it was fluid.
I also was able to take my time to map out the functionality of each feature and how it would be used by the user.
Final Wireframes
Key Takeaways and Learnings
Adaptation and Innovation
Designing in the automotive space highlights the need for continuous innovation. Strict regulations require an adaptive design process. Despite these constraints, the industry is evolving, especially in screen designs and UX principles. This prompted me to explore beyond traditional in-car screen functionalities, envisioning the next generation of in-car experiences. Instead of replicating existing systems, I focused on improving usability through dynamic driving modes, adaptive smart buttons, and context-aware navigation. The lack of predefined UX rules allowed me to experiment, iterate, and contribute unique design solutions..
Designing for Safety
A major challenge was ensuring drivers could access key controls without distraction while also creating a visually appealing UI that aligns with Aurora’s brand. To solve this, I iterated on navigation placement, driving mode customization, and smart button interactions to enhance both usability and design coherence.
Creating Structure in an Unstructured Space
With limited industry-wide best practices, benchmarking competitive brands was essential to understanding how modern EVs approach multi-screen interfaces, navigation design, and in-car controls. However, I found that many solutions still have pain points—whether it’s clunky menu structures or distracting touch-based interactions. I discovered that although the EVs I benchmarked are popular and leading brands, that does not mean those are the best practices in this new and changing industry.