Enhancing Heavy Vehicle Driver Training with User Experience Design
I had the opportunity to work with Driver Training & TR Group on an exciting project to improve their in-vehicle training system. The goal was to create a mobile-first, app-like experience that could make training more accessible, engaging, and effective for drivers.
Darren entered this solution, and it won the ‘FRUEHAUF Outstanding Contribution to Innovation’ Award from Transporting New Zealand.
From the start, I worked closely with their team to understand how the current system was used, what challenges drivers and trainers faced, and where the experience could be made smoother. Those early conversations were key, they helped me see how the design needed to work not just on paper, but in the real-world context of a moving vehicle.
I used Adobe XD to create interactive, working prototypes so we could test how the new concepts would feel in action. Multiple views and page elements, giving a realistic sense of the flow and functionality. This made it easier to explore ideas, get feedback, and refine the details before any development work began.
Designing with a mobile-first mindset was central to the project. Drivers would be using this system on their phones, so every decision, from navigation placement to text sizing, was about making the experience clear, intuitive, and quick to use. I mapped out and designed a range of screens, from main dashboards to specific training modules.
Once the concepts were finalised, I packaged up the Adobe XD files and sent them to the development team. I also worked to make sure they had the design specifications and assets they needed so the build process could run smoothly and match the intended experience.
The end result was a user experience concept that not only looked and felt modern, but also worked in the practical environment of driver training. It was a rewarding project, one that really showed the value of prototyping, collaboration, and keeping the end-user front of mind from day one.
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