Head of Cupra UX/UI on elevating vehicle experience & AI in the cockpit

Human experience in the car has become the defining battleground of modern automotive design, defining whether the vehicle is a seamless extension of the driver’s instincts or a maze of technology that distracts more than it delights.

UX/UI designers today must contend with this growing spectrum of approaches by balancing ergonomics, comfort and digital interaction to work in harmony and most importantly, prioritise the driver.

Ruben Rodriquez, head of UX/UI design at Cupra is at the centre of this conversation. He leads a multidisciplinary team that deals with everything from adaptive lighting to monthly testing sessions with users across markets.

With AI establishing its dominance as an enabler of new interaction models, Rodriquez sees the cockpit entering a new era. While touch screens remain a necessary feature for now, the potential of advanced voice-first systems point towards the future. Cupra’s goal is clear – the in-vehicle experience must become intuitive and ultimately more human.

Car Design News: What’s your current approach to integrating ergonomics, UX and comfort into vehicle design?

Ruben Rodriquez: We are trying to balance digital content and physical interaction within the vehicle – we are working on balancing these elements better than we have in the past. Achieving this also helps with ergonomics and safety. We have all these other elements in mind as well as driver distraction, so we are trying to make the life of the driver easier but not by reducing content. Instead we only offer the driver the content they need when they need it.

We have a radical approach to the interior – no drivers, no Cupra — so everything in the car is focused on the driver.

CDN: How do you integrate functionality into your design while also creating a unique experience?

RR: We are splitting the vehicle into different experience modes, take the Tindaya for example, so the customer gets the best of both worlds. It’s about the element of choice so the customer doesn’t have to experience all the content all the time. For example, lighting that reacts to the driving dynamics of the car can be used to enhance the experience when the driver desires this. 

Having all the contents in the vehicle is not good enough anymore. You need more

CDN: Does customer feedback influence your upcoming UX/UI design?

RR: We test with customers once every month or two and receive quality input. We try to understand all the markets because, even though we are creating one car, we go to different markets so you need to understand all the different needs and create a product that is highly balanced.

CDN: To what extent has automotive UX developed over the years you’ve been in this industry?

RR: The whole industry is catching up with technology in general. There has been an evolution though. Across the last few years, we were trying to copy the mobile phone, but I think the focus is shifting onto achieving more engaging experiences away from this. Having all the content in the vehicle is not good enough anymore. You need more. The customers are also asking for more engaging experiences and at Cupra, we are trying to offer that.

CDN: How important is AI in the cockpit?

RR: AI plays an integral role for the future. It has just started and I can imagine the many ways that it can and will change the way we understand UX. We think that AI can be an enabler to finally change interactions from touch to voice first, allowing customers to have a conversation with the car that will be much more advanced than today’s voice assistants. But right now, voice interaction is not good enough, so touch must always be there.

CDN: How does your team evolve to keep up with changing technology?

RR: My core team is made up of seven people, but we also have external suppliers to provide extra support. Our only constant is that we are constantly evolving and changing. It’s not just about having a graphic designer, that was maybe 10 years ago, but now you need a UI designer, UX designer, someone doing programming to simulate your concepts, electronics etc. The extended team (including suppliers) is highly multidisciplinary.

CDN: What’s the latest development in the UX/UI space within Cupra?

RR: We are working on creating different sound experiences as well as light experiences. There’s so much work to do that focuses the user on the light experience in the interior – a few years ago there wasn’t as much thought put into this element. The roles are changing drastically on the UX front.