The Future of Automobility Series
Exploring the Future of Autonomous Mobility.

Envisioning Transporting People, Goods, Spaces, and Together in the New Era of Automobility

This four-part immersive series explored how autonomous vehicles could reshape society through speculative design, photorealistic visuals, spatial audio, and research-driven storytelling. The work captured public imagination, earned multiple awards, and attracted global media attention.

More than a thought piece, it was a business catalyst that sparked multi-million-dollar engagements with leading mobility brands. It reinforced IDEO’s commitment to future-forward design and interdisciplinary craft and played a key role in attracting top talent to the company. The project anticipated several industry developments that are now becoming reality. Mercedes-Benz’s new turquoise lighting signature, signaling autonomous driving mode, echoes interface concepts featured in the series, reinforcing the importance of clear communication between vehicles and their environments.

On a broader scale, real-world adoption of autonomous mobility is accelerating. Waymo One completed over 4 million fully autonomous rides in the U.S. in 2024 alone, with more than 200,000 paid weekly trips across major cities. In China, Baidu’s Apollo Go surpassed 9 million cumulative rides by early 2025, operating up to 6,000 driverless daily trips in Wuhan.

These milestones echo the foresight of the Future of Automobility series, illustrating how speculative design can illuminate paths to innovation, establish and guide strategic initiatives, and shape tomorrow’s mobility systems.

Role

Series Director, Narrative Lead, Interaction Design Director



Recognition

Webby Winner
Websites and Mobile Sites, Car Sites & Car Culture

People’s Voice Winner
Websites and Mobile Sites, Car Sites & Car Culture




Note:
While designbivouac was not involved in the Mercedes-Benz project shown here, the prior Future of Automobility vision work demonstrates the value of speculative design. It highlights a clear link to ideas later echoed in the company’s Drive Pilot Inside lighting announcement.

Vehicle Expression of Status and Intent
While not a part of the Future of Automobility project, Mercedes-Benz’s new turquoise lighting signature, signaling autonomous driving mode, echoes interface concepts featured in the series, reinforcing the importance of clear communication between vehicles and their environments.

Four Immersive Chapters
The series richly envisions how we will transport people, goods, spaces, and together as we transition into the era of automobility.