Mercedes-Benz Vans
Redefining Cargo Delivery.

Exploring the Future of Goods Movement and the Growth of a Design Thinking Culture

This collaboration explored the future of goods transportation through design thinking and rapid prototyping, helping shape the Mercedes-Benz adVANce initiative and lay the foundation for their Silicon Valley innovation lab.

By prototyping concepts like one-shot loading, driver prompting systems, and smart bins, the team validated key ideas early and influenced the final Van of the Future concept. Low- to mid-fidelity experience prototypes helped align cross-functional stakeholders, expedite decision-making, and demonstrate the feasibility of the idea. The Mercedes-Benz Vans group ultimately implemented these concepts as a high-fidelity concept demonstrator. Integrated warehouse loading systems were also explored to streamline logistics. These systems allowed deliveries to be staged while vehicles were en route, reducing idle time and improving delivery efficiency. Tailored loading solutions were developed for the Sprinter and Metris vans, supporting flexible last-mile delivery scenarios and future partnership opportunities.

A central goal was to build prototyping fluency within the Mercedes-Benz Vans team. A year later, the impact was clear: a culture of experimentation and agile development had taken root at their new research lab in Silicon Valley.

Role

Interaction Design Director, Client Relationship Lead

“I cannot stress enough the fact that we learned a lot of methodology and cultural aspects through the fruitful and enjoyable cooperation with you and your team. You helped us lay the foundations for what we have achieved so far. Thank you very much again for that support. ”
— Stefan Maurer, Head of Strategy
Futuristic delivery van with automated storage system.

From early concept sketches to rough prototypes the team shaped each aspect of the cargo Van of the Future vision including one-shot loading, driver prompting systems, and smart bins.

These low-to-mid-fidelity experience prototypes aligned cross-functional teams, accelerated decision making, and laid the groundwork for the high-fidelity concept demonstrator implemented by Mercedes-Benz Vans.

AdVANce videos and images: Mercedes Benz Vans

Group of people working at a hackathon event in a tech lab, with a whiteboard and a van in the background, engaging in discussions and using laptops.
Three smartwatches displaying a courier package scanning app. The first shows "Item location" with an image of Charmin toilet paper and "Gonzalez 0/3". The second shows "Item taken out of Ferris Wheel A" with a checkmark. The third shows "Courier on-
A digital display screen showing a GPS interface with street view and a map. The screen is branded with a Mercedes logo. On the left, a street address and code are shown, with a street view image of a building. The right side displays a map with a re
Image showing a courier's GPS device with a map for navigation and a smartphone displaying an SMS notification about delivery time. Includes text about ETA notification and ensuring successful deliveries by confirming a customer's availability via te
Three smartwatches displaying delivery process steps: item image, item scanned, and all items in van.
Two smartwatches displaying courier route overview lists with names and numbers.
Illustration of warehouse integration concepts including in-hub module loading with delivery vans, digital scalability with a barcode scanner, and packaging scalability with a person using a hand truck. Each section includes text explaining the benef
Illustration depicting digital flexibility solutions featuring e-ink displays, RFID reading, and a mobile application for courier services. The e-ink displays are used on storage modules for efficient loading. RFID reading eliminates barcode scanning
Diagram of cargo modularity in a van showing three sections: storage modules, customizable shelving, and cooling systems. Includes text descriptions and illustrations of each feature.