HondaConnect
A Social Compass for Motorcycles
Riding is social. The tools aren't.
The Assignment
Redesign the 4-inch round display of a motorcycle of our choice around a defined USP and target mission. Key deliverable: a live, responsive demo that simulates a real designer–engineer workflow.
5
Research participants across new and experienced riders
130+
Data points collected through interviews and observation
2
Dealership visits: Savannah HD + Honda Team Trip
HondaConnect is a dual-platform system: a Honda motorcycle HMI and a companion mobile app linked through mesh technology. It lets riders connect, plan rides, and support each other in real time whether they own a Honda or not. Our team of 4 designed the full system over one semester, from primary research through a working prototype.
New riders are isolated by default
There's a massive gap between new riders and the existing biker community. The community is real and welcoming, but there's no infrastructure to reach it.
Discovery: mapping the user space
"No universal, real-time platform connects riders for meetups and safety support."
We went where riders are
Two dealership field trips, 5 participants, 130+ data points. We talked to new riders about what they wanted and long-time riders about what they'd built for themselves.
Savannah HD Class Trip
Observed new riders navigating an unfamiliar community. How do they ask for help? How do they find out what's happening?
Honda Team Trip
Spoke with experienced riders about how community formed organically. What's missing from their tools today?
New Rider Interviews
Discovered consistent themes: wanting to ride with others spontaneously, needing a safety net, and feeling unseen by existing apps.
Long-Time Rider Interviews
Veterans described the social compass they'd built mentally over years. We asked: what if that was built into the bike?
Key Insight
Riders don't want an app that manages their rides. They want a system that connects them to each other, passively and naturally, the same way a pack forms on the open road.
Four ways to connect
The system spans both the HMI (on-bike display) and the companion app. Features are designed to work together across both platforms.
Pack Mode
Transforms your dashboard into a social compass. Shows how many riders are in your current pack, syncs navigation across the group, and lets you toggle a directional compass overlay using the D-pad.
Community Heatmap
A live map showing nearby biker events, hotspots, popular routes, and gathering hubs. Discover what's happening in your riding area in real time.
Bike Bump
Tap your phone to a nearby bike's HMI to instantly send a friend request and connect. Making friends with a fellow rider is now as natural as the ride itself.
Request Assistance
A built-in safety feature for quick help. Whether you need roadside assistance or want to alert a trusted contact, help is always one button away.
From storyboards to HMI
We mapped four user scenarios through hand-drawn storyboards before touching any screen design. This kept our decisions grounded in real rider situations.
Four storyboards covering the key use cases
Feeling Unsafe
Riding at night, sharing location with a preselected contact for peace of mind.
Planning a Ride
Creating a route, setting a time, and inviting fellow riders through the app.
Going About Life
Riding solo and receiving a spontaneous invite from a nearby pack to join them.
Bike Bump
Making a new riding friend by tapping a phone to the bike's HMI.
Pack Mode: Final Design
Pack Mode active state, with D-pad controls and compass overlay
D-Pad Toggle
Riders switch Pack Mode on/off using the existing D-pad control, no new hardware required.
Compass Overlay
A directional arrow shows where pack members are riding relative to you, with density indicator.
Pack Counter
A live count of connected riders displays in the corner of the HMI at all times.
Style Guide
Our style guide, built around Honda's brand language
Design Principles
- ›Safety first
- ›One action per screen
- ›Continuity between phone and HMI
- ›Create community and network
- ›Social without distraction
The Goal
Look fresh, easy to look at, and easy to understand. The HMI has to communicate at 60 mph, so every element earns its place.
What we learned building for the road
The red challenge was real. Red reads as danger. Using it as a primary brand color for an HMI felt counterintuitive. But we leaned in because it's Honda's identity, and riders already associate that red wing with trust. The trick was context: red for brand, not red for alert.
Designing for an HMI means designing for split attention. Every interaction had to be achievable without looking directly at the screen. One action per screen wasn't a stylistic choice, it was a safety requirement. This constraint pushed us to be far more decisive about what mattered.
The mesh technology approach changed everything. Instead of requiring a central server or data connection, riders connect directly to each other. A new rider on a rural highway can still find their pack. The system works where cell service doesn't.
IA mapping and zoning went through several full redesigns. We kept rethinking the flow of Pack Mode specifically, whether it should be opt-in or ambient, how prominent the compass overlay should be, and who owns the route when multiple riders are navigating. Those conversations were the best design work of the project.
"Social without distraction."
The design principle that resolved every disagreement we had.
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