John Costello

Apple · 2023

Vehicle Motion Cues

At Apple, I helped shape Vehicle Motion Cues: animated dots that help reduce motion sickness when using a screen in a moving vehicle. I explored visual treatments, refined the dot behavior, and tested size and placement. The feature is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Year
2023
Role
Special Projects
Discipline
Design Treatment · Prototyping
Location
Cupertino

Motion Intent

Communicate motion without distraction.

Graphic and animation explorations.
Graphic and animation explorations.

Motion Behavior

Show acceleration and turning with moving dots.

Default, accelerating, and turning states.
Default, accelerating, and turning states.

Visual Balance

Make the dots visible without taking over.

Specifications for test versions.
Specifications for test versions.

Success Criteria

Ensure the treatment is easily visible and never intrusive across all apps and content types.

The final design proposal tested in multiple iOS apps.
The final design proposal tested in multiple iOS apps.

A little motion. More comfort.

In motion.Insync.

Subtle dots reflect the ride. Your content stays front and center.

iPhone · iPad · Mac
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