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.

Motion behavior

Convey motion without distraction.

Motion explorations
Motion explorations

Direction studies

Make direction visible at the edges.

Converging on direction
Converging on direction

Goal

Make the dots visible without taking over.

Defining test version specs
Defining test version specs

Across apps

Keep the cues consistent across apps.

The final treatment across the App Store, Weather, Maps, and Settings.
The final treatment across the App Store, Weather, Maps, and Settings.

The outcome

Apple / Motion Cues

Made for
the moving world.

In motion.Insync.

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

iPhone · iPad · Mac
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