Velo
A driverless ride where passengers always know where they are, what the car is doing and how to stop it with one tap.
Hailing a taxi that drives itself.
Why
With an autonomous taxi, the main challenge isn't technical but psychological: how to make a passenger feel safe, calm and in control in a car with no driver. That's why Velo always shows where the vehicle is, what it's doing and what the passenger can do if something feels off.
Trust and safety
Passengers stay calm because they know what's happening, not because they're told to.
Clear control
At every moment they know where the vehicle is, what it's doing and how they can react.
A simple experience
Calling a vehicle without technical details that confuse.
Who it's for
- Early adopters of new technology
- People who live and work in the city
- Anyone who wants practical, modern transport
The hardest part
The hardest part was designing trust. There's no driver to talk to, so everything a driver would say has to come from the screen: where we are, why we've stopped and what happens next.
That's why the ride has clear color-coded statuses and the language of a dashboard, while pause, pull over and support are always one tap away. Passengers don't have to use them, but they need to know they're there.
Solution
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Class and price up front
Economy, Standard or Premium, with the price, arrival time and number of vehicles nearby. The payment method is visible before you call, so there are no surprises.
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Waiting that explains itself
While it searches for a vehicle, the app says how long that usually takes and lets you cancel with one tap.
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A ride you understand
System status (driving normally, waiting at lights), the next maneuver and progress to the destination. Pause, pull over and 24/7 support are always one tap away.
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Statuses like a dashboard
Every change gets its own color and a short explanation, such as the vehicle continuing on its own once the light turns green.
How I'd measure success
Cancellations while waiting
If the wait explains itself, fewer passengers give up before the car arrives.
Support calls per ride
Fewer questions mean the screen says what a driver would.
Second ride within 30 days
Trust shows best in whether passengers come back.
An app concept that hasn't launched. These are the numbers I'd track after launch, with an arrow showing which way they should move.
Identity
Typography
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Hanken Grotesk
Headings and interface. Modern, friendly and easy to read on the move.
13 min to Nikola Tesla Airport
- Regular 400
- Semibold 600
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DM Mono
Statuses, prices and labels. A technical tone that recalls a car's dashboard.
DRIVING NORMALLY VLO-241
- Regular 400
- Medium 500
Colors
- Brand Route, primary actions
- Brand 2 Darker variant, icons
- Accent Waiting, warnings
- Danger Stop, cancel
- Info Notifications
- Background Background and map
- Surface Cards and panels
- Text Primary text
Process
Brief
The key question: how to make a passenger feel safe without a driver.
User flow
From sign-up to rating the ride, with safety options (stop, operator, resume) and a tab bar reachable from every screen.
Identity and style guide
An arrow-shaped logo pointing to the destination, the slogan “One route, one destination”, a palette and components.
Final design
The full ride flow: request, arrival, live ride, safety, support and history.