Volkswagen sought to strengthen its connected-car ecosystem through the Car-Net mobile app – an experience that allows drivers to monitor and control their vehicles remotely. When we inherited the design direction from a prior vendor, the app was already mid-development but required significant refinement to deliver on Volkswagen’s vision. Our team was tasked with stabilizing and expanding the experience – introducing new remote functions, extending the design system, and ensuring that the app aligned with Volkswagen’s brand and usability standards across iOS, Android, and Apple Watch.
HOW MIGHT WE?
…evolve the Car-Net mobile app into a cohesive, extensible platform that delivers reliable, intuitive access to vehicle features – while maintaining design consistency across devices and future-ready form factors?
What we Did
We strengthened the foundation
When we inherited the Car-Net redesign, the app’s design direction had been established but lacked consistency and usability. We began by auditing the existing experience – aligning layouts, components, and interactions with Volkswagen’s brand standards. This effort created a stronger foundation for scalability and a cleaner, more cohesive user interface across iOS and Android.
We expanded the experience
Building on that foundation, we incorporated a suite of new connected-car functions, including lock/unlock, honk & flash, vehicle health reports, speed alerts, geofencing, and EV charging timers. We redesigned the core dashboard to surface these features through intuitive, one-tap access – improving clarity, speed, and driver confidence.
We extended the design system
To ensure continuity across platforms, we maintained and evolved Volkswagen’s digital design system – standardizing components and visual patterns across mobile and wearables. The system supported the creation of a streamlined Apple Watch interface, giving users real-time visibility and control from their wrist while preserving the same design language and usability principles.
The Result
The redesigned Car-Net experience delivered a unified, intuitive, and future-ready connected-car platform. By expanding functionality and extending Volkswagen’s design system across devices, we helped transform Car-Net into a seamless ecosystem – giving drivers faster access, greater control, and a consistent brand experience from phone to smartwatch.
Expanded Feature Set
The updated app brought a full suite of remote vehicle functions to drivers – including lock/unlock, honk & flash, geofencing, and EV charging timers – making Car-Net a true connected companion.
Cross-Platform Consistency
We unified the app experience across iOS, Android, and Apple Watch, ensuring a consistent, branded interface that felt unmistakably Volkswagen on every device.
Extended Design System
By maintaining and expanding the design system, we created a scalable foundation that supported ongoing feature releases and future product enhancements.
Improved Usability and Reliability
The refined dashboard layout and simplified information architecture made key actions and vehicle insights easier to access – improving task completion rates and reducing user frustration.
Future-Ready Foundation
Our modular design approach and code-aligned components positioned Volkswagen to integrate emerging technologies, from voice assistants to new telematics features, without redesigning the core experience.