Case Study: Snapp Automotive

Automotive & mobility

B2B

Democratising automotive infotainment for emerging carmakers

Client

Snapp Automotive

Model

In-Housing

services

Product strategy

UX/UI design

Product optimisation

Rapid prototyping

info

Snapp Automotive create Android-based infotainment apps from firmware to finished UI. Founded by ex-Google engineers, they developed SnappOS as a modular platform that could deliver tier-1 quality at emerging manufacturer economics. But proving this required design excellence that could demonstrate infinite customisation without sacrificing platform efficiency.

challenge

Snapp Automotive needed a platform that could serve any future OEM while still feeling premium and brand-specific. The paradox: how do you design for brands you haven't met yet, without defaulting to generic?

our analysis

Platform success required proving that modular could mean premium. By emphasising prototypes over static tools, we could test real interactions and discover where customisation created value versus complexity.

what we did

01. Built capability through embedded expertise

Rather than traditional agency support, we embedded a senior UI designer within Snapp Automotive to work directly with developers. This integration meant participating in strategic decisions, understanding technical constraints intimately, and iterating directly within Android rather than producing theoretical designs.

01. Built capability through embedded expertise

02. Created an extensive design system

We developed a comprehensive design system supporting multiple themes across vehicle segments: from high-end sports cars to city vehicles. Each theme maintained consistent interaction patterns whilst expressing distinct visual identities, proving to OEMs that platform solutions could preserve brand differentiation.

02. Created an extensive design system

03. Rapid media player customisation

Responding to requests from OEMs, we delivered multiple media player implementations: neutral white-label and branded OEM templates, proving that platform development could match tier-1 customisation at fraction of the timeline.

03. Rapid media player customisation

04. Mobile companion app as vehicle extension

We designed the companion app not as interface replication but as genuine vehicle extension. Remote climate control, status monitoring, and departure planning demonstrated SnappOS's capability to deliver the connected experiences consumers expect, whilst maintaining the contextual intelligence that separates premium from commodity.

04. Mobile companion app as vehicle extension

05. Established scalable design principles

Our work embedded lasting principles within SnappOS: How interfaces adapt between driving and parked states, how information hierarchy shifts with context, how customisation maintains safety whilst enabling expression. These decisions became platform DNA, ensuring consistency as the system scales across manufacturers.

05. Established scalable design principles

project impact

Design system that supports multiple OEMs

Created comprehensive theming architecture that enables distinct brand expressions whilst maintaining platform efficiency.

Design system that supports multiple OEMs

Created comprehensive theming architecture that enables distinct brand expressions whilst maintaining platform efficiency.

Design system that supports multiple OEMs

Created comprehensive theming architecture that enables distinct brand expressions whilst maintaining platform efficiency.

Two-week customisation cycles

Established design patterns and component library that reduced new theme development from months to 14 days.

Two-week customisation cycles

Established design patterns and component library that reduced new theme development from months to 14 days.

Two-week customisation cycles

Established design patterns and component library that reduced new theme development from months to 14 days.

Embedded capability, not dependency

Snapp Automotive's team now iterates independently using principles and systems we established during engagement.

Embedded capability, not dependency

Snapp Automotive's team now iterates independently using principles and systems we established during engagement.

Embedded capability, not dependency

Snapp Automotive's team now iterates independently using principles and systems we established during engagement.

Platform success requires embedded expertise

Product-led companies building platforms face a specific challenge: creating design systems that scale across multiple implementations whilst maintaining quality. We embed senior designers within your organisation for sustained periods. They build lasting capability whilst delivering immediate value: establishing systems, creating components, and ensuring your team can iterate independently. Traditional agencies deliver recommendations. We combine strategic thinking with design execution.

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