In 2017, I co-taught Designing Autonomous Cars to Human Experiences and Rituals at Stanford d.school, a course exploring how people will interact with self-driving cars beyond the technology itself. While much of the conversation around autonomous vehicles focuses on engineering and AI, this class examined how human behavior, trust, and cultural rituals will shape the adoption and everyday use of autonomous mobility.

We approached autonomous vehicle design from a human-centered perspective, asking:

What new rituals and experiences will emerge in self-driving cars?
How will people establish trust and control in autonomous systems?
Will cars become extensions of the home, office, or something entirely new?
How do we design interactions that feel natural and intuitive in autonomous vehicles?

Through research, prototyping, and experience design exercises, students explored how self-driving cars might shape new social behaviors, from morning commutes to road trips, ridesharing, and professional transport. We examined case studies from industry leaders, behavioral science research on automation trust, and historical transitions in transportation, such as the evolution of airplane autopilot and elevator control systems.

One key insight from the course was that autonomous cars are not just about technological autonomy, but human autonomy—people will need to feel in control of the experience, even when they are not driving. This led students to prototype new control metaphors, trust-building interactions, and meaningful transitions between human and AI decision-making.

The class was a deep dive into designing for emerging technology in a way that prioritizes human experience, a theme that continues to inform my work in AI, enterprise systems, and digital transformation.

Designing Autonomous Car Experiences