Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Correia
Hi Kevin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am currently working as a Human Factors Engineer at Audi in San Jose where I get to create exciting autonomous vehicle user experiences. My journey has had many pivots along the way, and I have had the opportunity to pick up a diverse set of skills and meet many amazing people that have helped me grow as a professional and as a creative.
I grew up in Dubai, which has a great car culture. I developed a passion for cars from a young age, and I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the automotive industry. I decided to study automotive engineering at Loughborough University in the UK, which had many ties to the automotive industry. I picked up a lot of skills here and discovered that I was pretty good at learning new software quickly. I developed an interest in CAD and coding, and this has stuck with me even after transitioning to design when I came to Los Angeles to study at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Through electives and independent projects, I created my own path through the Transportation Systems and Design graduate program that enabled me to take on different roles in a design team which proved invaluable in landing an internship at Audi’s Automated Driving Development hub in San Jose.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Towards the end of my engineering degree, I started to doubt if the projects that I would undertake in industry would be fulfilling. While I picked up a lot of skills during my internship, I learned that I wanted to be involved in the design, development, and delivery of larger systems instead of focusing on specific components. I took a chance on the Transportation Systems and Design graduate course at Art Center which focuses on the design of large mobility systems and their components. It was a struggle to move to another country again and start fresh, but my efforts paid off in the end as I am very satisfied with the variety and scale of the projects that I get to work on now.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a Human Factors Engineer at Audi, I work on many different types of projects ranging from UX research to UX design and prototyping. My focus is on assisted and autonomous driving topics where we hope to understand the user needs in a vehicle that is equipped with ADAS features, and to design a human-machine interface that helps the driver use these features.
When I joined the team, I was at one point the only designer, and had to take on big research and design responsibilities. This dynamic environment helped me to establish myself as a team member who can wear many hats, and I still take on different roles despite my team having grown with dedicated researchers, designers, and engineers.
The highlight of my job is when we get to test a concept car with real users and get their reactions to our HMI design and assisted driving systems that we develop over months. I am very excited to see my designs in a production car soon, and this would be my proudest achievement.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can reach out to me on LinkedIn or by e-mail. I am always happy to help other aspiring designers who are interested in a role in the automotive industry!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kevincorreia.design/
