Howdoyoufindyourdreamcarwhentherearesomanyoptionstochoosefrom?CapitalOnehastheanswer!TopromoteCapitalOne'sbrand-new"AutoNavigator,"wecreatedaninteractiveexperienceforSXSW2019inAustin.
Client
Capital One
Industry
Insurance & Financial Services
Services
Technical ConsultingUX DesignVisual DesignSoftware DevelopmentDevOpsProducing
How Capital One Playfully Demystified the Search for the Dream Car.
People are quickly overwhelmed by the variety of cars.
At SXSW, Capital One sought an accessible, memorable way to provide visitors with guidance and show the path to car financing. The goal was an interactive experience that builds trust, engages users, and sparks interest in specific financing recommendations.
The installation took place in 2019 in the Capital One space at SXSW in Austin and was aimed at conference attendees who wanted to playfully explore which car suits them.
The experience was designed to pique curiosity and lead to product application.
The Auto Navigator Experience transforms configuration into a visual experience.
An interactive configurator displayed a custom-designed, film-inspired dream car in real-time.
Visitors answered multiple-choice questions on iPads. The results were presented live as a 3D car on a 6×3 m LED wall and visually supported by 42 kinetic LED spheres. The experience offered immediate rewards, high dwell time, and a clear bridge to recommending real financing through Capital One.
Technology and process ensured that digital creativity became physically tangible.
In four phases from Discover to Prototype, Build, and Launch, we iterated user flow, visual language, and synchronization. Prototypes tested fun and visual guidance, the Build ensured reliable real-time representation, and the Launch brought the installation live at SXSW.
Four phases led from idea to live experience.
The magic lay in the real-time connection between screen and physical kinetics.
Configurations from the iPads flowed to a locally hosted server; the system rendered the 3D car and synchronized the color, silhouette, and movement of the LED spheres. The immediate feedback made digital decisions emotionally tangible and significantly increased engagement.
The central insight was simple: visible, playful results build trust and directly connect a spirit of experimentation with product relevance. Many visitors left the installation not only inspired but with concrete information on financing their dream car through Capital One.