Skoda HMI team makes car-human interaction easy

The lighting on the dashboard, the text on the buttons, the dashboard layout and the way the infotainment screen looks and works are all designed by the HMI team at Skoda. The group, formed about five years ago and now eight members strong, is responsible for on-screen elements and the overall user experience.

The pace of HMI development has accelerated with digitalization, freeing dashboards from traditional buttons and radios. The user interface is becoming a significant part of brand identity. “At the same time, the user interface and the user experience are areas with great potential for innovation: we can create the future here and understand the needs of the user,” says Federico Fachini, Head of HMI Design.

New control logic

Federico explains the Volkswagen Group’s new strategy: the team is working on a new solution that supports brand recognition and is based on customer needs. The new logic and structure aim to simplify operation, allow customization to preferences and enable installation of applications.

Connectivity between people, mobile phones and cars is standard today. When designing interaction systems, the HMI team collaborates with departments responsible for other vehicle parts such as instrument panels, infotainment screens and voice control systems. Their work also informs digital products beyond the car, like mobile apps and websites.

Solutions must work for customers in many countries. “Habits and needs in China, India, Germany, the UK or Italy are very different, but we must maintain a consistent visual style and logic,” Federico says. To achieve this the team combines varied skills and experience, comparing it to a football team where each player has a slightly different role.

Federico Fachini

Head of HMI Design. Born in Milan, studied in Switzerland, Federico has worked in car companies and as a freelancer. He joined Skoda in 2007, worked in exterior design and Colour & Trim, and helped establish the HMI team five years ago, leading it since 2017. He focuses on understanding real customer needs and giving the team freedom and responsibility.

Ján Rehák

Started as a UI designer in interior design and co-founded the HMI team. He is working on the design system that defines visual rules and structural logic for in-car screens and all Skoda digital products to speed up solution development.

Daniel Hajek

Responsible for visual style and creating demo cars. He tests ideas with customers and internal trials, then adjusts designs based on test results to improve clarity and usability.

Wojciech Piekarczyk

Focuses on graphics and animations that help users understand control logic without causing distraction. He also works on welcome and goodbye graphics and the visual design of Skoda’s virtual assistant, Laura.

Rex Sander

Handles visualization—displaying information and controls clearly despite automotive hardware limits. He seeks high-contrast, efficient solutions to achieve attractive results on available hardware.

Matej Dubiš

Joined via cooperation with an architecture and design faculty. He liaises on ergonomics and ensures physical controls like buttons and knobs remain usable while integrating digital innovations.

Klára Sejkorová

Originally designed vehicle icons, now responsible for complete dashboard design. As dashboards grow digital, she ensures essential information is clearly visible without distracting the driver and oversees design through to production.

Aneta Kalousová

The newest team member, she designs icons to be clear and unobtrusive. Icons follow a consistent, evolving style with strong attention to customer experience.