Intuitive
Control on
all terrains
FOX FACTORY LIVEVALVE SYSTEM
Client
Fox Factory
Industry
Consumer
Scope
Industrial Design User Interface Design Concept Engineering
The Fox Factory LiveValve system is an evolution in off-road suspension control which can now be adjusted on the fly. The LiveValve’s web and mobile application's most common suspension adjustments are designed to be easily accessed through one main input device readying the vehicle for impending terrain challenges.
Through driver research and rigorous cycles of concept development, it was learned that simple/direct controls were preferred to control the suspension of a vehicle rapidly moving through various terrains often at high speeds. However, by implementing a smaller subset of controls it can get challenging trying to cover the range of desired suspension adjustments using a simplified input methodology.
The goal was to design a system that communicates a smaller but critical subset of suspension adjustments based on the driver’s ability to forecast the upcoming terrain. Using the connected web/mobile application the driver can now tune a refine settings to his/her preferences and the vehicle's capabilities. Combining this with Fox’s LiveValve technology will give drivers the ultimate on/off-road experience.
After several iterations of exploration for both the web/mobile application and the in-vehicle controller, a smaller sub-set of concepts was translated into physical prototypes. These prototypes were later leveraged for human factors and usability testing to collect driver insights and tune the design.
Due to the effects of rough terrain driving and the impact on driver dexterity horizontally oriented paddles were preferred for larger motor control inputs. The paddles utilize a simple up-and-down control function to cycle through two columns of options.
