Jaguar Land Rover

The challenge

Jaguar’s founder famously said ‘the car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive’. The challenge to us was how to extend the spirit that transcends the metal into the digital realm. With a line-up of next generation luxury vehicles to launch, the imperative was to create a more modern and connected experience to delight the next generation of customers.

What we did

Jaguar Land Rover’s InControl Remote is a premium digital service that enables drivers to control their car from anywhere in the world.

The launch of the Apple Watch and Android Wear gave us the chance to extend the connected car experience to the wrist for the first time. We helped Jaguar Land Rover to become the first carmaker in the world to do this.

But we wanted to go beyond bragging rights. Our early testing coalesced around peace of mind and we could deliver this at a glance. Did I lock my car? Do I have enough fuel for my journey? Is my alarm going off?

A few years on, we were well placed to give the mobile platform a design and technology overhaul to improve the customer experience and create operational efficiencies.

Working closely with Jaguar Land Rover’s Connected Car team and its selected partners, such as Normally and Bamboo, we redesigned and simplified the interface across both brands while continuously developing and testing with vehicles for real-time feedback in all conditions.

The interface gives a snapshot of the vehicle’s live status with actions like lock and unlock, climate and seat control, only one click away. Critically, we were able to improve performance and reduce latency so users can control the car faster, bringing to as close to the founder’s vision as technology will allow.

What we learned

Delivering a seamless end-to-end experience across multiple brands with different vehicles, features and unique variances in different global markets is a challenge. An integrated and empowered team was essential to ensure smooth communication and overcome complexity.

A one year internal beta followed with key internal stakeholders including their field evaluation unit around the world. This provided time to create buy in and learnings to iterate the product prior to soft launch in May 2019. The new InControl Remote is now live on iOS in the UK, with Android and new markets to follow.

Check out the apps here: Land Rover Remote Jaguar Remote