Freelance HMI Designer

Design the interface between people and tomorrow’s mobility.

Star is looking to connect with exceptional Senior Product Designers with deep automotive HMI experience — designers who can turn complex vehicle systems into intuitive, beautiful and production-ready digital experiences.

With a track record across global OEMs, Tier 1s and mobility leaders — including publicly featured work with BMW Group, Honda, Hyundai, SAIC, NIO, Denso and many others — Star brings design, strategy, engineering and AI together to shape what’s next in passenger vehicles, commercial mobility, connected services, EV ecosystems and future cockpits.

You'll collaborate with Star on high-impact automotive and mobility programs where craft, systems thinking and technical realism matter.

This is a contract-based opportunity. Selected designers become part of Star's curated freelance network and may be invited to collaborate on projects that match their expertise, interests and availability.

From digital cockpits, infotainment systems, instrument clusters and companion apps to intelligent in-car assistants and multimodal AI-powered experiences, you’ll work with senior multidisciplinary teams to create mobility experiences that feel effortless, safe, trustworthy and unmistakably premium.

What you'll help create

Depending on the program, you’ll contribute to high-impact digital experiences across passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, fleets and emerging mobility platforms, including:

• Future cockpit and digital cabin concepts;
• Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) for embedded vehicle experiences;
• Infotainment systems, digital instrument clusters and head-up displays;
• Connected vehicle ecosystems and companion mobile applications;
• Fleet, commercial vehicle and driver productivity experiences;
• AI-powered in-vehicle experiences, intelligent assistants and agentic user experiences;
• Multimodal interactions across touch, voice, gesture, haptics and generative AI;
• Context-aware and personalized user journeys;
• Information architecture, interaction models and UX concepts;
• High-fidelity user interfaces and production-ready visual design;
• Design systems, component libraries and reusable HMI patterns;
• Interactive prototypes, usability validation assets and product demos;
• Implementation-ready specifications for engineering teams;
• Software-defined vehicle and future mobility concepts

Programs may range from early innovation and concept development to production work and product evolution. The goal is always the same: create automotive experiences that are intuitive, safe, scalable, technically feasible and unmistakably premium.

What impact you’ll make

• Translate complex vehicle systems into simple, useful and emotionally resonant experiences;
• Shape products from early strategy and concept work through to implementation-ready design;
• Raise the quality of interaction models, visual craft, information architecture and design systems;
• Support faster delivery with clear prototypes, reusable patterns, design rationale and engineering-ready specifications;
• Bring driver context, safety considerations, human factors and technical feasibility into every design decision;
• Use AI thoughtfully to create more adaptive, personal and natural interactions without increasing cognitive load.

What we're looking for

Required: 

• 5+ years of professional experience in Product Design, UX/UI Design, Interaction Design or Human-Centered Design;
• Proven experience designing automotive HMI, digital cockpits, infotainment systems, digital instrument clusters, head-up displays or other embedded user interfaces;
• Experience designing for automotive, commercial vehicles, mobility platforms or similarly complex embedded systems;
• Strong understanding of driver context, safety considerations, distraction reduction principles, human factors, interaction constraints and production realities;
• Ability to translate complex vehicle data, controls and services into clear information architecture, interaction flows and UI systems;
• Portfolio with 2-3 relevant case studies showing HMI depth, product thinking, end-to-end process, systems thinking and excellent visual execution;
• High level of visual design craft, including typography, hierarchy, color, layout, motion thinking and interaction detail;
• Expert proficiency in Figma and modern collaborative design workflows;
• Experience creating scalable component libraries, reusable UI patterns and design systems;
• Ability to produce implementation-ready specifications and collaborate closely with engineering teams during build and validation;
• Curiosity about AI and emerging technologies, with the ability to design adaptive, natural and personalized experiences;
• Comfortable working independently while integrating smoothly into senior multidisciplinary, international teams;
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice to have: 

• Experience working with leading automotive OEMs, commercial vehicle manufacturers, mobility providers or Tier 1 suppliers;
• Experience designing production software for Android Automotive OS, QNX, embedded Linux or similar in-vehicle platforms;
• Experience designing for software-defined vehicles, connected mobility ecosystems, EV charging, fleet operations or in-car commerce;
• Experience creating advanced interactive prototypes using ProtoPie, Framer, Unity, Unreal or similar tools;
• Experience designing AI-powered products, voice interfaces, conversational experiences, in-car assistants or LLM-enabled user experiences;
• Experience applying AI throughout the design process, including ideation, research synthesis, prototyping, UI generation or user testing;
• Knowledge of accessibility, inclusive design, human factors and automotive usability principles.

Why collaborate with Star

Collaborating with Star means access to complex, meaningful mobility challenges - not generic UI production. You’ll work with teams that combine strategy, research, design, engineering and AI to shape experiences for global automotive and mobility leaders.

• Work on future-facing automotive and mobility programs with globally recognized brands.
• Contribute to products across passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, fleets, connected services and future mobility ecosystems.
• Shape experiences from early vision and concept development through to production-ready design.
• Collaborate with experienced strategists, researchers, product designers, engineers and AI specialists from around the world.
• Bring your craft to systems that must be beautiful, safe, scalable and technically feasible.
• Be considered for future Star automotive and mobility programs aligned with your expertise, interests and availability.
• Build long-term collaboration with a global design and technology partner. 

How our collaboration works

0. Apply by submitting your CV, portfolio and relevant automotive or complex-system case studies.
1. Portfolio review. We look for strong HMI thinking, product depth, visual craft and evidence of production-aware design.
2. Expert conversation. If your profile is a strong fit, we’ll invite you to meet the team and discuss your experience, strengths and interests.
3. Opportunity matching. Selected candidates may be considered for future automotive and mobility programs where their expertise is relevant.
4. Project brief and terms. When a suitable engagement appears, we’ll share the project scope, timeline, expected contribution, deliverables and commercial details.
5. Collaboration start. Once there is mutual fit, you join the project team and work alongside Star specialists and client stakeholders.

Why Star?

Star is a global design and technology partner for companies shaping the future of mobility. We work across strategy, research, product design, engineering, data and AI to help automotive leaders move from vision to usable, scalable products.

For us, HMI is not just a screen exercise. It is a systems challenge: brand, safety, behavior, technology and business value shaped into one coherent experience. Our Automotive & Mobility work spans future cockpits, connected services, EV ecosystems, AI-powered interaction and software-defined vehicle experiences.

If your portfolio shows the ability to turn automotive complexity into elegant, production-ready mobility experiences, we would like to hear from you.

Engagement note

This position is offered on a contract-based basis. Scope, timeline, availability, deliverables and commercial terms are agreed per engagement.