Ryan Powell, Head of User Experience, Waymo

At ID’s Shapeshift Summit, ID alum Ryan Powell (MDes 2001), Director, Head of User Experience at Waymo, discussed how his team uses design to tackle one of our most pressing safety challenges.

Ryan’s path from ID to leading design for driverless technology began with a crash. While biking home from ID in 1999, he was struck by a car that ran a red light. That experience—and the global statistics showing 1.35 million annual traffic deaths—now guides his approach to creating safer, more intuitive autonomous vehicle (AV) experiences.

Find highlights below or listen to Ryan’s talk on the With Intent podcast.

When Waymo began as Google’s self-driving car project, the technical challenge was only half the equation.

The team quickly realized that even the most advanced autonomous driving system wouldn’t improve road safety if people didn’t feel safe using it. This insight became the foundation for all of Waymo’s design work, leading to their core principle of designing for trust.

Improving Communication

Waymo’s research revealed that human rideshare drivers and passengers communicate constantly through both verbal and subtle nonverbal cues. Without a human driver, this creates a critical gap in communication—and trust.

The key was finding the right level of transparency—sufficient information to build confidence, but simple enough to feel reassuring rather than overwhelming. The solution was a 3D scene, displayed in both the front and back of the vehicle, that distills the Waymo’s complex view into clear, user-friendly information to help passengers understand what’s happening around them.

One surprisingly effective feature—especially in construction zones where passengers often felt anxious—was displaying traffic cones to let people know the vehicle is aware of the current conditions.

Urban Integration Through Motion

After piloting their program in Phoenix, the team focused their efforts on San Francisco’s dense urban environment. This new setting required Waymo to become a better “road citizen.” The challenge was finding the right balance of assertiveness.

Waymo solved this through “legible motion”—using subtle movements to communicate intent. Now, at traffic scenarios like four-way stops, the Waymo will slightly nudge forward to let other vehicles and pedestrians know it’s ready to take its turn.

A Human-Centered Call to Action

With 250,000 fully driverless rides happening each week and evidence showing improved road safety, Ryan sees these accomplishments as just the beginning.

Looking beyond transportation to AI’s impact across industries, he offers a guiding principle: Prioritize understanding human needs first, then design technology to serve those needs—whether in autonomous driving or beyond.

As the Director, Head of UX at Waymo, Ryan Powell oversees a talented group of researchers and designers taking a human-centered approach to designing the world’s first fully self-driving ride-hailing service.

Driven by his passion for people, design, and technology’s potential to improve daily life, Ryan has led teams at Google, Samsung, Xbox, and Motorola before joining Waymo. He’s known for creating simple, delightful experiences that connect with consumers across global markets.