V-Auto was created for Vodafone in 2017 as a small-scale device capable of condensing a crucial transition from the traditional automobile to the connected vehicle into just a few centimeters. The project addresses a highly technical issue with a simple, readable, and immediate formal language, transforming plugging into the OBD port into a natural gesture that activates safety, localization, and driving analysis services.
Vodafone V-Auto
Design: Massimo Farinatti, Federica Gaidano, Luciano Galimberti
The compactness of the volume, the geometric clarity and the recognisable materiality of the red detail create an object that does not simply perform a function, but makes the value of connection perceptible as a concrete presence within the passenger compartment.
In this balance between performance, brand identity, and perceptual quality, V-Auto translates an invisible digital infrastructure into a clear, accessible, and reassuring physical interface for the user. The project was selected for the ADI Design Index 2018.
Strategy
Make advanced connectivity and safety services accessible without invasive interventions on the car, entrusting everything to an easy-to-install plug-in device.
Translating a potentially abstract technology into an understandable, reassuring object that is consistent with non-specialist everyday use.
Bringing Vodafone's identity into the physical experience of the product, avoiding superficial graphic accents and instead creating a sign integrated into the material.
Design
The geometry arises from the logic of the connection: a compact, clean, easily orientable volume, designed to fit clearly into the OBD port and remain visually tidy even in the technical environment of the under-dashboard.
The dual-color ABS co-molding isn't a decorative exercise. The red part, consistent with Vodafone's red, acts as the product's semantic core: it suggests energy, activation, and connection.
The dark, continuous surfaces reinforce the perception of reliability, while the internal colour contrast concentrates the meaning at the exact point where the relationship between object and vehicle occurs.
Results
V-Auto enables Auto SOS functions, vehicle location, driving style analysis and instant installation via OBD port.
The project transforms a hidden technical interface into a clear and recognizable service point, improving the perception of technology accessibility.
For Vodafone, the device becomes a physical touchpoint for the brand: small in size, but capable of making the promise of connection, protection, and control tangible.
