Case Study 04 (1999)

Design Leadership: Ahead of Its Time (Multitouch UI, 1999)

Challenge – Rethinking Human-Machine Interaction

In 1999, we developed and patented a multitouch user interface for car radios, enabling users to switch stations, fast-forward, or select tracks using gesture-based movements with multiple fingers. The vision was clear: an intuitive interface operable without taking eyes off the road, combining safety, simplicity, and elegance.

Design Leadership – Anticipation Over Adaptation

  • Anticipation: Identifying interaction paradigms before markets adopt them.
  • Systemic Thinking: Multitouch as a new communication model, not just a feature.
  • Clarity Through Experience: An experimental concept became the global standard for digital interaction.
This project demonstrates how design translates leadership into tangible market impact.

Vision – Design as Strategic Foresight

This project anticipated the future of interaction. In 1999, we presented it to Apple for the iPod. While the response was enthusiastic, the technology was deemed “technically impossible.” In 2007, the first iPhone introduced the very interaction model our prototype had pioneered — proving that visionary design often precedes technological readiness.


Design Leadership – Anticipation Over Adaptation

  • Anticipation: Identifying interaction paradigms before markets adopt them.
  • Systemic Thinking: Multitouch as a new communication model, not just a feature.
  • Clarity Through Experience: An experimental concept became the global standard for digital interaction.

This project demonstrates how design translates leadership into tangible market impact.


Impact – Leadership in Motion

  • Driving Innovation: Multitouch eight years before the smartphone revolution.
  • Design as Differentiation: Intuitive experience as a strategic advantage.
  • Strategic Relevance: A prototype became a blueprint for the industry.
  • Human-Centered Thinking: Prioritizing ease of use, safety, and cognitive simplicity before UX was mainstream.

Design here was strategic, not decorative.


Legacy – Design as Leadership Discipline

The Multitouch UI exemplifies Design Leadership: shaping markets before they exist. It proves that visionary design creates clarity, trust, and relevance, defining futures rather than following trends.