As part of the undergoing effort to refresh the visual style of the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) the redesign of the Main Icons presented a major opportunity. The new Main Icons were introduced in the 2023 E-Class as a precursor to the upcoming MB.OS and its modernized UI. While a fresh look and feel was the main objective, improving the usability and aligning the icon metaphors and colors to existing standards was equally important.

The UX Design Team in Carlsbad created most of the Main Icons under my leadership. I also played an active design role during the process and went through multiple rounds of fine tuning and design reviews up to the board level.

From the beginning it was clear we wanted to explore a simplified 3D approach that took reference to the old Main Icons but were better readable and more distinct. The goal was to create a distinctive design that users would find and recognize more easily than the old icons, especially when they look familiar to the icons on their phone.

The new Main Icons will be rolled out in future updates of MB.OS across all MB models.

All images copyright by Mercedes-Benz.