Neon OS

Next-generation Marine Operating System.

Navico’s previous OS has remained the same since 2007, while technology and user expectations have changed. The company wanted a modern system to support future products for the next decade. Neon became that system. It’s Android-based, faster, more secure, and simpler to update. The first Neon product to use is the Simrad NSX.

On water experience testing, Southampton 2019. Egle, Me, Sjoerd, Damien and Derry

My Role & Contribution

As a newbie to the industry, I immersed myself in the boating community - fishermen, sailors, hobbyists to understand their challenges and how they use marine tech. As a founding team member, I wore a few hats, so I was excited when Sjoerd, whom I collaborated with at TomTom, joined the team. We used our strengths, and I focused on visuals while he led UX.

User insights

I interviewed boaters, gathered feedback, and studied older design decisions.

Concept creation

I sketched interfaces and explored Android’s potential for marine applications.

Stakeholder engagement

I prepared visual pitches to show how Neon could handle charts, weather, sonar, etc.

Collaboration

I worked alongside product managers and engineers, balancing performance needs with a user-friendly approach.

Scenarios

We defined key tasks and use cases, focusing on what boaters do day-to-day.

Testing & Research

Validating designs on the water was always challenging, Regular on water tests tested prototypes on the water, and spoke with novices and seasoned boaters.

Refinement

We iterated on layouts and workflows, matching user feedback with Navico’s technical goals.

Implementation

With Neon established, the Simrad NSX became the first official device to bring this new experience to life.

Outcome

Neon replaced the older OS with a familiar system, aligning it with current technology. It offers improved performance, enhanced security, and the ability to host more third-party applications. Boaters found it more straightforward, and Navico positioned itself for long-term growth with this platform.

Working with Sjoerd helped us combine our UX and visual strengths. Spending time at sea highlighted the real-life situations of boaters, which shaped our designs in ways that desk research alone couldn’t.

Our success with Neon paved the way for my next project: Argon.