Continental bags German Design Award 2022 for its ShyTech Display

German technology company Continental has been awarded ‘Gold’ at the German Design Award 2022 for its ShyTech display for excellent product design in the Automotive Parts and Accessories category.

The ShyTech display helps meet the increasing demand for large screen solutions in vehicles. If necessary, the display innovation can take the entire width of the instrument panel, but still prevents sensory overload of the vehicle occupants. It manages to visually enhance unused display surfaces – because ShyTech displays are only visible when they are needed.

This the company says is made possible thanks to a semi-transparent surface. It ensures that the screen can be seamlessly integrated into the surrounding surface – both visually and haptically. Even if the instrument panel appears to be made of one piece, navigation or other communication information, as well as the menu of the touchscreen, are always available. At the same time, Continental's innovation solves the design requirement of not letting inactive screens appear as blank black areas. Depending on the configuration, the display surface appears either as a wooden panel or as a leather-covered surface. Not only does it look like the original material, it also feels like it. Thanks to ShyTech innovations, screens can be placed virtually anywhere in the interior.

A system concept developed by Continental ensures seamless integration of the ShyTech display even when switched on. Among other things, the system consists of a special backlight which, in special coordination with the LCD panel and the decor surface, allows the display contents to appear in ideal brightness and sharpness in every lighting situation – from glistening sunlight to cloudy rainy weather. The razor-sharp visuals of the display also impress with high contrast values.

Philipp von Hirschheydt, head of User Experience Business Area, Continental said, "Receiving the highest honour of the German Design Award for our ShyTech display is a great recognition for our team. It confirms our approach to purist vehicle design and outstanding user experience. Our solution seamlessly integrates high-resolution displays into a two-dimensionally shaped surface in real wood or leather look, where the displays disappear completely and content only appears when in use."

"The ShyTech Display is a revolutionary dashboard innovation where the in-vehicle display is only visible when necessary. Otherwise, the technology remains invisible. This reduces the amount of information when driving and increases concentration and thus safety. With the ShyTech display, Continental is responding as an innovator to the sensory overload in our everyday lives – a hot topic that is highly relevant in terms of user experience, especially in view of the fact that autonomous vehicles will be the third living space in the future," said the jury for awarding the highest award here.

In February 2022, the German Design Council will present the German Design Award for the tenth time. Over the past decade, the winners of these prestigious awards have been selected by an international jury of leading experts from all design disciplines. The award honours outstanding forward-looking products and projects with its internationally recognised prizes.