“你好小沃”
The story of how Volvo’s Virtual Personal Assistant found its personality, drew from Nordic myths, and evolved into a quiet yet intelligent companion for the car of tomorrow.
Crafting a Nordic Assistant with Character
Volvo’s Virtual Personal Assistant “小沃” was first introduced in 2020 on the Android-based infotainment system. The original design was inspired by the Northern Lights — a poetic metaphor. While the metaphor was compelling, we saw an opportunity to further align the visual design with the true essence of Volvo’s brand and identity.
As Volvo planed to enter the electrified era, a new system design called for a refreshed assistant: one that looked modern, felt aligned with the brand, and could grow with the user experience of the future.
Definition and Early Exploration
We began by analyzing and defining the target zone of visual expression. The goal was to create something warmer and more caring — reflecting Volvo’s brand values — while leaving open the balance between abstract and concrete forms.
Dozens of explorations were produced, from geometric light patterns to fluid forms, each testing a different balance of warmth, clarity, and emotion.
Eventually, we narrowed down to a few promising directions.
The Missing Piece
Even though these concepts were viable, something felt incomplete. The designs looked okay, but lacked a deeper rationale — a story to connect the assistant meaningfully with Volvo’s brand heritage and culture.
The Personality
We decided to hit the pause button and went back to define the personality of Xiaowo first. Importantly, it was not only about what it should be, but also what it should not be. This helped establish clear guidelines for the visual and interaction design.
The Story
With the personality defined, we sought inspiration from Scandinavian culture and Norse mythology to provide a deeper rationale. We uncovered a hidden gem: the myth of creation.
In Norse mythology, the cosmos is made up of Nine Realms. Among these, three are considered the major realms (Asgard, Midgard, and Vanaheim), with the remaining six forming the broader cosmic landscape.
All nine are connected by the Bifrost—a luminous rainbow bridge forged from the three basic elements: Fire, Air, and Ice. This provided us with two powerful and distinctly Nordic design metaphors.
The Metaphors
1. The Elements and Color System
The three creation elements translated directly into our color system, representing a balance between opposing forces:
Fire → Red: Representing energy, warmth, and action.
Ice → Blue: Representing calmness, clarity, and safety.
Air → Translucent White: Representing lightness, breath, and the digital space.
Together with the natural colors of the Scandinavian landscape, this blend created a harmonious palette for Xiaowo.
2. The Nine Realms and The Bifrost
The structure of the Nine Realms and the functionality of the Bifrost informed both the form and the function of the assistant:
The Nine Realms → The Form: The visual manifestation of the assistant uses three main circles to represent the three major realms, with six smaller circles completing the total of nine. This 3+6 structure directly connects the mythology to the design's unique form.
The Bifrost → The Function: The bridge, which travels anywhere and connects all realms, mirrors Xiaowo’s role as the intelligent, seamless connector. It is the system that links the driver to any desired function, destination, or piece of information, promising to travel with you anywhere and connect you effortlessly with the car and the world beyond.
These metaphors gave Xiaowo the cultural depth and symbolic grounding necessary to truly belong to the Volvo brand. This design finally came to life on our new electrified EX90, EX30, and EM90 cars.
What Should the Future Look Like?
Even though these concepts were viable, something felt incomplete. The designs looked okay, but lacked a deeper rationale — a story to connect the assistant meaningfully with Volvo’s brand heritage and culture.
As we bring new AI features to the assistant, we brainstormed with itself and came out with this:
"A perfect assistant seamlessly integrates into your life, anticipates your needs, and empowers you to be more productive, organized, and fulfilled. It is invisible when not needed, and takes care of you without interruption."
From that principle, Xiaowo evolved further:
An assistant that carries its heritage
An assistant that is non-intrusive
An assistant that silently takes care of your needs
An assistant that is no longer confined to a window, but integrated into the whole system
The Vision
Integration means more than UI. Xiaowo is alreayd extending into the physical space — reacting with ambient lighting, especially for second-row passengers.
Looking ahead, Xiaowo is set to embody Volvo’s vision of a truly human-centered assistant:
Rooted in Scandinavian heritage
Non-intrusive and humble
Caring for users quietly in the background
Seamlessly woven into the car and its environment, beyond a single screen
