Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled service robots. Whilst having the potential to enhance our transport systems and journey experiences, there are concerns that the public may be reluctant to adopt AVs, largely driven by doubts about their safety. In this study, we focussed on the role of the exterior vehicle design to instil a sense of safety on behalf of the passenger and bystander, i.e. pedestrians and cyclists. Senior automotive and transport designers were interviewed to identify key design features which revealed a common understanding of key features but also an apparent dichotomy or incompatibility in terms of design directions when considering passengers versus bystanders. Furthermore, designers’ understanding was largely based on their experience of conventional vehicles leading to uncertainty as to the validity in the context of future AVs. The results provide an initial set of design features that will be tested and evaluated with prospective AV users to explore the potential knowledge gap between designers’ intentions and customers’ expectation. This will provide design practitioners tangible, relatable anchors to direct activities towards critical design features whilst enabling design management to introduce more objectivity in their decision making.