Design Lab + Hyundai: My Contributions

Field observations

We observed areas around campus with heavy traffic, both vehicles and micromobility. We took pictures, recorded videos and noted anything interesting during our observation sessions.

Interviews

We interviewed people guerrilla-style as we rode various forms of transportation: public buses and trains, airplanes, and rideshare vehicles.

Journey mapping

We created journey maps for trips we took, both long (over 30 min) and short. Each map marked destinations, thoughts, and mood changes throughout the trip.

Found data curation

To substantiate our primary research, we looked at video data online, including travel vlogs, subway station cameras, and more.

Affinity diagrams

We created many, many, many affinity diagrams to collect our thoughts and organize our research. (There was a lot of data!)

Storyboards & scenarios

We storyboarded scenarios such as a tourist visiting a city for the first time, or a woman encountering a dangerous situation. A core issue to address was building trust. Ideas we explored included a panic button and making the vehicle’s actions as transparent as possible.

Sketch ideation

We ideated on pain points and solutions by sketching seat configurations and use cases for different amenities. We categorized trips by length (short, medium, long) and company (strangers, friends, alone).

Collaborative solutions theater

We rapidly prototyped ideas with what was already in our space (chairs, tables, cardboard) and acted out scenarios to test them.

Vehicle configuration concepts

We sketched versions of a higher-fidelity prototype for testing our concepts and speculations about self-driving car interiors and the use cases they might serve.

Vehicle dashboard prototyping

We brainstormed use cases for automated vehicles, including different modes the car could be in. These came from common activities seen in our primary research, backed up by data found online.

Wizard-of-Oz experimental sessions

We built a wood frame and filled it with amenities: a large TV screen, snacks, charging ports, an aromatherapy diffuser and more. We tested voice controls and switching between activities by having people play the car’s responses and manually turn accessories on and off.

We also prototyped a simple dashboard for riders to control the car’s amenities.

Delving headfirst into this project taught me a lot about UX research techniques, project timelines, and working in a large team. I was lucky to have amazing mentors from the Design Lab and inspiring peers who guided me, taught me insightful techniques, and made the whole experience fun.

Working with such a large team of students showed me the value of taking initiative. I had to make an effort to speak up in meetings and ask to be more involved. I’m really glad I did, because it pushed my boundaries. In the future, I hope to be part of more projects where I’m surrounded by inspiring designers and encouraged to do my best work on cutting-edge topics.