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Car Park

Reimagining futuristic Car
Screen Experiences
 

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Main Goal

The main goal of the project was to leverage advanced UX research and design methods to uncover high-level preferences for automotive screens, both driver-positioned and non-driving activities, and to integrate these insights into actionable design implications.

This aimed to enhance user experience and align with Yanfeng's vision for innovative and user-centered automotive interfaces.

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Contributions

Collaboration with the Research, Design, Innovation, and Strategy team

  • Independently planned and executed the research and strategy for the project.

  • Supported various ongoing projects for global clients.

  • Introduced new, efficient methods applicable to research.

  • Applied insights to design concepts for autonomous and concept cars

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Challenges

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Indutry knowledge and aligning project goals with Yanfeng's vision

Time constraints and stakeholder research deliverables

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Ideating for futuristic needs and goals of users

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Impact

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User-Centric Designs

Insights from NDRA research drive the creation of smart surface products tailored to diverse user needs, enhancing satisfaction.

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Adaptive Screen Design

Understanding seating impact on screen preferences leads to interfaces adaptable to various vehicle seating arrangements.

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Optimized Screen Experiences

Criteria and guidelines from user feedback optimize screen functionality, shaping future automotive interface design for better user experiences.

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Informed Decision Making

Diverse UX methods provide a deep understanding of user behaviors, guiding design choices that enhance automotive screen development and user experience.

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About Yanfeng Automotive Interiors

Yanfeng is redefining the way people relax, work, and play inside their vehicles. Delivering superior automotive interior, seating, safety, exterior, and cockpit electronics solutions to our customers, Yanfeng is redefining future smart cabin spaces where look, feel, and function are seamlessly integrated. 

01/How I added Value

Team: User Experience Research, Design, and Strategy 

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Leadership in Prominent Research Project

  • Led a significant research project at Yanfeng, showcasing expertise in diverse UX research and design methods.

  • Demonstrated a profound command of automotive screen preferences within the dynamic environment of Yanfeng.

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Nuanced Insights through Sophisticated UX Methods

  • Applied sophisticated UX methodologies to extract nuanced insights, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of user experiences.

  • Emphasized strategic application of UX methods, significantly contributing to the development of innovative haptic responses tailored to user preferences.

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Strategic Collaboration for Actionable Insights

  • Focused on leveraging cutting-edge UX methods to discern high-level preferences related to driver-positioned screens and non-driving activities.

  • Orchestrated comprehensive investigations through strategic collaboration with cross-functional teams in North America and Europe, aligning closely with Yanfeng's ethos.

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Human Factors Integration and UX-Centered Design

  • Actively contributed to integrating human factors considerations into the evaluation of user interfaces for Yanfeng Automotive's smart surface products.

  • Applied a UX-centered approach to design, deepening expertise and highlighting the pivotal role of these methodologies in shaping the future of automotive user experiences.

02/Project Brief 

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This project aims to optimize the user experience of Yanfeng Automotive's smart surface products, focusing on the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and automotive design.

 

The objective is to understand high-level user preferences and the roles of vehicle screens and external device screens (phones, tablets, computers) in vehicles, specifically for non-driving related activities (NDRA).

 

The project will investigate the preferences of drivers and passengers for viewing information, content, and entertainment, as well as activating or using controls during NDRA.

03/My Approach 

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Strategy

Project Plan

Discussion Guide

Research

Market Research

Task Analysis

User Interviews

Surveys

Contextual Inquiry

Define

Observational Studies

Insights Documentation

Prototype

Ideation Sketches

Card Sorting

Wireframes

Prototypes

Mockups

Test

Usability Testing

User Evaluation

04/What were the Project Objectives & Key Activities

User Preferences Analysis:

Conducted thorough analysis of user preferences for vehicle and external device screens during Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA).

- Gathered feedback and categorized preferences, identified trends, and summarized findings.

NDRA Screen Preferences:

Identified user preferences for specific NDRA, focusing on-screen features and reasons behind preferences.

- Explored interactions during navigation, entertainment, and communication.  Documented and analyzed feedback, providing detailed insights into feature preferences.

Good Screen Experiences:

Defined criteria for positive screen experiences during NDRA, offering guidelines for optimal user satisfaction.

- Analyzed feedback on screen functionality, identified common themes, and developed recommendations for enhancing user experiences.

User Seating Position:

Investigated how users' seating positions in vehicles impact screen preferences, recognizing the influence of different positions.

- Examined interactions based on seating positions, collected feedback, and provided insights into adapting screen design for diverse vehicle seating arrangements.

05/Methods 

User Research Survey

Conducted broad user research surveys on vehicle and external device screens for Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA).

Extracted quantitative data on viewing preferences, control activation, and overall screen satisfaction.

In-depth Interviews

Conducted one-on-one in-depth interviews to gather qualitative insights on user preferences for screens during Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA). Open-ended questions revealed nuanced perspectives, uncovering hidden motivations and considerations influencing user preferences.

Usability Testing

Usability testing assessed screen features for Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA). Tasks included information viewing, content consumption, and control activation. Insights from observations and user feedback guided enhancements to existing screen designs.

Observational Studies

Conducted observational studies to explore user interactions during Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA).

Observed users engaging with screens for navigation, entertainment, and communication, providing real-time insights into behaviors and preferences for each NDRA.

Task Analysis

Used task analysis to dissect steps and interactions in specific Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA), identifying pain points, preferences, and challenges users faced with screens. Systematic study of user tasks provided valuable insights into screen preferences and interactions.

Heuristic Evaluations

Heuristic evaluation assessed screen usability during Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA) based on established principles.

Identified issues and areas for improvement, contributing to developing guidelines for positive screen experiences.

06/Conclusions

Diverse Screen Preferences:

The user research methods uncovered varied screen preferences during Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRA), emphasizing the importance of adaptable screen designs.

Activity-Specific Preferences:

Analysis of NDRA Screen Preferences revealed insights into users' specific activity preferences, crucial for tailoring screen features to enhance satisfaction.

Guidelines for Positive Experiences:

Defining criteria for good screen experiences facilitated the creation of user-centered interfaces with optimized functionality, based on common positive themes.

Holistic Understanding:

Utilizing a combination of UX methods provided a comprehensive understanding of user behaviors, preferences, and challenges during NDRA, crucial for designing screens that meet diverse user needs.

Impact of Seating Positions:

Investigating users' seating positions in vehicles provided valuable insights for developing adaptive screen designs, and accommodating diverse seating arrangements.

06/Learnings

🤝  Practicing Empathy
Understanding the user's perspective deeply through empathy involves immersing oneself in their needs, frustrations, and goals. This is applied through user interviews, usability testing, and a focus on unraveling the emotional aspects, enabling designers to create compassionate and user-centric designs that resonate functionally and emotionally.
🔁  Embracing Iterations
Embraced the iterative nature of design, recognizing initial concepts as starting points for improvement, not indications of failure. In practice, sought feedback through usability testing, making iterative improvements to move designs closer to meeting user needs and business goals for continuous refinement and more effective solutions.
🔎  Master Research Techniques
Developed a versatile skill set in diverse research techniques for thorough and actionable insights, recognizing the need for different methods in various situations. In practice, tailor research methods to project needs, combining surveys, interviews, usability testing, and observational studies to gather diverse perspectives, ensuring effective extraction of valuable insights informing design decisions.
🗣️  Cultivate Strong Communication Skills
Acknowledged the crucial role of effective communication in conveying the value of UX design to diverse stakeholders, recognizing the need to articulate design decisions for both technical and non-technical audiences. In practice, utilized storytelling techniques, created visually compelling presentations, and employed clear language in design documentation to ensure that the design vision was not only understood but embraced by stakeholders, fostering support and collaboration for user-centered design initiatives.
🧐  Stay Curious and Learn Continuously
Acknowledged the dynamic nature of the UX field and the importance of continuous learning to stay informed about industry trends and emerging design methodologies. In practice, engaged with the UX community, attended conferences, participated in webinars, and actively sought learning opportunities to maintain agility and bring fresh perspectives to projects, ensuring readiness to tackle the challenges of an ever-evolving design landscape.
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