Smart Pilot
UX Case Study
A study of 7750 drivers involved in car accidents found that 67.4% had pre-existing disorders, with 70% being held responsible by the court. Over 50% of those disorders were respiratory, circulatory, or endocrine diseases. To address these statistics, UX and Industrial Design students collaborated on a 5-week project involving research, user interviews, wireframes, visual mocks, prototypes, and a finalized mock-up. The case study details their journey to develop a potential design solution for safer driving by tracking drivers' vitals.
The Challenge
Create a comprehensive solution to address vehicular accidents stemming from cardiovascular and dehydration diseases. This solution involves the integration of a digital display and a supplementary mobile application, aiming to monitor and communicate vital health metrics in real-time, thus enhancing driver safety and preventing accidents related to these medical conditions.
The Design Process
The design process we pursued was the User-Centered Design (UCD) Process, which revolves around gaining a thorough understanding of users, tasks, and environments. This approach drives and refines design decisions through user-centered evaluation, ensuring a holistic user experience. Our methodology involved continuous iterations and actively involved users at every stage of design and development. By following the UCD Process, we aimed to create a solution that effectively addresses vehicular accidents caused by cardiovascular and dehydration diseases, incorporating a digital display and a supplementary mobile application. This iterative, user-centric approach allowed us to build a comprehensive solution that prioritizes user safety and satisfaction.
INSPIRATION PHASE
Early Observations
At the onset of our project, we recognized the importance of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the problem we sought to address. This led us to conduct in-depth research on various trends that could significantly impact the success of our design. To facilitate our brainstorming process, we employed a Method Kit, which provided a structured approach to generating potential solutions.
As we explored numerous ideas, we realized the need to narrow down our focus to ensure a more effective and meaningful ideation process. Consequently, we identified three main themes for consideration:
Consumer: We delved into understanding what design solution would resonate with consumers, ensuring it aligns with their preferences, needs, and comfort levels.
Societal: Anticipating the broader impact of our design solution, we carefully evaluated its alignment with current societal trends and values to ensure its relevance and acceptance.
Technological: Considering the practical implementation of our proposed design solutions, we assessed their feasibility in light of our existing technological advancements.
By meticulously exploring these key themes, we laid a strong foundation for the subsequent phases of our project, ensuring that our ideas are well-informed, user-centered, and aligned with the trends and advancements shaping our world. This comprehensive approach empowers us to develop a design solution that not only addresses the problem effectively but also resonates with the needs and aspirations of our target audience and the broader society.
SYNTHESIS PHASE
Findings in Research Interview
Our focus centered on a steering wheel equipped with technology to measure both saline levels and heart rate. While we acknowledged that similar technology existed, it had not been incorporated into steering wheel design before. With this innovative approach in mind, we assigned research tasks to individual group members to explore the possibilities and capabilities of gathering input information related to:
Saline levels.
Cardiovascular function.
By undertaking this focused research, we aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential inputs our steering wheel could incorporate. This thoughtful and collaborative process ensured that our final concept was not only grounded in research and feasibility but also had the potential to revolutionize vehicular safety by actively monitoring crucial health indicators.
Upon in-depth research and understanding of the problem at hand, our team embarked on synthesizing our observations to craft a compelling design solution. Our goal was to devise a solution that would significantly reduce vehicular accidents stemming from cardiovascular and dehydration diseases.
Amidst an abundance of potential ideas, we recognized the importance of selecting solutions that were not only feasible but also desirable to users and aligned with technological advancements. To accomplish this, our next group meeting involved presenting and discussing each idea from three perspectives: consumer, societal, and technological. Each team member contributed multiple ideas supported by relevant visuals, and through constructive feedback from our peers, we collectively arrived at a final concept idea.
IDEATION PHASE
Wireframe
Although there were many opportunities for design improvement, we focused on one: Rearranging the "My Lists" component on the mobile grocery gateway app such that users can better find the items they have already placed on their list.
We found that for our current user, "my lists" is a central component of their grocery gateway experience, acting as a memory trigger akin to walking up and down the aisles.
PROTOTYPE PHASE
Design - Early Prototyping
Following a period of divergence in our ideation, the current phase entailed convergence. Our investigations into the potential insights attainable through the assessment of saline levels and cardiovascular functions played a pivotal role in informing our design thought process.
During the third convened meeting, the team segregated into two distinct groups, leveraging this opportunity to harness our individual strengths. The cadre of Industrial Design scholars undertook the conceptualization of the steering wheel aesthetics, while the cohort of UX Design students directed their efforts towards the digital interface of the automobile and the corresponding output mechanisms resultant from user input.
The objective of this stage was to amalgamate our diverse concepts into a tangible framework for scrutiny, with provisions for the integration of novel attributes. Subsequent to the meticulous documentation and discourse surrounding novel concepts, these propositions were presented to the wider team for further evaluation and discussion.
