Overview
“People used our vehicles in more ways than we expected.”
This is a passion project to understand people’s desires and needs for versatile spaces in future mobility. On this page, I would like to document primary research exercises and insights I found. I will upload new content monthly so keep an eye out on this space.
Project Type
Self-starting, fun but serious
Project Length
July 2019 - Present
Keywords
Autonomous driving level 5, Concept design, Design Proposal, 4 Passengers
Skills
Qualitative research, Storyboarding, Service Design, UX Design
Why I Started This Project
People in Japan are renting cars but not driving them. Traveled no distance. 🤔
Most people who spend money on car-sharing services do so because they have a destination in mind. Occasionally, a car is not a mode of travel, but an indoor space in a world where indoor spaces are increasingly privatized and inaccessible to many people. Japanese car-sharing service Orix discovered this recently after finding out that many of its customers were renting its cars but not driving them. (Source: https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/5/20683406/japan-car-sharing-renting-not-driving-private-space-orix-times24)
Primary Research
The future of mobility service is shared but personal.
As sharing economy services are growing, our perception of things are changing. The purpose of interviews was to understand how people perceive the space and what they would like to have in the future services. From the research, I learned how people perceive (in)visible boundaries in a car. Also, I got insights about desired services and physical elements in the future. The ways how people perceive boundaries determine how space and services are made and developed. Enabling people to have an ownership of experiences enhances the personal meaning of service.
Drawings by future riders.
By the time self-driving cars are rolled out, let’s say 20 years from today, who will be the main riders? Everyone will be potential riders, but young adults will be the main riders just like today. Then who are they?
Sketches by elementary school students
Thanks to my friend who teaches art at an elementary school, I was able to meet future riders. I asked students between the ages of 8 and 10 to imagine future experiences in a car and collected their thoughts & drawings. (Page 1 - 25)
Sketches by young adults in their 20s and 30s
I interviewed participants and asked them to draw future in-car experiences by considering their current needs in a car. (Page 26 - 30)
Secondary Research
Small but spacious, Shared but personal space
What are the common things between a home and a car? In terms of the space itself, they consider how to efficiently use limited physical space. I do believe a car will be transformed into versatile spaces in the future. As the use of the car changes, people will desire spacious and personal spaces in a pod. (In the future, as people’s mental model change, the word “car” may no longer exist.) To find inspiration, I observed when people feel personal emotions in public space and also looked up architectural images what kind of elements make small space feel spacious.
Future Needs
What future riders want
Even though there will be self-driving services without human drivers, a backend service provider must exist. That means knowing and balancing what people want and what service providers should take care of for people.
• Flexibility of physical elements in a car
• Luggages storage
• Be close to the people and things they want in a car
• Entertainment & Media
What service owners want
As a daily user of ride-sharing services, I interviewed 20 Uber/Lyft drivers about what their current frustrations are while they are offering services. There are tons of problems to be solved. Some problems are related to customers, some are car-related problems.
• Seat management among pooling riders
• Luggage limitation per customer
• Communication & Waiting time during passenger pick up
• Seat comfort & Cleaning
Opportunity Areas
Work in progress: documentation will be uploaded soon.
Storyboard - Prototyping
Work in progress: documentation will be uploaded soon.