UX RESEARCH
/
INTERACTION DESIGN
/
VISUAL DESIGN
F015 App
(
5
)
/ understanding the goal
"Self-driving cars have been a human dream for decades. Now they are finally coming and announcing a new era of mobility. Relaxed, we would slide from A to B, freed from everything that makes driving a chore and dangerous today. Accidents, traffic jams, wrong turns? [...] On the way to autonomous driving the biggest hurdle is not technology - it is the fear of machines. The fear of loss of control. " — Stefan Beutelsbacher
As part of my Bachelor Thesis i tackled the widespread apprehension toward fully automated transportation and the underlying fear of losing control, I centered my solution on the concept of the placebo effect. This approach was aimed at providing users with a sense of control, even when actual control was minimal. The heart of my strategy involved creating an app designed to ease fears around human-machine interaction, particularly with Level 5 autonomous vehicles. My primary focus in designing the app was to significantly reduce the user's cognitive load, ensuring that its operation was intuitive and straightforward. By emphasizing reassurance and simplicity, I aimed to bridge the gap between human skepticism and the embrace of technological advancements, thereby fostering progress in autonomous transportation.
/ CLIENT
Mercedes Benz
/ Year
2018
/ My tasks
In my initial user research, I uncovered a range of "nice-to-haves" like fun and entertainment features, influenced by specific consumer groups' preferences. However, due to time constraints, my focus shifted towards developing a minimum viable product that aligned with the business goals and organizational capabilities. Priority was given to optimizing the user experience, enhancing conversion rates, and improving the recognition and processing of warnings.
Using the insights from the Sinus-Milieu study, I crafted use cases, user flows, wireframes, and prototypes for testing. This approach allowed for a structured development process, ensuring that the product not only met user needs but was also viable for rapid development and testing.
The design of the app was governed by a modular design system, created for scalability and adaptability across various device resolutions, while still respecting the corporate design of Mercedes-Benz. This system ensured that components could be efficiently integrated and modified, facilitating a cohesive user experience that could evolve alongside the app's growth.
/ Process and methodology
By systematically applying usability heuristics, I focused on creating an interface that was not only intuitive but also met high usability standards. This involved simplifying complex tasks, ensuring consistency across the app, and providing users with clear feedback. Regular heuristic evaluations allowed for iterative improvements, ensuring that the app remained accessible and user-friendly. Additionally, the modular design system was assessed through these heuristics to guarantee that each component contributed positively to the overall user experience. This approach effectively streamlined the development process and ensured that the final product was both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional.
/ Communication Skills
Persuasive communication was crucial in advocating for the project's viability to the academic committee, while technical writing ensured the complex development process was comprehensibly documented. Interpersonal skills facilitated effective collaboration, and polished presentation skills were instrumental in convincingly showcasing the app's functionality and underlying research. Together, these communication competencies were pivotal in navigating the academic requirements and contributing to the project's overall success, blending technical acumen with strategic communication to produce a compelling and user-focused application.
/ Outcome
The project was met with exceptional acclaim from the academic committee. The careful approach paired with a clear presentation of the project's goals, methods, and results, contributed to the thesis achieving the note 1,0.
OTHER
STUDIES
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