top of page

Vroom

Dashboard Interfaces

alerted drivers of any changes in navigation, as well as, connected drivers to the outside world by allowing them to receive alerts, buy music, share and like locations.

Social Media Interfaces

allowed drivers to plan and organize trips before getting into the car, as well as, the opportunity to reflect on and share their driving experience with friends afterwards.

Scenarios

gave drivers the ability to test Vroom's Features first hand, allowing the car to become a social device.

Project Overview

​Design Team Focus

Maria Jose Miselem

Cathy Clark

Cozette Kosary

​Duration

10 Weeks, Fall 2010

​Deliverables

Dashboard Interface Prototypes

Social Media Interface Prototypes

Scenarios:

  1. Sending Alerts to the Car

  2. In Car Vroom Reminder System

  3. What’s That Feature

  4. Music Buying and Sharing

  5. Automated Navigation Alert System

  6. In Car Vroom Messaging System

  7. Like Feature for Saving and Sharing

  8. Road Trip Planning Sending From Home to Car

​The Competition's Problem

 

 

 

 

Small groups of 3-5 people were asked to design a dashboard interface that will provide drivers with a better driving experience in the next 3-5 years. ​​Groups were challenged to seek user participation in both the research and design phases of the project with the goal of generating a user friendly dashboard that is safe, connected, and intelligent.

​Design Team Focus

To design a dashboard interface that will change the driving experience for recent college graduates, ages 25-35, seeking to buy their first car.

Solution

 

 

Vroom arose from young drivers’ need to use the car as a social device. ​

​

Through User Experience Research, the design team discovered that young drivers not only use the car to get from point A to point B, but that point B has a personal connection to the drivers. Drivers are driving with the purpose to meeting someone or seeing something. Their cars often have names, personalities, and a life of their own.

​

Using these insights, Vroom emerged as a dashboard interface and social network that connects sites, applications, and devices the driver currently uses to the car and then back out to their friends.

Design Process

Phase 1:

Observe The Situation

The design team set out to observe the current driving experience for drivers about to graduate college and purchase their first car in 3-5 years. To collect this data the design team deployed two methods: User Videos and Driving Diaries.


User Videos were collected by asking target users to record themselves driving to and from home. Users were asked to speak in stream of conscious so the design team could establish a list of common habits, interests, concerns and goals among users.​


Due to the danger of writing while driving, the design team took it upon themselves to generate Driving Diaries. These diaries recorded thoughts and actions over the course of two weeks in hope to discover other elements that play a role in driving.

​​

After collecting and analyzing observational data, the design team constructed a user persona named Jennifer Brown that represented a potential target user.

​

Persona: Jennifer Brown was used as a lens to test further data and solutions on. She allowed the team to empathize with her and to look at the driving experience from her perspective.

Method: User Videos

established common habits, interests, concerns and goals among users.

 

Concerns about Safety, Food, Music, Directions

Drivers give their cars names. "This is my car... I call it the Golf Cart."

Drivers Multitask: Texting while Driving, Dancing while Driving, Eating while Driving

My Role:

• Analyzed User Videos

• Kept an Extensive Driving Diary

• Analyzed Driving Diaries

• Developed Persona Jennifer Brown

 

Method: Driving Diaries

documented drivers experiences over the course of two weeks. Diaries helped to discover all elements that played a role in the driving experience.

 

Elements Include: Driving Alone, Driving with Passengers, Music, Food, Navigation, Cellphone Use, and Trip Planning.

Phase 2:

Research The Experience

​To generate information on the current and ideal driving experiences, the design team conducted three surveys: A Driving Survey, A Social Media Survey, and A Phone Usage Survey Monkey.

 

Driving Surveys were distributed to target users and asked a series of question relating to the ideal driving experience. This allowed the team to see if there could be any features that set the car apart from current cars.

 

The design team posted a Social Media Survey consisting of statuses asking users: why they drive, how they feel when driving, and what a car means to them, in order to learn the current purpose of a car.

 

Finally a Phone Usage Survey Monkey was conducted to see how individuals currently use their cellphones while driving and how they would like for the phone to perform.​​

 

After analyzing surveys, the design team decided to think of the car as a social device. With this in mind, the car would merge the drivers with technology and social media so that they can customize and share their driving experiences with friends and family.

Method: Social Media Survey

expanded on the purpose of the car. Survey also allowed the team to view the car not as an automobile but as a means of freedom, socialization and friend.

 

Users were asked: What does a car mean to you?, Why do you drive?, and How do you feel in a car?, via Social Media. Responses were Graphically Represented.

My Role:

• Created Questions and Co-Conducted Driving Surveys, Social Media Surveys, and Phone Usage Surveys

• Co-Analyzed Surveys

Method: Phone Usage Survey Monkey

elaborated on how individuals currently use their cellphones while driving and how they would like for the phone to perform at a limited setting when the car is in motion.

Phase 3:

Reflect on Wants & Needs

To determine how the car would function as a social device, the team needed to gather information on the looks of the display and reflect on how the overall experience would work.

 

To accomplish this, the team asked users to participate in User Display and Control Placement Tests.​The team handed users post-its and having them layout the ideal dashboard. This test demonstrated how users wanted to cluster similar features of the display on the center console and how the display screens would work. ​

 

After viewing the information users wanted and needed displayed, a list of features emerged for the ideal driving experience. These features were then broken down into a Conceptual Model ranking them in terms of Safety, Connectivity, and Intelligence. A dot representing Vroom, the future driving experience, was then placed among the three.

 

By viewing Display and Control Placement Test and the system as a Conceptual Model, the design team was able to organize how the features would connect and create new driving experience.

Method: User Display and Control Placement Tests

demonstrated how users wanted the dash to cluster similar features of the display on the center console and how those display screens would work.

My Role:

• Co-Led User Display and Control Placement Tests

• Co-Generated Conceptual Model

• Co-Analyzed User Display and Control Placement Test

 

Method: Conceptual Model

categorized features in terms of their Safety, Connectivity, and Intelligence.

 

Vroom ranks slightly closer to connectivity when comparing features Safety, Connectivity, and Intelligence.

Phase 4:

Create A New Experience

​ After collecting data, the design team set out to generate a mock experience of the innovated driving experience. This was accomplished by creating scenarios and prototypes to test users through to see if using the car, as a social device was a viable solution to innovating the driving experience.

​

Scenarios were produced to see what displays needed to be replicated into working Prototypes. 

 

Scenarios Prototyped:

  1. Sending Alerts to the Car

  2. In Car Vroom Reminder System

  3. What’s That Feature

  4. Music Buying and Sharing

  5. Automated Navigation Alert System

  6. In Car Vroom Messaging System

  7. Like Feature for Saving and Sharing

  8. Road Trip Planning Sending From Home to Car

 

Scenario Prototypes were then constructed using PowerPoint and Tested on users so they could visualize the experience and offer feedback on how to improve the system's design.

 

Method: Scenario Prototype Development

allowed the design team to visualize and create step by step screens to complete each scenario task. 

 

In Car Vroom Messageing System: Red message alert (with sound), push button and message appears, click on address and it syncs to Navigation automatically.

My Role:

• Created Social Network Interface Prototype Screens

• Co-Conducted Scenario Test

• Analyzed Scenario Tests

 

Method: Scenario Testing

gave users the ability to use and test Vroom's features. This allowed the car to be viewed as a social device and for users to give feedback on how to improve the scenarios and prototypes to make the driving experience better.

 

"I like that my car receives the address as opposed to me having to program it."

Solution

​ Vroom is a system that takes the car from the road to a social device. It’s features of intelligence, safety, and connectivity, allow drivers to plan and organize their drive before taking a seat behind the wheel.  In all, Vroom connects drivers with friends by syncing devices (phones, computers) and applications (itunes, gps, social media) with the car so that drivers are capable of customizing, saving, and sharing their driving experiences with others.

Final Thoughts and Presentation

 

My Role:

• Co-Tested and Recorded Scenarios for Final Videos

• The Voice of Vroom

• Lead Group Speaker

 

bottom of page