Research - Secondary
First we conducted secondary research to understand the market, spotting our user pain points and early insights. Understanding economic constraints while keeping the quality standards that Volkswagen are known for is one the first problems that we spotted.
Research - Primary
Then we conducted 3 interviews with 3 single parents, each from a different socio-economic background. Questions were raised around mobility, multi-tasking, external help and functional car designs.
Sarah, CA, single mom during her 20s, middle to high income, SUV, multiple jobs
Jenny, VA, single mom during her 40s, middle income, Sedan, office job
The questions soon reveal themselves. How can we...
Alleviate cognitive load for parents when going through every day tasks?
Place the well-being of the children front-and center without putting parents in the backseat?
Create an accessible vehicle for single parents without sacrificing style?
Concept
Our team worked side by side to make sure there's cohesion to the vehicle design. Our guide is a collective color and materials board, where we look at the patterns, color, material use to best bring out a "vibe" to the car.
Design
Everyday Ease
We wanted to alleviate one of the most major concerns from our users, which is the cognitive load that single parents go through everyday. To help with this, we designed Assistive Features, a suite of parent-friendly features that address everyday tasks to make the users' day more enjoyable. To ensure a seamless experience, I worked with David and Nicholas to make sure the user experience is consistent across multiple touchpoints.
Joy of Being a Parent
Our research also showed that due to the demanding work schedule, single parents weren't always able to spend time with their children. While we couldn't control what happened outside of the car, we realized that we can help solve this problem by making the time spent inside the car more meaningful to parents and their children.
Using character profiles, parents can customized in-vehicle appearance to match whatever they're feeling. Profiles also give parents the option to switch to more individual appearances should they feel like it.
