Autonomous Vehicle Experience

General Motors x Academy of Art university
About
GM x AAU 2039 is a corporate sponsored project by General Motors with the students at Academy of Art University(AAU). 
In this project, four teams formed by multi-disciplinary AAU students helped GM redefine the future of the Automobile Industry each with a different concept for Vehicle Design and Customer Experience.
I was selected by the Web and New Media Department to represent my school (Academy of Art University) and work on GM's concept brief.
As a UX Designer on the team, I designed the Automotive UI and was responsible for promoting the user-centered approach.
Role
UX Designer
(Automotive UI, Research, Motion Graphics, Branding and Experience Design)
Type
Apprentice |
Corporate Sponsored Project 
Duration
Sept 2021 - Dec 2021
(14 weeks)
Tools
Figma, Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Illustrator & Photoshop, Google Suite

My Design Process

01

Overview

We are team "WANDERER"

There were 4 teams created by the University - each having a balance of multiple disciplines.
We are team “WANDERER” which contained of 6 members - 3 Industrial Designers, 2 Architects and 1 UX Designer (myself).
Connor O'neill
Industrial Design
Joel Thomas
Industrial Design
Austin Zhang
Industrial Design
Shiny Fernandes
Experience Design
Haley Arnolds
Architecture
Allison Ayers
Architecture

Design Challenge Brief

A Reimagined Autonomous Vehicle Experience for 2039
Present an engaging and interactive experience demonstrating your Vehicle Design and Customer Experience
02

DEFINE

Our Mission

Building a social Network in Reality
while alleviating the burden of a typical home. Making the never-ending adventure a possibility.
The following are the KEYWORDS we defined for our concept.
Serendipity
Connectivity
Exploration
03

Preliminaries

World in 2039

ASSUMPTIONS - WORLD BUILDING
We started with making assumptions for the world in 2039.

Tech integrated

In 2039, Technology will be highly integrated into society, and people will have little need for person–to-person interaction.

Desire to connect

However, there will be people who desire connection, and have a desire to get out into the world themselves

Evolution of the Modern Nomad

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT: First Nomads vs Modern “Wanderer”
04

discovery

User Surveys

VALIDATIONS
In order to understand and predict the future of car industry. We first looked at available data and user surveys.

Road trips will dominate travel

According to a new GOBankingRates survey, more than half of people who have vacationed in the past year traveled by car.

Survey | Key insights

Sent out surveys to understand people’s current road tripexperience. We received a total of 31 responses.

User Painpoints

What is the major difficulty you face while on a road trip?

Empathy Map

Getting insights from our User Surveys and Interviews we built an empathy Map.
05

Planning

Define Target Audience

Young Adults

Young adults looking for an alternate lifestyle,
that takes them wherever they dream to roam.

Journey Map

A day in the life of Jeff

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06

design process

UI UX Touchpoints

Looking at the storyboard I started brainstorming possible solutions and experiences.

Exploration

Started sketching few ideas in order to build experiences. These are few early ideation sketches.

Wireframing

Here are few low fidelity hand sketches for each screen referring to 3 different user flows.

Following a design Language throughout

Created moodboards and aesthetics that could be followed by all departments so the designs look cohesive.

Custom Iconography

For Navigation menus I created custom iconography to match the aesthetics overall and give a futuristic UI vibe.

Medium Fidelity

Using the above design aesthetics I designed the Medium Fidelity screens
07

FInal Designs

Key Screens (UI UX)

Reminiscent on smart mirror technology, it's achievable to make the car windows serve the purpose of screens that will be responsive to voice and gestures along with touch.

Vehicle Design (Interior)

The vehicle provides amenities such as a kitchen, workspace, and a relaxation area that transforms into a premium sleep space. All of these features allow an adventurer to live a sustainable life on the road without having to compromise for a conventional home.

Vehicle Design (Exterior)

Few shots of the Vehicle exterior sketched and ideated by Austin and modelled by Joel.

Comfort Stations for rejuvenation

Encompassing nature is not only done on the outside but also on the inside. In our floor plan, we choose a two-story loft layout that includes a luxurious spa-like bathroom in which a sauna, jacuzzi, and rainfall shower, presenting a relaxing experience for our busy travelers.

Integrating the Building and the Car

The main focus when designing the cabanas and community center is sustainability and biophilic design. Our cabana design focuses on relaxation and rejuvenation. Garden roofs thrive off of the carbon offset deposited by vehicles that park in the corner alcove of the cabana. Bamboo and Pinewood make up a majority of the construction and furnishings in these individual spaces.
08

summary

📌Challenges and Learnings

👉🏻 Collaboration with multiple Disciplines

Collaborating with multiple disciplines and getting used to each other’s working style

👉🏻 Communication while working remotely

Putting forward the thoughts and actually vouching for your designs while also being open to feedback. Making sure every team member is on the same page.

👉🏻 Reducing the scope

Planning and being realistic with the deliverables and scope of the concept. Dropping down ideas while exploring what’s doable.
Designed and created by ✨ Shiny Fernandes.