Improving the in-vehicle experience for the elderly in an autonomous vehicle
Ideation Method used: Crazy Eights
Multiple brainstorming sessions were conducted among the team members to explore potential solutions for the established problem statement. Within a constrained timeframe of 8 minutes, each member sketched out eight distinct ideas based on "How Might We" statements. Following individual ideation, the team convened to review and vote on everyone's ideas, using colored markers on a Miro board. Iterative discussions led to the emergence of new concepts, ultimately leading to the identification of a solution aligned with insights gleaned from user interviews.
Ideate
Final Idea
The ultimate concept devised by the team was a connective app designed for use by the passenger or their caregiver. This app empowered the passenger to designate their emergency contact and select their preferred method of notification in case of an emergency—an essential insight revealed during user research. Additionally, the caregiver's phone could be linked to the vehicle, contingent on the passenger's consent for information sharing. This connection enabled the caregiver to monitor vehicle and passenger health and establish video and audio communication in case of emergencies directly from the vehicle.
Introduction
Connected autonomous vehicles offer an attractive solution for aging drivers to maintain independence. The problem identified through this study surrounded elderly people's need to feel connected to caregivers and/or family members while in the vehicle. Elderly individuals are characterized by reduced physical and cognitive abilities which are further linked to decreased ability to function as a whole. Hence, this may result in challenges such as loss of driver's license and increased problems in accessing and using other modes of transportation such as public transport
Empathize
The project began with comprehensive literature reviews to grasp the current state of research in autonomous vehicles. Subsequently, the users were defined and contextual inquiries and one-on-one interviews were conducted. These interactions aimed to outline user skills, experiences, motivations, and shed light on their needs and trust concerns regarding autonomous vehicles. The research not only acquainted the team with contemporary trends and solutions but also provided insights into user groups typically considered by fellow researchers.
The team chose to concentrate on individuals aged 60 and above, categorizing both drivers and non-drivers, recognizing both as potential users of autonomous vehicles. Extreme user profiles were established for caregivers assisting elderly individuals in adopting autonomous vehicles, elderly individuals with cognitive disabilities, and law enforcement officers who might encounter elderly drivers facing cognitive or mobility challenges resulting in traffic violations. The research comprised of 10 one-on-one interviews, supplemented by 2 contextual inquiries involving firsthand observation of user behaviors during a real driving scenario.
User Persona
Define
In the human-centered design process, the second step involved defining the problem statement derived from the initial empathy phase. This allowed the team to gain a deeper understanding and refine the study's scope based on user research. To define the problem, the team began by annotating findings using the coding method. This process included systematically highlighting user interview notes line by line to identify common themes and categories.
Problem statement before the empathize phase
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Coding the data collected during contextual inquiries and one-on-one interviews
Once the initial coding of all interviews was complete, affinity maps were created to further narrow down the information into categories that were common among all interviews . This helped the team to re-define the problem statement. The team focused on "how might we" improve the in-vehicle experience to help the elderly feel more comfortable and in control.
Affinity mapping of the data collected during contextual inquiries and one-on-one interviews
Summary
Redefined User Personas
Furthermore, the define step helped the team to understand who the primary and extreme users were.
Mainstream users: People of age 60 years or older who may or may not possess driving skills
Extreme users: Caregivers of mainstream users.
Final Problem Statement
How might we improve the in-vehicle experience to help the elderly feel safe in an autonomous vehicle?
Storyboards
Prototype
Design System
Test
The team started with low fidelity prototypes to gather initial user feedback. Once low fidelity prototyping was complete and user feedback was gathered, the team was able to create higher fidelity prototypes using Figma. The working prototypes on Figma was further tested with users to understand usability and functionality.
The team created two low fidelity, unique storyboards which showed an emergency situation and a non-emergency situation in which a user would use the team's concept. Once the storyboards and scenarios were complete, they were tested with users. The users were explained the scenario and were interviewed based on the scenarios. Their reactions and opinions were noted.
Who did we test our prototypes with?
Individuals over 60 and Caregivers
Testing process
Participants' reactions and feedback
Once the medium-fidelity prototyping was completed, it was again tested with users, this time mainly for functionality. User testing followed a task based approach: users were asked to complete certain tasks by themselves and observations were recorded. User feedback from the higher fidelity prototyping was captured and implemented into the final prototype.
Feedback received from testing varied. Some individuals praised our efforts, informing us the application worked as expected and the ease of use. The team discovered that it would be important for the passenger to have a persistent emergency button. The emergency button would instantaneously call their pre-established emergency contact. In addition to an emergency button, the team added a button that would request an ambulance and establish a pick-up destination. The vehicle would change navigation, travel to the rendezvous, and remain there until medical professionals arrive. The team integrated another feature to produce a video call directly to the vehicle’s HMI. Finally, the team addressed safety concerns that were brought up in the feedback from the first tests. A concern for privacy and security arose due to the connectivity of the vehicle and functionally offered to a caregiver. These concerns made the team reconsider how connections were established for vehicle re-routing and how navigation information is displayed to another individual. The team decided that the emergency contact/caregiver should be physically present during a pairing routine to improve security and safety. Physically having the individual present for this process also protects a passenger's sense of control over their vehicle. The table below summarizes our findings and redesign changes.
Lessons learned
1. Early and continuous user involvement at each step is crucial for successful outcomes.
2. Being flexible and open to design iterations is necessary for improvement.
3. Usability testing provides critical insights into real user interactions.
4. Continuously refining user personas based on new insights is essential.
Overview
The project aimed to improve the driving experience for seniors in automated vehicles, ensuring connectivity during emergencies and effortless navigation. Through user-focused research and innovative design solutions, our journey not only empowered aging drivers but also offered insights with broader implications for the future of smart car technology.