Client
General Motors
Summary
Design user-driven
themes for the Chevrolet in-vehicle experience
My Role
UX Research
UX/UI Lead
Problem Statement
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The Chevrolet brand's diverse portfolio targets a variety of customers. Because of this, our early on research presented us the opportunity to brand the Chevy UI with following four users: Modern Families (Chevrolet Cruze/Impala), Tech Driven Youth (Chevrolet Sonic/Spark), Performance Drivers (Chevrolet Camaro/Corvette), and Mobile Truck/SUV user (Chevrolet Silverado/Colorado/Tahoe/Suburban).
Project Goals
Design four customized research driven themes for all four GM brands.
Develop new product features for the Chevrolet Volt and Chevrolet Camaro.
Communicate requirements to global teams developing new themes on the same architecture.
Be the front runner in personalized in-vehicle technology amongst all our competitors.
Research Methods
Journey Mapping
In-Vehicle Testing
Persona Development
Prototyping
Theme Development
UI Home Screens
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Developing app after app we came up with the following design solutions for the four Chevrolet themes. Each one of the themes was available so that the driver could choose the theme that represented their personal taste. Stylistically, the four main apps (Audio, Phone, Navigation, and Settings) got their own color, whereas the less used apps received one color. Apps could be shifted and moved around to the user's preference.
Youth Theme
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This theme was designed for the Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Sonic, and or the teenager borrowing their parent's vehicle. This theme allowed the team to break normal chrome and hard edge barriers the automotive world is use to and see what was possible with design simpler renders.
Modern Family Theme
This theme was designed for the Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Malibu, and or the driver borrowing the primary driver's vehicle. Another play on a more mature and simplistic shape render that communicated more clearly what feature the icons would take the driver to.
Performance Theme
This theme was designed for the Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Camaro, and/or the driver borrowing the primary driver's vehicle pretending it is a sports car. This theme pushed the team to follow the simple shapes as the first themes, but be more critical of what pieces needed to be highlighted to give it a sporty and contemporary look.
Mainstream Theme
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This theme was designed for the Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, and/or the driver borrowing the primary driver's vehicle looking for the classic chrome detail look. This theme ended up testing the best of the bunch for its familiar chrome edges and just enough balance of 3D rendering users expected to see in their vehicle.
Having the ability to market test four themes at a time really saved the team effort on developing more for the sake of style per the individual vehicle and focus more on building the features user's care about.
Further
Implementation
Chevrolet Camaro
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The Camaro was set to inherit the performance theme, but there were issues of not having the same interior styling as the Corvette. We proposed the mainstream theme as an option since we did our color and trim research early on to account for the styling coming out of the studios. We also had the data of it testing well amongst most of our clients to push for one theme with feature enhancements that needed to be specific to the vehicle. Having the ICS theme decided, made the skinning of the DIC much easier as the architecture was there and we needed a look to match.
Chevrolet Volt
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The Volt had asked for their own theme as well, but the processor was already at capacity with how many themes it could carry. The Volt also had more features since it was electric and their customers have very specific needs when it comes to their electric driving performance. The mainstream theme also presented itself as the perfect fit knowing the flexibility it has and how it can translate well across the entire fleet.
The themes only lasted a few model years until later research found that it was not new themes that the users wanted, rather in-car technology that could either mirror their existing phone technology or integrate with their phone technology better.
Volt Features
Chevrolet Volt's Driving Efficiency
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The Chevrolet Volt team wanted to depict an easier and fun way to to drive more efficient with their product. In previous studies, we determined that temperature, terrain, and technique had the greatest impact on the battery life of the car. Using the complex data we had, we developed three features to allow the user to plan their trip for optimum battery efficiency.
Temperature
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Since the user has no way to control the weather, the best we could do was let them know the weather on that day and what type of driving efficiency they would achieve if they chose to drove.
Technique
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Driving technique was measured by how the user drove. The user would have to take a drive that day, park the car, and then receive tips from their car on how to improve their driving technique. For example, if the user was accelerating too hard, that would affect their driving technique efficiency. The car would then offer up a tip on how to improve that for their next drive.
Terrain
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Terrain was measured by just that. The user could type in their destination and choose between routes that would give them the best driving efficiency on a scale of good, better, and best.
After further testing, users wanted this information in one view to compare their overall efficiency. We also factored in the ability to measure Climate Settings since the HVAC works the car battery just as much as outside temperature, driving technique, and route terrain.
Solution
The result was measuring these four battery efficiency categories on a points scale. This could then inform the user how they drove to continue to improve on their battery life. The user can then drill down into the tabs to see the metrics behind the scale.
Learnings
This project started with an ask to learn more about our user's visual needs, but ended up informing the team further that style is nothing without function. In providing so many visuals to one functioning system, we revealed a lot of flaws within the organization and with suppliers. We then shifted to build our team from the inside. This created product feature teams that grew with the product and focused on the product features that sold cars.