Emotional Tech - An Experience Study for Novel Vehicle Concepts
- Submitting institution
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Royal College of Art(The)
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- Wu1
- Type
- N - Research report for external body
- DOI
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- Commissioning body
- Hyundai Motor Group
- Month
- -
- Year
- 2019
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
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- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This report details the research process, methodology, findings and vehicle concepts from one of the RCA Intelligent Mobility Design Centre’s major research projects in 2018-2019, commissioned and funded by Hyundai Motor Group (PI: Wu). It emphasised their need for a ‘conceptual approach’ and ‘thought-provoking outcomes’ outside their own innovation processes. Studies investigating how vehicle users’ emotions affect user experience mostly address momentary feelings (Forlizzi et al 2003), testing user’s fleeting emotions and their physiological effects (e.g. Honda NeuV and Toyota FV2). Minimal published design research has considered emotional transitions and what factors in this process can be improved in the vehicle design field and implemented in urban mobility.
Emotional Tech investigated how sustained emotional experiences linger with drivers and owners. Focussing on vehicle users’ emotional transitions before, during and after journeys led to innovations that might not be identified by traditional vehicle design processes. Wu developed research methods and in-depth observation tools including interviews, enactment workshops, journey shadowing, ritual experience studies, vehicle concept ideation, interactive demos, retail market research and user tests exploring vehicle-user interaction and service design opportunities. Her research team investigated electronic engineering, material design, user experience and vehicle design challenges, followed by public testing of novel vehicle design and service outputs at the London Design Festival (an invited exhibit) 2018.
The project demonstrated the importance of incorporating features supporting emotional transitions and services enhancing users’ relationship with their vehicle / mobility solution. Hyundai is actively seeking to create products and services following the report and PI presentations at Hyundai’s global headquarters and to senior management and design groups sent from Hyundai Korea and Germany. Wu has also been invited by Hyundai Motor Korea to propose an executive training programme introducing key methods around user experience design for vehicle and mobility innovation to their research staff.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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