Using UX principles for automotive design

UX principles in automotive e-scooter design for Vespa

This project was a study of human-centric and ergonomic design principles. It was aimed at designing an improved dashboard for the new electric Vespa, by finding the right balance between manual and tech functions.

Timeline: 2 months

Role: Ground research, design, testing, prototyping

Tools: Figma, AI, Adobe Illustrator

Observations & limitations:

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Available real estate: While looking forward and driving, the tangential field of vision cannot extend beyond 30 degrees on either side. Thus, although the available real estate is seemingly large, it cannot be used.

Form of the screen: Vertical eye rotation beyond 30 degrees is impossible and often strenuous. To view anything lower, you need to rotate your entire head. This can be dangerous while riding a scooter as you take your eyes off the road.

India, the 5th largest automobile market in the world, is experiencing a shift from fuelled vehicles to electric vehicles. According to Bhavish Agarwal (founder of OLA) these vehicles are called “New Mobility” ecosystems and are built with purpose. This project is thus, very pertinent and there’s a lot of scope for observational observational learning.

OVERVIEW

Context in the real world:

SECONDARY RESEARCH

User Study:

The following is a list of people who use scooters.

Age-wise distribution: 18–24 (42%), 25–34 (33%), 33–44 (12%)
Students who cannot afford cars*
People looking for a 2nd vehicle that is reliable and has low maintenance
People living in congested urban areas with limited parking space
Delivery executives (Amazon, Zomato, etc)
People looking for fuel economy/environmentalists

*Primary user: Students are often looking for a temporary and affordable travel solution. They live near their colleges and don’t have large parking spaces. Generally speaking, students are more prone to breaking traffic rules. Sometimes, 3 or more people may travel on one vehicle.

Upon observing various 2-wheeler dashboards in the market, I made a list of available functionalities. They were then prioritised based on the MoSCoW method. A user interview also aided in this.

Points of focus:

Calm technology: “Technology should work even when it fails.” To make two-wheeler driving safe even in case of missing information as most Indians don’t immediately fix broken parts or even use second-hand old vehicles that could have missing parts.

Radial span, flexion and abduction of the palm and fingers to ascertain where functionalities would appear.

Content Prioritisation:

INFORMATION MODEL

Visual Design:

AFFORDANCES