During the research for the Trip Planner function, I participated in the user interviews and usability testings. First of all, we chose the desired personas for our testing, those were created before the very research, based on the collected data about SKODA customers.
Research requirements
The goal of the research was to monitor the behaviour of e-car users - how they use their cars, what are their feelings about the new technology, what are the downturns and advantages. Based on these information and their further analysis we were able to improve the design according to the users need.
The interviews
According to our personas, we have picked our respondents to fit our parameters. In this phase we stated our requirements and contacted people those earlier agreed to be considered in possible testings.
Before the interviews, we prepared a set of question regarding respondents behaviour when planning a trip with an e-car (tools/apps used, their strengths and downsides, comparison to a petrol car, their wants and needs).
In the first phase of our research, we asked the questions mentioned, and let the respondents talk outside of them, to gather as much information as possible. After collecting the data from interviews, we analysed which of them are the most relevant for our case, based on the severity and amount of mentions.
Research results analysis
In this phase it was important to set up a workshop, including the product owner, designers and research team, to find out the possible ways on how to implement required functions. It was important to stick
After figuring this step out, we could start with prototyping and design. This step, after being finished to a lo-fi quality, required second phase of testing - the actual prototype that follows the requirements of the research.
Prototype testing
In the second part, we made respondents use the Trip Planner updated to their needs that we found the most urgent. As a part of both research and design team, I helped to intersect the results of research with the contemporary design, figuring out the usability of the prototype.
In this phase, we let our respondents use the app and comment live on how they feel about it - what is good and what should be skipped, if the design fits their needs, whether the user flow is logical. As a part of this testing we prepared a few tasks regarding planning a trip, letting the respondents interpret what they see without intervention. Based on that we could see whether the design is understandable. We have also let the respondents add their own ideas about further improvements of the functions.
The design team is a part of the prototype testing to see the immediate reactions of the users in testing.
Final analysis
With the collected data we have once again evaluated the severity of individual needs, handing out the results to the design team. The research and design in a corporate of this size has to be continuous, considering the fast developing technology and change of needs of the users.
When designing the trip planner, we took in consideration all the data processed from research. Our main attempt was to create a quickly understandable and usable feature that supports the user especially on longer car journeys.
Our team sticked to a simple design, that allows to show important data for the e-car users:
a) charging stops (based on driving data)
b) charging stations (including their available capacity and types of connectors)
c) predicted battery capacity
d) user-friendly map and trip planner showing information mentioned above
It was important to fit all of these information into a subtle and easily understandable look, which required repeated usability testings and redesigns. The app is also needed to run on live statistics, which is easier to done with an e-car, that can collect more precisely larger amounts of data.
One of the needs was also to fit these functions into the given brand identity, following the set design system. Through the ideation sessions we moved to a final design, which is being tested with other developing features of the app, to see how it fits the ecosystem.
Thanks to a large research, that was ongoing during the process of designing the app, we could move from the first prototypes into the pixel perfect design quite quickly, which is important in such fast developing field.
Brand values and identity
During the research in a large company, such as SKODA, it is necessary to stay aligned with all the parts of the process - from the product owner and stakeholders to the research, design and development team.
Our research started with the desire to enrich the already developed app, following the need to address growing interest into electric vehicles. The app itself could have a major impact on how people see e-cars, making them understand the new technology better. Taking in consideration the contemporary trend in development of alternatives to petrol cars, this could be a major issue for SKODA, being the largest car producer in the Central Europe, having a significant impact on the domestic market.
Improving the app that helps us to understand the car through diagnostic data means placing the company between the stronger players on the market.
The size of the team devoted to a single product can often bring many inefficiencies, such as slow communication of the ideas and their late implementation, compared to smaller organisations or design studios.
With researching in the company belonging to a larger group comes a great responsibility by following the set politics and brand values, which can often mean to give up the original ideas and sticking to the system that follows the identity.
