How might we bring nature into the interior of the automobile experience?

Overview

Ford Motor Company has been at the forefront of innovation and design of automobiles for over a century. The team was tasked with designing a prototype that would enhance customers’ comfort and feeling of sanctuary through the use of nature in an automobile. A large part of this project was performing market research on the different concepts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this market research, along with the concepts and final prototype, had to move to a virtual format.

Objectives

The main goal of this project was to create a prototype that would enhance customers’ comfort and feeling of sanctuary through the use of nature within an automobile.

Approach

– Weekly video calls with Ford engineers to discuss progress and next steps

– Performed patent and market research to determine prior work in this field

– Sent out online survey to gather information about customer needs

– Iterative concept generation and concept selection based on analysis of customer feedback

– In-person customer clinic to gather data on low-fidelity prototypes

– Online customer survey to gather data on virtual renderings of prototypes

– Online customer survey to gather data on how to implement final prototype

Outcomes

– Analysis of data from market research indicating themes and ideas that customers may be interested in

– A virtual rendering and outline of the Ford Nature Package, an add-on available to enhance the comfort of an automobile through nature