Highlights
Designed for families, from the ground up.
1.1
Presentation video
Video
1.2
Interior view
Image
1.3
HMI Animation
Video
1.4
Front 3/4
Image
1.5
Centre console controls
Image
Context
Cars and families are kind of a struggle
Households with children have more private cars, and the presence of children both increase families’ demand for car ownership. Trips to doctors, libraries, supermarkets, schools are all much easier with a car. Comfort and flexibility leads parents to prefer to travel by car. Having been part of a road trip with friends and their kid made me realise that there is a lot of struggle and friction when it comes to driving with kids. This led me to the quesiton: How can we make the ‘car experience’ with young kids easier?
Discover
What do parents look for in a family car?
I started with research on online forums such as r/daddit r/whatcarshouldIbuy r/parenting to find what parents need from their car and what issues they have. Forums work great for research because real people share their issues and requirements there.
Reddit user
—
r/whatcarshouldIbuy
I really want this new car to be at least a hybrid (I want to be more environmental going into the future)
Reddit user
—
daddit
Trunk space is an huge issue because of stroller and various kid accoutrements. We like to spend weekends away, visit my folks out of town, go camping, that kind of thing.
Reddit user
—
r/whatcarshouldIbuy
The thought of giving up my zippy hatchback for a lumbering monster makes me sad.
Autoweek
—
Brian Silvestro
A family car needs to check a lot of boxes. It needs to be safe, dependable, practical, and affordable. The best family cars also add a bit of zest, offering good looks, high-quality cabins, useful tech features,
Reddit user
—
parenting
Must haves: Safety #1, able to fit two car seats, reliability/good mpg
Reddit user
—
daddit
We love camping so we need something to hold our gear.
Reddit user
—
r/whatcarshouldIbuy
Will need to accommodate a car seat, with a second to come down the road.
Reddit user
—
r/whatcarshouldIbuy
We live in a large city and do a fair amount of city driving too, so I want something that isn't a monster to park and navigate in tight spaces. I want to enjoy driving the car.
Reddit user
—
daddit
Will last a good 10+ years
Auto Express
—
Shane Wilkinson
If you're using a family car for the school run, then you're probably better off with something that's a bit smaller, while kit such as parking sensors and cameras will be a bonus.
Reddit user
—
daddit
So tell me Reddit, will it really hold its value?
Reddit user
—
r/whatcarshouldIbuy
Will need to accommodate a car seat, with a second to come down the road.
Comfort, space, entertainment
Although people’s preferences differ, I identified common points of interest that parents look for in their car.
I decided to focus on comfort, space and entertainment, because these are areas that can be tackled using design.
SAFETY
ADAS
parking aids
good safety rating
SPACE
room for all passengers
shopping bags, stroller, school bags
versatility - boot vs cabin space
ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS
sustainable materials
low carbon footprint
low fuel consumption
ENTERTAINMENT
entertainment system for kids
connectivity - expect to be as advanced as their phone at least
COMORT
smooth ride
comfortable seating
air conditioning
sun protection
COST
purchase/sale
affordability
resale value
running cost
fuel efficiency
insurance cost
maintenance cost
reliability
What grinds your gears?
Although people’s preferences differ, I identified common points of interest that parents look for in their car.
I decided to focus on comfort, space and entertainment, because these are areas that can be tackled using design.
What do you use the car for?
How does your usual commute look like?
Tell me about your last commute to school.
Is there anything that frustrated you about your last commute?
What activity do you use you car most for?
Interview insights
More on interview findings
Car choice revolves around the kids. Sleek design & performance come second.
Amount of equipment needed differs depending on child’s age and type of trip. Most equipment is needed for babies and toddlers on long road trips.
As the child get older, entertainment becomes important, especially for longer trips
Let kids be kids, while keeping the space liveable.
Maneuvrability is welcome, if it doesn’t compromise on safety.
Define
Urban,
practical,
independence nurturing,
mum of two
With the findings from research and interviews, I created a persona that reflects the people I interviewed. All parents I talked to were living in the city. Realising that priorities of parents not from the city might be different, I chose to focus on urban parents.
Julia
48 years old
2 kids - 5 & 9 y.o.
Citroën C4
Julia is a senior product manager at an software development consultancy. She uses her car to take kids to school and preschool daily. On the weekends she enjoys trips out of the city with her husband and kids. She’s pragmatic and positive. With her kids she promotes exploration and puts emphasis on play.
Needs
space for all baby equipment
nice place to be in
know her family is safe inside the car
easy to navigate in traffic and park
flexibility for trips and daily commute
Frustrations
having to play tetris with luggage
paying for car cleaning
having to think about how to pack the car
Wants
no nonsense car
functionality with reasonable appeal
let kids enjoy themselves
3.1
Julia - parent
Persona
Road trip to the countryside
Use case that requires both space and entertainment for kids.
Space, manoeuvrability, flexibility & a nice space to stay in
More on interview findings
Parents have to compromise on the items they take for a trip, it’s an unnecessary aspect to keep in mind.
A large car is not an option for urban parents because it’s difficult to park and move around in the city.
A lot of equipment is required for tips with kids. Parents need it to be within reach.
The interior devolves into a mess very quickly when parents need to find an item fast. Spillage and puke are common occurrences.
4.1
Front 3/4 view
Video
Package
The Hatchback
Spacious + maneuvrable
Electric platforms allow the wheels to be pushed into the corners, maximising interior and boot capacity. This way I can keep the car size down and the interior space up.
Insight
Parents want to pack everything they need and then some without having to consider how to fit it all into their car.
Insight
Urban parents need a compact car so that they can easily manoeuvre and park in the city streets.
PACKAGE REQUIREMENTS
maximise interior space
minimise footprint
low boot load lip
wide door openings
4.2
Side view
Image
4.3
Rear 3/4 view
Image
Interior
Open
Storage-smart
Easy to keep clean
Škoda’s design principle for interiors is democratic - all passengers can enjoy it equally. Keeping with the ‘simply clever’ philosophy, I wanted to come up with smart ways to keep it clean and spacious.
Insight
Parents need their baby equipment to be within reach inside, so that they can tend to their babies quickly without having to stop and search in the boot.
Insight
Parents want the car to be reasonably clean without the need for being stringent and constant tidying, so that the kids can be kids.
INTERIOR REQUIREMENTS
democratic
spacious
flexible & adaptable
promotes cleanliness
5.1
Interior overview
Video
Classifying the stuff parents bring into their car
Priority are the items for kids - they need to be within reach. Secondly there are items that users bring and takeaway when they leave the car. Least prominent are items that stay in the car at all times - these don’t need immediate access.
PERSONAL ITEMS
BRING/TAKEAWAY
wallet
phone
keys
water bottle
STAYS IN CAR
chewing gum
registration, insurance documents
umbrella
tissues
hand sanitiser
KIDS' ITEMS
FEEDING
burp rags
haaka
bottles
formula
DIAPER STATION
several diapers + wipes
butt cream
changing pads
plastic bag for rubbish
OTHER BABY ESSENTIALS
pacifiers
blankets
portable sound machine
outfit changes
small toys
5.2
Stays in car - Centre console storage
Image
5.3
Bring/takeaway - Doorbin storage
Image
5.4
Stays in car - Dash tray
Image
5.5
Cupholders detail
Video
A pleasant space to stay in
Smooth, rubberised floot, seamless attachment of seats to the floor, minimised nooks and crannies where debris can get in.
5.6
Top view interior
Image
5.7
Smooth seamless floor detail
Image
HMI
Simple
Functional
Glanceable
Insight
Parents need quick access to functions that keep their kids comfortable.
Insight
Kids sleeping time in a car is precious. Parents want to maximise the time and make it easier or kids to fall asleep.
HMI REQUIREMENTS
minimise distraction
keep the eyes on the road
low information density
minimise cognitive load
Designing an interface that is not meant to be looked at means providing just the right amount of information at the right time. I put focus on logically organising information and visual hierarchy to avoid unnecessary visual distractors.
Single consolidated screen
6.1
Dash with a central screen
Image
Consolidated central information & control hub for all vehicle interaction.
Easier for the driver to learn and remember where to find specific controls or information.
Allows to make the screen large, making it easier to read and understand data at a glance.
Allows to keep the interior simple and open
Vertical vs horizontal
Vertical screen allows to keep the information at the top, close to line of sight while keeping the controls in the bottom, within reach. It also saves on horizontal space, making the interior feel more open.
HORIZONTAL
6.2
Horizontal screen rotation
Image
Wider field of view, more closely aligns with the natural horizontal field of vision
Horizontal sweep - eyes closer to the road
Takes up horizontal space
Glare prone
VERTICAL
6.3
Vertical screen rotation
Image
Vertical division o information & function
Top o screen possible to move higher into line o sight without creating a blind spot
Takes up less horizontal space, less glare from side windows
Bottom o screen further from the line o sight.
6.4
Screen dimensions
Graph
SCREEN SPECIICATIONS
149 ppi
pixels not visible from over 60 cm
Wireframes
Keeping information within line of sight and controls within reach. Home screen in 'dashboard' style includes navigation while windows open on top, taking up only as much space as they need.
6.5
Wireframes - inormation & control division
Graph
Typography
The goal is to maximise legibility. I chose Manrope because o the tall x-hight. The open space inside the letterforms prevent blurring their shapes. It has ample space between the letterforms prevent them from clashing or blurring together.
6.6
Manrope font showcase
Graph
6.7
Dock icons detail
Graph
Kid-friendly
6.8
Kid ready features
Image
Sleep mode - lifts up the rear blinds, turns on white noise & activates humidity control
Quick access to child lock
White noise generator to drown out outside noise and make falling asleep easier
Humidity control keeps the environment ready for sound sleep
Rear blinds to block out unwanted sun rays
Steering & cenre console controls
6.9
Steering wheel detail
Image
6.10
Centre controls detail
Image
6.11
Driving information visualisation
Video
6.12
Central screen overview
Image
6.13
Screen visualisation
Video