The Experience
Our role as user experts was to do more than just design the digital interfaces for the future dealership. Besides defining what those interfaces would do and how they would look like, we designed the scenography behind how they would be experienced in time and space. In order to test those design assumptions, we set-up a 3 day “act-out”, where we had our stakeholders play roles of visitors and dealers, allowing them to get a feel for the interactions themselves.
Testing the Tech
We created 5 digital prototypes for testing the future Dealership experience.
-The Communication Device improves communication between job roles.
The Audio Profiling Tool analyzes conversations automatically creates a more complete customer profile.
-The Welcome & Way-finding screen aims to enable a premium welcoming experience.
-The Collection Card/App allows for a more personalized experience during a consultation by using pre-defined user preferences.
-The Video Wall in the highlight module can display existing marketing content or creating an interactive experience that supports the storytelling around the car.
The double diamond Process
Since the project was an intricate assembly of people, technology, and space, we used the “traditional” design process as a general framework. After determining what it was we wanted to test during the first diamond, we ideated on the solutions and tested them in the final diamond.
1. Journeymapping with Clients
2. Building up the scenes
3. Directing the cuts
4. Acting and Filming
The final set-up
A 360 view of the different rooms (known as modules) of the future dealership set up in a vacant hall of the luxary car brand. Here the scenes would take place, after which participants would move to the open seating space for direct feedback of the experience.
Scenography
Our team organised 2 days, involving 8 scenes in different rooms to test scenarios for the interactive devices. Each scene consisted of 2-4 cuts. Cuts would show alternative experiences- such as what it would feel like if the dealer was either present or absent at the reception when the visitor enters the dealership, and how the technical solutions would enable a smoother transition in each case.
Conclusions: Opportunity Areas
As an outcome, 20 hypotheses questions were answered based on feedback from the scenarios. Each hypothesis was focused on improving the customer experience and were formulated collaboratively between IXDS and the AutoBrand team
“This process allowed us to see through the eyes of our future clients. We know where to take it from here.”
- Client
