Driving with kids has always been a big challenge. How can we make the journey in NIO cars more playful for kids, creating a better family driving experience?
Context: Individual Project at NIO
Mentor: Inae Song
Skills: UX Design, Motion Design, UX Research
Design Impact: The concept has been launched to the market, and featured in NIO's recent promotional video.
Nomi is an intelligent voice assistant in NIO cars. Compared with other in-car voice assistance, it has a tangible character that opens up more possibilities for intelligent voice interaction. Currently, all Nomi functions are centered around adult drivers and passengers; however, with its unique character, it has the potential to create a special experience for kids during family driving trips and bring new value to NIO as a brand.
I designed the concept - Kids Game Box, which is a collection of small, entertaining games that enable children to interact with NOMI in a playful way. Elevating the family driving experience becomes more joyful for both parents and kids.
Design Outcome
Concept Overview
The final outcome is a series of Nomi games. Users can select and activate games on the central display, and then follow Nomi’s instructions to play the games using voice commands.
Four Interaction Touchpoints
Central display to view and control all the games.
Rear screen to provide visual feedback for kids on the back seats.
Nomi sound and screen to provide visual and auditory feedback.
Connected hardware to create multi sensory interactive experience.
Game Example 1 - Color Painting
1, Select and activate the color painting game on the central display. Users can also expand the card to read the detailed game introduction and customize the settings. The customizable settings include choosing different color blending modes and controlling the intensity of light.
2, After activating the game, Nomi will guide users through audio.
3, Users can select multiple colors that they like. Nomi will recognize the colors and blend them into a new color.
4, Nomi will light up the cabin with the new color, creating a new atmosphere.
Game Example 2 - Rock, Scissor, Paper
1, Select and activate the rock, paper, scissors game on the central display. Users can also expand the card to read the detailed game introduction and customize the settings. The customizable settings include choosing between gesture detection mode or voice detection mode, and selecting and locking the detection position in the cabin.
2, After activating the game, Nomi will guide users through audio.
3, For gesture detection mode, the in-car camera will detect users’ gestures. For voice detection mode, the in-car microphone will detect the users’ sounds.
Benefits for multiple stakeholders
For child users, Nomi games provide a fun and easy-to-understand game experience, with simplified voice commands to facilitate easier voice interactions.
For parent users, the driving experience should be the priority. Nomi games can be controlled through a simple interface on the front central control screen and offer various personalization settings.
For the NIO brand, it is essential to consider the uniqueness of product functionality in the market. Unlike children's voice games from Google Home and Amazon Alexa, Nomi games connect the software and hardware to create a unique in-cabin experience. The gaming experience connect children's experiences with family trip, providing marketing opportunities for several of NIO's SUV models that target family users.
Design Process
In-Depth UX Research for NOMI in EU:
I started the project with research, I collaborated with the product development team in Europe to review NOMI's functionality from the start. We also gathered feedback for NOMI from current EU users, to better understand the challenges that a product from China might face in the European market. Afterward, based on the research insights, I tried to come up with new opportunities through co-creation workshops with stakeholders, to effectively leverage NOMI's special characteristics and innovate for a joyful in-car experience for family users.
Click to read the full report 👈
Research includes:
🌎 Analyze the differences between Chinese and European markets and users' mindsets.
💹 Understand how in-car voice assistants influence the customers' purchase decisions.
🎙️ Collection of NIO European users' feedback about NOMI.
👨👩👧 Interviews with people who have test-driving experience with their families.
💡 Insights and challenges consolidate.
Design Challenge Highlight:
Based on the research results, we found that parents users value products' efficiency and functions more than visual. But usually, children's interests are the opposite. Children are interested in something quick, simple, and fun.
How might we balance different users' needs with one concept?
Workshop & Ideas Synthesis:
Co-creation workshop with the design team.
Ideated based on three different driving scenarios- 30-min driving, 3-hours driving, 10-hours driving.
Clustered the ideas based on the parents' and kids' needs, and found the cross area as the sweet spot for the concept direction.
Define the design principles based on the research and ideation workshop, develop the Nomi games based on the four experience principles:
1, Prioritize fun and simplicity, minimizing frustration for children.
2, Provide flexible options to accommodate different driving scenarios.
3, Connect the hardware and software, creating holistic and multi sensory in-car interactive experience.
4, Preserve control on the central screen, ensuring drivers can still manage the cabin effectively.