It is a given that the world changes. A changing world means that the problems society faces change too. Solving these problems has become more complex, and will so even more in the future. Increasingly, designers are the ones expected to be the ones to solve them. To that end, new design methods need to be devised to support designers in approaching these new challenges. This project focuses on improving one aspect of design behavior: reducing designers’ reliance on exhaustive search strategies.

Exhaustive search strategies are characterized by designers trying to exhaust an imaginary source of ideas and methods as a way to attain certainty in the design process. These are resource intensive and low in effectiveness. As problem complexity and consequently uncertainty in the design process rise, resources become more scarce and the risk these strategies bring increases.

A literature study was executed to investigate the origin of these strategies, as well as search for opportunities for improvement. The aforementioned problematic situation is a trait of non-expert designers. Expert designers employ completely different strategies. In order to deepen the understanding of the problem and create a better understanding of the expert approach, two sets of structured interviews were performed. One set with graduating industrial design students and one set with expert industrial designers. It was confirmed that the expert approach is characterized by a high tolerance for complexity and uncertainty.

As a way to instill this quality in non-expert designers, the design of the method thus focuses on supporting designers in embracing complexity and uncertainty. From findings in the literature study and the interviews, a promising direction was identified in the use of narratives and reflection. By means of rapid prototyping tests of the method with graduating students, a methodological structure for a narrative-based reflection method was designed: Design Interlude. A Design Interlude is a break in the design process to reflect on the complexity of the project and look ahead to the uncertainties that are to come. Additionally, a template for performing the method was designed.

The results of several validation tests suggest that this method is effective at supporting designers in embracing uncertainty and complexity. More research is needed to measure if using the method consequently affects reliance on exhaustive search strategies. Additional effects of using the method that were observed are: increased likelihood of new insights, clearer project direction and easier communication of problem complexity.

From here, a larger study of the effectiveness of this method should be conducted. As well as an investigation into the possibility of implementing it into the industrial design curriculum.

Everyone can, to a certain extend, imagine what the future of transportation holds; delivery drones, high-speed trains and autonomous vehicles that will provide us with the experience of having a private chauffeur. One of the shared characteristics between these concepts of future mobility; is that they improve efficiency, e.g. when we can let go of the steering wheel, the time gained can be spend to send out one last e-mail or have a more social commuting experience. Developments in the light rail industry like the Hyperloop concept improve time efficiency, and therefore allow us to arrive at our destination much sooner than before. Yet, comfort, quality time and time efficiency are not the only concerns when it comes to mobility. New challenges manifest themselves, and my initial goal has been to understand the active role mobility could play to solve the challenges that we will meet in a future scenario. The context driven design methodology Vision in Product design has been used to create a future vision and mission statement, which acts as a response to the generated vision. The vision communicates three phenomena that will significantly influence urban environments, and the goal of this thesis has become to provide a solution for these challenges.

This report contains a design proposal for a 2035 Porsche sports car vision. The vision is a reaction on a future mobility paradigm shift towards fully automated transportation (Autonomous level 5). The majority of today’s car owners are convenience driven. These type of drivers have what is referred to as a ‘rational’ way of thinking about mobility. Subsequently, their vehicle is perceived as a tool, offering flexibility and freedom. Full automation of vehicles is leading to the ultimate convenience of being transported from door to door, while maintaining time to focus on other things than driving. Therefore it can be expected to be a warm welcome to the average car user. This shift in they way people think about mobility as the result of an increase in convenience due to automation runs contrary to the way Porsche approaches this matter. Being a brand that mainly focusses on offering the most sportive option in every car segment, it creates questions about how they should answer to a situation like this without neglecting their brand identity. Approaching the mobility paradigm shift from a generational standpoint the conducted research shows that the end of a timeframe where the vast majority of sports car buyers are from a category called ‘The babyboomers’ is coming to an end. By setting the timeframe for this project to 2035, the targeted group of potential future buyers are nowadays referred to as millennials. In this project, the substantial differences between these two groups, together with the knowledge gained about important brand values and design principles are used as a base for a future concept. Consulted by Porsche’s design studio in Weissach (Germany), the design proposal in this thesis shows a vision on how Porsche as a brand can position themselves in an automated and convenience-driven future. The concept focusses on offering future sports car drivers a unique, emotional and foremost, a Porsche typical driving experience, allowing the user to focus on the road and forget about the interior as an object. Instead, the vehicle is approached from a holistic point of view. By integrating as many functions as possible into a steering module, a highly simplified new interpretation of sportive driving was design.

This master graduation thesis explores the possibilities for improving the comfort experience for watching in flight entertainment (IFE) and sleeping in a business class (BC) and premium economy class (PEC) aircraft seat trough (mainly) headrest design.
Experimental and extensive literature research on sleeping and watching IFE in transit results in design requirements and recommendations for the (aircraft) seating industry. The study on head support for watching IFE in a slouched posture resulted in a scientific publication in Applied Ergonomics. Further research and development is proposed of a premium economy headrest supporting for sleeping with a limited recline and head-neck support for watching IFE in premium cabins. In addition, the exploration of a highly personalised BC bed-seat is advised.

Sleeping full-flat in BC
The earlier mentioned focus on headrest design is less applicable on BC sleep. Here the focus should be on overall bed design and control features. Nevertheless, as new generation BC seats provide full flat sleeping capabilities, it is advised to level the headrest with the backrest when in full-flat mode (becoming a part of the mattress surface area) and provide a separate pillow based on the passengers choice. This gives passengers more freedom of posture and approximates the conditions passengers are used to at home, which is important to sleep quality. Also disturbing factors should be minimised as much as possible. This includes cabin services and belt checks.
One of the challenges BC passengers face is the lack of control over their own activities and environment within the cabin. A BC bed-seating concept is proposed which includes personal flight scheduling features, which gives BC passengers the option to opt in or out of services and schedule their own activities. Their choices will be communicated by displays outside the seat (e.g. non-disturb and seatbelt on sign) and in the galley. In addition, automated seatbelt checks prevent flight attendants (FA's) to wake BC passengers. This can improve passenger's sense of control and prevent unwanted disturbance by cabin crew.
In search of improving the bed-seat experience, it was found that the firmness per area of the seat should be adjusted according to the taken posture for proper support. When seated, firm support is needed at the pelvis region, as most of the body weight can be carried here. When sleeping lateral, that same area should soft, to allow the pelvis to sink for a straight alignment of the spine. In addition, anthropometric differences and preferences (e.g. firmness) require personal optimised support. Exploration of a bed-seat that can actively adapt to the taken posture by and anthropometrics of the passenger is advised.

Sleeping with limited recline in PEC
Sleeping with limited recline in PEC is challenging. Muscles relax when entering deep sleep, which causes the head slide, nod and fall. This triggers the sleep-wake system, waking up the passenger. Without adequate support of the head passengers will not be able to have a qualitative sleep, as they will not go trough deep sleep and REM cycles (which account for physical and mental recovery respectively). Two headrest designs are proposed which support the head by a jaw line on the side ‘wings’, as the load of the head can be carried here and prevent the head to fall and nod. One design iterates on existing headrests, requiring the addition of two rotational hinges and jaw-line support on the ‘wings’, allowing it to create a ‘bowl shape’ the head can rest in. Implementation might be relative simple, but further prototyping is advised. The other design is more radical, as it articulates sideways following natural movement of the head during sleep. When going sideways (over the Z-axis), the headrest turns (over the Y-axis) ’catching’ the head, preventing it of falling down. The mechanics to articulate this headrest are more challenging and require further research and development.

Watching IFE in premium cabins
People prefer to watch IFE and TV in a slouched posture (reclined backrest and leg support), as is possible in premium cabins like BC and PEC. In current aircraft seats passengers lack head/neck support, as they flex their head forward to have a perpendicular view on the IFE screen. Prolonged contraction of the neck and eye muscles to sustain view on the IFE screen (e.g. during multiple movies) may fatigue the muscles, lead to pains and discomfort. Pillows offered in premium cabins may offer some support, but – depending on the thickness and material – may be insufficient. The scientific study in this thesis shows that head support improves the ‘expected comfort’ and may lower muscle tension in the neck as shown in an AnyBody™ simulation. This was however not validated by an EMG study, which showed no difference in major flexion and extension neck muscles. The discovery was that humans search for a neutral posture, with minimal strain on the musculoskeletal system. This could explain the lack of a significant difference. However, further research on the long-term (dis)comfort is advised. Nevertheless, a proposed design of a forward tilting headrest based on a simple friction hinge may be an interesting solution to improve passenger comfort when watching IFE.

This master thesis thus shows that through headrest design comfort of premium aircraft passengers can be improved for watching IFE and sleeping with limited recline. Aircraft seat manufacturers are therefore advised to further research and develop proposed headrest designs, as current headrest are insufficient and/or underexposed in seat design.

In this project a vision on future travel was created for MOBGEN, in which products
and services are more digitally connected. Wysp is the vision of a travel support service for the year 2025. It supports travellers by supports travellers by; preventing mistakes, removing uncertainties and by improving the quality of waiting time. In order to achieve this multiple assets, from different companies, are combined into a bundled service. The service offers travellers a digital platform to plan trips, with more clarity. It guides people during the different phases of their journey; offering them access to shared cars, digital identification and support with problems. A self-driving function on a smart road allows travellers to exit their car at the entrance of the airport without parking.

“Relief people of anxiety caused by desired impressions, whilst
momentarily creating awareness of their view on success.”

That is the goal of Wysp, and it is embedded in the experience. A guiding light represents the personality and soul of Wysp, assuring the traveller. It travels along with them; their to help. The gestures in the interaction with Wysp are forming a rhythmic sequence. Moves are small and physical; tapping a push or pull,
becoming a seamless flow that makes the traveller feel competent. Echo makes the flow understandable by visualizing each action, letting it last for a small moment. The final result was presented in a short film, showing how Wysp would aid the traveller.

This master thesis was executed for Mercedes-Benz; a subsidiary of Daimler AG. Its goal was to design a holistic interior concept for level 4 premium autonomous driving, aimed at:‘’Purpose-driven people, expressing confidence in their success, who reluctantly accept novelty framed by tradition’’, using a context based design approach. In the future, these people will lose their traditional means expressing authenticity and identity. They will no longer be able to achieve confirmation through a hierarchy based interaction with their cars. Additionally, expressing premium shifts from material possession to immaterial behaviour. Therefore, the following mission was stated:‘’I want people to be able to express exclusivity though conduct ,whilst being assured of their personal significance.’’In order to preserve current interaction qualities in a new context, the following analogy for the product-user relationship was described:“Like walking your German Shepherd Dog through the woods’’. During synthesis, an interaction gap was discovered. Current interior concepts aimed at level 4 autonomous diving mainly focussed on technical solutions. Situations were approached as if the customer and car were already cooperating successfully. However, in order to achieve a successful cooperation, both parties first have to trust one another. MIND introduces the artificial intelligence of the car immediately after ordering. During the time it takes to produce the car, referred to as “Transcendence”, the customer teaches MIND his preferences and character traits by allowing it to follow and observe him. MIND proves itself step by step with the assistance of augmented reality. This gradually generates a meaningful relationship between product and user and lowers the emotional threshold to accept future mobility. Feedback on progress made by MIND is communicated by the development of a unique pattern, visible on a physical manifestation of MIND.

- Premium by means of exclusivity is achieved though the developed character of MIND, which is unique and personal to every customer.
- Exclusivity through conduct is achieved by including the customer. Providing effort and being rewarded with something truly personal creates a meaningful experience.
- MIND obtains assurance by proofing its capability in a safe environment, generating confidence.
- The customer is furthermore assured by the transparency of data traffic and storage.
- Personal significance is confirmed through the reactiveness of the pattern.

- MIND is beneficial to the development process at Mercedes-Benz by providing real-time, actual data instead.
- It provides Mercedes-Benz as brand with the opportunity to manifest itself as a mobility provider without the necessity of a physical car.

MIND as a concept provides a train of thought about expressing premium through behavior rather than possession. It can serve as inspiration for smaller-scoped design briefs. It can provide the bridge between user wants and technical developments. Finally, MIND can be applied beyond ownership in shared mobility and public transport systems. Moreover, it can be applied beyond the context of mobility, positioning Mercedes-Benz as life companion rather than mobility agent.

After it’s invention in 1886, the car has left us with amazing opportunities and progress. But it has become very clear that today’s degree of car use is not sustainable in terms of land and energy use and emissions. Big developments are about to shake up the automotive world, but they do not bring the change that is needed. A traffic jam of electric vehicles is still a traffic jam. Autonomous cars are about to increase the attractiveness of cars and mobility services are mainly competitive with public transport. Many regulations and projects aim to decrease car use and car ownership. But most of them try to address people’s reason by focussing on instrumental motives only. Instead, triggering people’s emotion by means of symbolic affective motives is much more efficient. In this project it is decided to focus on cultural values. Values are strongly tied to emotion and are the most important drivers for people’s behaviour. This design project works with the ViP (Vision in Product Design) design method as guidance, and uses other design and design research methods as input. First, the values of the future user (Mercedes-Benz drivers) are being researched using a qualitative method (Context Mapping) complemented by a quantitative method (Short Schwartz Values Survey). Values most important to Mercedes-Benz drivers are Self-Direction, Security and Benevolence. With the future user in mind and after constructing a future context, a mission statement is formulated: “In a world where AI is valued over human instinct/feelings and urban areas are confronted with severe consequences of climate change, we want MB drivers to embrace travelling with their peers, using sustainable mobility alternatives. In order for them to do so, we need to make sure MB drivers feel their sovereignty is respected, and they feel secure in the changes they are making.” The concept presented in this report is a platform where members form clubs through which they have unlimited access to premium mobility. The most important value propositions of the service are: ‘Unlimited access to premium mobility’, ‘Travel with people you’ve always wanted to meet’, ‘Choosing your own club, feeling at home in your club’, ‘Perform your desired activity’, ‘Growing as a member’, ‘Join in adventure’. The concept was validated by means of presenting the concept as it was ‘already there’, in a folder to do face to face interviews and on a website for an online survey. The in total 65 participants rated the service a 4,3 out of 7. Mercedes-Benz drivers rated the service on average a 3,8 out of 7. Participants were also asked to rate the value propositions of the service. The value propositions that were rated highest all found their roots in the values Self-direction and Security.

Technological advancements have resulted in vehicles gaining the ability to effortlessly compile data required to generate Situational Awareness. Situational Awareness is defined as the continuous (re-)processing of information leading to an intangible spatial representation of the environment. While vehicles effortlessly compile Situational Awareness, drivers are only able to generate it through complex cognitive processes that are highly demanding. This thesis introduces an overall framework for an interaction concept for research purposes. This interaction concept aims to actively support the driver in generating Situational Awareness (SA) to reduce the demands on the driver.

The presented approach is an interaction concept that exploits the vehicle’s ability to support drivers in the SA process. This supportive concept aims to support the driver by assessing the driver’s SA and responding in an intervening or informative manner when required. By doing so, the solution aims to reduce the demand on the driver and sequentially enhances the driver’s user experience.

To introduce such a supportive interaction concept, the future context has been considered which revolves around Conditional Autonomous Vehicles. The introduction of such vehicles results in a shifting role allocation between human drivers and automated driving systems. As a result, three driving modes can be encountered in the driving task. Based on the frameworks of information processing and human factors in automation and SA, several aspects are identified that have shaped the aim of the interaction concept in each driving mode.

This was an explorative project which investigated the use and implementation of smart materials in an automotive context for Toyota Motors Europe. The smart materials in this context were shape memory materials which possess the ability to change their shape under appropriate stimulus. The idea of the project was to understand how the materials behaved and to find out if this behavior could be used in some way to help the user of a Toyota autonomous car. To be able to involve the users systematically and to solve their needs, a context driven design approach called the Vision in Product Design (VIP) was adopted.

Using the VIP process as a guideline and modifying it to incorporate the material technology aspect of the project, a final product concept was generated. This product not only solved the needs of the user in an autonomous car but also made efficient use of the shape memory materials.

Reactive Environment Outlets (REOs) are movable outlets designed for Toyota autonomous cars which provide different environments to the user, specific to their location. REOs are actuated by shape memory muscle wires which possess the capability of contracting when heated. A simple and compact mechanism consisting of a spherical joint and muscle wires, enables the outlet to rotate in all directions.

REOs would play a crucial role in future autonomous cars by providing the required environment conditions as the passenger performs different activities and takes different seating positions. The styling of the outlet was designed specifically for the Toyota Concept-i.

This report contains the process and relevant outcomes of the graduationproject “Interior design of the new VDL Futura travel coach”. Generally,this report is divided into four phases: an analysis phase, an ideation &concepting phase, an iteration phase and an embodiment phase.During the analysis phase, both a passenger experience and literatureresearch were conducted. The outcomes of both researches supportedeach other on several topics. The main findings were: lighting issues,sound nuisance issues and seat-comfort related issues. Seat-comfortrelated issues were explicitly not in the scope of this project and werefor this reason neglected.By applying an experimental approach - combining elements of the ViPmethodwith the more ‘traditional’ design methods - analysis data wereconstructed using different tools. The key topics from these data were:‘differentiation as a strategy’, ‘design an experience’, ‘taking the coachto a premium level by applying the CARE-vision’ and ‘social relevance ofthe coach’.These data were later merged into one mission, addressing both thecurrent negative aspects of the interior and the future purposes. Thismission is “Design an interior that transforms travelling by coach froman obstacle to the passenger’s experiential activity into a part of thepassenger’s experiential activity”.Next, an advanced concept was defined. This concept is merely anabstract thought about what the intention and goals of the conceptshould become. Deriving this advanced concept into an intermediatedesign has helped the process getting to a final design.The final design - planned for within the next 5 years - has become a‘stepping stone’ towards an appropriate solution for the later future(2030).During the embodiment phase, a modular assembly has been definedto detail, taking experts’ advices into account and optimizations inorder to create a feasible end result. This modular assembly contains allnecessary parts, which are repeated over the length of the coach.A prototype has been made as well in order to verify the concept. Thisprototype is a simplified version of the end product. Eventually, a finaluser test will be done to evaluate and verify the goals of the end product.Unfortunately, the extended user test could not take place before thedeadline of this report.A preliminary test has been done with a few users in order to getpeople’s first thoughts and concerns. This preliminary test was overallvery positive. The results of the extended user test will be presentedduring the final presentation of this graduation project.

This thesis focuses on solving the problem of obesity amongst truck drivers. The project will look at the near future of 5 to 10 years` time and focuses solely on the European truck market.
This project was carried out in collaboration with the Vehicle Ergonomics (RCDE) team at Scania, in Södertälje. For the thesis the Vision in Product Design (ViP) method is used, since this method has a strong user-centric focus. ViP asks the designer to look at the past and the current product before starting to design the future one. This in terms influenced the setup of the thesis by dividing it into three main chapters: Past, Now and Future. The first and second chapter - Past and Now - focus on deconstructing the problem.
The first chapter, the past, gives an understanding of the world of trucking through its history. It shows how important the context is and how much it influences the truck and subsequently the trucker.
In the second chapter the focus is on the current trucking industry. Research about the context here shows that truck manufacturers are keen on embracing autonomous driving technologies. In addition, an extensive literature research about health is concluded with the creation of the Health Map, which shows relationship of health and trucking (see the attached Health Map).
On the other hand, user research included context mapping and interviews with six truck drivers brought out the insecurities truck drivers feel regarding new developments. The findings from the interviews together with shadowing truckers have given insight in a day of a trucker, which are visualized in the form of a Customer Journey. The insights from the Customer Journey and the Health Map are combined to identify the main pain areas regarding health: stress, fatigue, solitude and feeling misunderstood (see Customer Journey).
The chapter is concluded with a design goal, which is to tackle the problem of obesity amongst truck drivers by eliciting behaviour change through the use of the truck’s interior.
The final chapter comprises the design of a solution for the stated problem. It starts with a created interaction vision: Driving tomorrow`s Scania is like being a plant growing in a greenhouse. This vision together with the interaction qualities are used to create solutions for the pain areas found. Next to that a future context is created, in which the truck driver has an observational role rather than being an active driver.
These solutions are evaluated with the RCDE team and the truck drivers, which forms the first design iteration. The second iteration focuses on creating a system that would support the trucker in changing their behaviour. A mockup is used to test the system with five truck drivers. This gave insights for the third iteration, which focuses on creating the behaviour tasks. Three different tasks are created to elicit behaviour change: shoulder movement task, breathing task and a game. These are evaluated by creating screens and presenting them to two truck drivers.The results from the iterations are used to create the final concept, which is a system that monitors the truck driver and supports him/her by offering various tasks aimed at tackling the earlier mentioned pain areas when they arise. The system needs to guide and ultimately act as a friend to the trucker, since that has shown to increase the acceptability of autonomous vehicles.

After a human-centered design process crucial conditions were identified in the changing-process of development and growing of the European Megacities (overpopulation, limited amount of resources, congestion of infrastructure, penetration of new ITC, etc.) these situations created an ideal scenario for Motio Development to identify design opportunities in order to contribute to the sustainable development.