This thesis is conducted with the interior development department of Mercedes- Benz. Two activities form the core of this thesis: interior design for the 2030 EQS, and implementation of Fundamental Needs in the process. The final desgin is the Daedalus: design for the sweet spot between focussing on your tasks and on the surroundings.The first approach is to understand the context in 2040, to iterate back towards a 2030 intermediate design.

Seven ways are found to work with these 13 Fundamental Needs, the approach changing every time. The tool used for external research with Fundamental Needs is tested and led to a quantification of the time between today and the intended future, leading to a focus on Autonomy and Security. Simultaneously, a Vision in Product design research is conducted, revealing that in this future, people expect things to be explained to them. This led to interaction qualities of ‘Quiet’ and ‘Synergy’.This 2040 concept is designed for an intuitive interaction between person and algorithm in the vehicle with these four concepts.

This 2040 concept is validated in a user test with sensitizing in the Mercedes-Benz interior labs. The usertest showed interest in communicating with the car, and confirmed the importance of control and understanding in this 2040 future vision. Participants asked the AI many questions with varying intentions.

These results provided focus for the last iterative step towards a 2030 design: the Daedalus. It revolves around finding a sweet spot between focussing on your task and enjoying your surroundings. The Daedalus can share Mercedes Messages, letting the user choose between the Fundamental Needs of Security, Comfort and Stimulation, the choice itself providing Autonomy. Mercedes Messages are not limited to the vehicle: they can be taken into shared mobility or the train. This design captures a moment of synergy, control and understanding that was experienced by participants during the user test, to recreate a valuable Mercedes Moment.