Designing Human-Centered Support for DIY Campervan Layout Decisions
K.S. Ketting (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
J.W. Hoftijzer – Mentor (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
R. de Bruin – Mentor (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
Converting a van into a camper is a complex and highly personal DIY process. Beginning DIY camper builders have access to extensive online information, examples, products, and professional services, yet often struggle to turn these fragmented resources into a coherent interior that fits their own needs. Existing support mainly explains how individual components can be built or offers predefined solutions. Less attention is given to helping DIY-ers understand spatial consequences, compare alternatives, and develop confidence in their own decisions without taking away the autonomy that makes DIY meaningful.
This graduation project investigates how DIY camper builders can be supported in developing a personal interior layout while retaining ownership of the design process. Using a user-centred design approach, the project combined literature and user research with the analysis of existing support, concept development, and full-scale prototyping. The findings show that camper conversion is not a linear process in which all requirements can be defined beforehand. Needs and priorities continue to develop through designing, making, testing, and use. The research also indicates that DIY-ers do not primarily need more information, but support in deciding what is relevant to their situation and translating this into spatial choices.
These insights led to VanPlan: a reusable, full-scale modular mock-up system that enables DIY-ers to construct, experience, compare, and adapt proposed layouts inside their own van before building them permanently. Adjustable modules, representations of technical components, examples, and workshop guidance provide structure while leaving the final decisions with the participant. Rather than delivering a predefined or construction-ready interior, VanPlan helps users investigate how their ideas support everyday activities, which compromises they create, and what still requires further development.
The project demonstrates the potential of physical and reversible experimentation as a form of DIY support. More broadly, it argues that effective DIY support should strengthen users' judgement instead of replacing it: guiding the process without prescribing the outcome, making consequences tangible, and allowing requirements to develop through action. VanPlan provides an evidence-informed direction for applying these principles and a foundation for further technical, service, and market validation.