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Empower stakeholders of BMW in the work process by creating a collaborative environment. Leverage sound, motion, color, and form to infuse emotions into a sophisticated virtual assistant. Develop design principles and guidelines derived from extensive research, guiding the creation of an intelligent assistant tailored for designers, engineers, and decision-makers. Enhance productivity and streamline the complex vehicle development process.
My Role: Project Lead, User Experience, Project Management, Systems Design.
Team: Shruti, Sneha, Mingxu, Subin, Sree, Madeline, Phani, Phani, Mrunmayee, Eli, Kodiak, Brandon, Rylee, Lucas, Muskaan, Gert, Tayyab, Logan, May
Duration: 10 Weeks
Software: Unreal engine, Unity, Procreate
Brief
A creative, emotional & intelligent virtual assistant that helps designers, engineers, production planners & decision makers in the process of creating a car.
The Problem
How do we create a single assistant that feels useful and even delightful for all diverse users with varying needs helping information flow seamlessly embedding BMW’s creative brand values at heart.
The Users
Decision-makers were focused on timelines, budget, and cross-departmental alignment.
Engineers wanted technical documentation fast, with accuracy and version control.
Designers prioritized creative freedom and inspiration, often needing visual references and feedback loops.
Production planners sought logistical clarity and dependencies between components.
User key challenges
50+ user interviews, Online Surveys with 110+ users and contextual inquiry research
Guidelines of the Ai Assistant
Ideation & Concepts
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
Impact
The project's final concept for a virtual AI assistant was very well received by BMW stakeholders.
92% of stakeholders surveyed felt the AI assistant would improve cross-functional collaboration and streamline the design process between different teams.
BMW leadership has committed to integrating the virtual AI assistant concept into their product development workflow, projecting a 20% reduction in design review cycle times.
The AI assistant's natural language processing capabilities are expected to enable 35% more efficient information sharing and decision-making across BMW's global design centers.
MY ROLE
As project lead for this BMW AI virtual assistant project, I spearheaded a team of 10 researchers and 10 visual designers.
My key contributions included:
User Experience Design: Led the research phase and established design guidelines for a seamless user experience.
Project Management: Co-created the project timeline with the project manager to ensure efficient workflow and delivery.
Emotional Integration: Guided the team in integrating emotions into the AI assistant's interactions to create a more natural and engaging experience.
I greatly appreciate the guidance and support of Burak Söhmelioglu, Manager Emerging Technologies of BMW Group, and Dave Breeze, Design Lead of BMW Group. Their mentorship helped us navigate the company work process and translate research insights into impactful design solutions.
Key Takeaways:
Effective team leadership: I learned how to delegate tasks, inspire creativity, and leverage strengths within the team to achieve optimal results.
Data-driven design: I honed my skills in translating research findings into actionable insights for visual designers, enabling them to craft user-centered concepts.
User Testing and Iteration: Conducted user testing throughout the project and facilitated iterative design improvements based on user feedback.
Adaptability and iteration: I gained valuable experience in embracing user feedback and adapting the design throughout the project to ensure continual improvement.