Overview

In partnership with Emsense Technologies, We designed a demo for events and client meetings to help stakeholders understand the potential of Emsense’s radar-based health monitoring software.

Our goal was to simplify and contextualize the technology's functionality and data, making it accessible to non-technical users. This project marked the value of UX in translating complex tech for broader audiences.

Our Design Process

Discover Phase

Understanding the Product

We initiated a meeting with Emsense’s CEO and lead developer, for us to explore and better understand the technical aspects and limitations of their product. We were also interested in their sales approach, challenges and current understanding of their customers.

Understanding the Scope

Current visualizations were difficult for non-technical audiences, identifying decision-makers without technical backgrounds as our key users.

Secondary Research and Survey

Secondary Research

• Conducted a literature review on health-monitoring technologies, focusing on metrics relevant to driving safety, such as heart rate, stress, and fatigue indicators.

• Guided survey development and highlighted user expectations and existing technology limitations.

Survey Approach

• Surveyed 59 drivers to gauge overall interest and understanding of health-monitoring features.

• Commonly tracked metrics included heart rate, sleep quality, and daily steps, with strong interest in monitoring fatigue and stress as part of a safety system.

Key Takeaways

• Privacy Concerns: While 66% of respondents were open to health monitoring, about half had privacy concerns, especially regarding sensitive data.

• User Preferences: Drivers expressed a strong preference for personalized notifications, actionable insights, and control over data sharing.

• Implications for Safety: Health-monitoring features have the potential to enhance safety by reducing incidents linked to fatigue and stress, provided that privacy and user autonomy remain a central focus in the design.

Expert and Key User Interviews

Approach

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including potential partners (automotive professionals) and UX experts.

• Aim to explore investor and driver needs, and potential adoption factors for health-monitoring technology in vehicles.

Insights

• Both stakeholders and experts see greater buy-in potential if they can clearly understand the possibilities of the new technology and how it aligns with their customers' needs.

• A non-intrusive, user-centered approach with clear, actionable benefits is essential for adoption.

• Personalized feedback and flexible data-sharing options are crucial to building user trust and fostering engagement.

Workshop with drivers

Approach

• Requited 4 drivers from various age groups and backgrounds.

• Used activities such as card-sorting and ideation with archetypes to uncover key insights into users' mental models.

Takeaways

• Clear, intuitive visuals like warning signs or fatigue icons were linked to feelings of control and security, reinforcing the importance of recognizable icons for conveying essential health data.

• Different health indicators were linked to specific driving contexts, giving us insights in how drivers interpret information depending on the scenario.

• Conflicting user preferences, underscored the need for customisable settings and personalized design to boost engagement and satisfaction across user types.

Driver Interviews

Approach

• We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 8 drivers across a range of ages and driving experiences to gather nuanced perspectives on in-vehicle health monitoring.

• Questions were designed to uncover the types of health data drivers found useful, any perceived risks, and what features would help them feel more in control and secure when using health-monitoring technology in their vehicles.

Key Insights

• Safety vs. Privacy: Many participants appreciated the potential for health monitoring to enhance safety, but privacy concerns, especially regarding sensitive data, were a notable barrier.

• Customization and Control: Users expressed a strong preference for control over alerts and data access, favoring customizable options to tailor monitoring to their needs.

• Minimal Disruption: Drivers emphasized the need for alerts that support safety without being distracting, preferring subtle, non-intrusive notifications.

• Transparency: Clear, straightforward explanations about data collection, usage, and protection were seen as essential for trust and comfort with health-monitoring features.

Research Scope Adjustments

Because our key users are well-informed and concerned about their customers, they validate decisions from their customers' perspective. This meant we needed to base our design on this perspective. To achieve this, we needed more data on our key users' customers—the drivers.

Emsense technologies' old Demo interface

Interview with UX expert

Image of me facilitating workshop

Define Phase

Driver Behavioural Archetypes

Approach

To organize and synthesize data on drivers from surveys, interviews, and workshops, we created detailed behavioural archetypes. This required revisiting all collected data and applying clustering and thematic analysis to uncover drivers needs, frustrations, and behaviours in regards to health-monitoring.

The Reliant Peace Seeker seeks convenience and reassurance through technology.

The Skeptic Optimizer prefers control and is cautious about data sharing.

Key Findings

• Scenario-Based Communication: Users find it essential to see the technology in action across various scenarios to understand its full potential.

• End-User Value: Stakeholders value technology primarily for its ability to improve the user experience and safety of their customers.

• Storytelling and Relatability: Effective storytelling is necessary for stakeholders to connect with the technology and understand its practical applications.

• Clear Opt-In System: Since the concept of health monitoring in vehicles is new for most drivers, a clear opt-in system is crucial to foster trust and positive engagement with the technology.

Problem Statements

Key User

The technology needs to be communicated through relatable, scenario-based examples that illustrate its value and impact on end-user safety and satisfaction.

Drivers

Vehicles needs to provide a customizable, user-controlled experience, ensuring that health-monitoring features are beneficial, unobtrusive, and accessible via a clear opt-in process that respects privacy.

Design Phase

Ideation

Approach

We brainstormed ways to convey the archetypes’ needs effectively for stakeholders, focusing on scenario-based interactions. This approach allowed stakeholders to experience how Emsense technology could adapt to different user types, highlighting the product’s benefits for end-users

Sketches and Wireframes

Using inspiration from familiar automotive interfaces, we created initial lo-fi wireframes designed to emulate a dashboard experience. Techniques like Crazy 8 helped us quickly iterate ideas, aligning the interface with stakeholder expectations and ensuring it felt relevant to a vehicle context..

Prototyping, Testing and Iterations

First Prototype

For the first iteration, we conducted usability testing with 10 participants, asking them to navigate the prototype and share their thoughts through a think-aloud process. Our goal was to observe how well users understood the dashboard interface, functionality, and health-monitoring concept.

Takeaways

• Context and Visuals: Users felt the design didn’t fully convey an in-vehicle experience, suggesting we make the interface look more like a car dashboard.

• Interactive Elements: Some users were unsure of what was clickable, prompting a need for clearer visual cues.

• Scenario Clarity: Scenarios such as "Prevent" and "Accident" were not fully understood. For instance, the color changes were interpreted as serious but lacked clear explanations, leading to confusion about the technology’s purpose.

Second Prototype

• Enhanced Onboarding: We added an introductory screen that briefly explained how the technology works, what metrics it measures, and what users can expect to see, helping set expectations right from the start.

• Refined Scenario Storytelling: We clarified the "Prevent" and "Accident" scenarios, adjusting icon colors and adding clear text descriptions to improve user comprehension of each situation.

• In-Car Dashboard Feel: To make the interface look more like an in-vehicle dashboard, we incorporated familiar dashboard elements, icons, and streamlined navigation, making it easier for users to recognize its context.

Final Testing and Results

In the final testing phase with four returning participants, we focused on verifying improvements in usability and clarity. Participants responded positively to the updates, particularly the onboarding and scenario storytelling:

• Overall Experience: 5/6

• Understanding of Technology Purpose: 5.7/6

• Information Clarity: 5.5/6

• Predicted Comprehension by Others: 4.75/6

Participants described the design as “inviting” and “high quality,” noting that the enhanced visuals and onboarding added to their understanding. Positive feedback from an industry expert confirmed that the prototype met the scope objectives, delivering a user-centered experience that was intuitive, informative, and aligned with both stakeholder and driver needs.

Image of me and my UX-partner sketching improvements

The Design

Emsense Technologies challenged us to deliver, and we delivered a refined concept for a Demo in a addition to detailed user insights to support future advancements.

1. Starting View

• Provides a brief introduction to EmSense technology and its purpose.

• Builds curiosity by highlighting what users can expect to see and explore in the demo.

• Separates general information from scenario details to make content digestible and engaging.

2. Demo Start Screen

• Displays the real-time monitoring of health metrics like heart rate variability, breathing, and stress.

• Uses light blue as a primary color to convey a calm yet serious tone.

• Introduces the health status icon, helping users quickly understand when data is actively being analyzed.

3. Car Dashboard – First View

• Mimics a standard in-car dashboard for familiarity and ease of understanding.

• Provides modeless feedback with a health status icon in the corner to inform without distracting.

• Navigation bar allows users to explore scenarios, reflecting the needs of different driver archetypes.

4. Prevent Scenario

• Shows system monitoring and alerts drivers of elevated stress levels in a non-critical state.

• Uses an orange icon with an exclamation mark to signal heightened but non-critical status.

• Critical alerts are marked with red icons and blinking animations, as research showed drivers prefer clear warnings for critical health risks.

5. Accident Scenario and Center Display Information

First view

• Showcases a crash scenario with active health monitoring.

• Includes an overlay displaying essential information, responding to user needs for control and clarity in stressful situations.

Second view

• Represents a central touchscreen interface with enhanced control and information, tailored for emergencies.

• Displays details like SOS contact, location sharing, and live health data monitoring, providing users with reassurance.

• Offers both text and audio options for accessibility, addressing user feedback.

• Automatically initiates an SOS call, a feature that was highlighted as important in user research for a sense of control and assistance.

Out of Scope Delivery

During our research, we identified a strong need for an onboarding and opt-in system for health monitoring technology.

Due to time limitations and scope constraints, this concept was not included in the main demo but was documented and delivered for potential future improvements.

Onboarding and Opt-in concept

• The opt-in flow provides users with information about the technology’s purpose, with content delivered gradually for easier accessibility.

• For the "Skeptic Optimizer Archetype," who may have concerns about data handling, the flow includes details on data storage and usage to promote a sense of security and control.

• The interface allows users to customize their preferences for receiving information and assistance.

• Car center display design patterns are used to ensure consistency and familiarity within the interface

Retrospect

Lessons learned

• Navigating a New Domain: Working in an unfamiliar industry without established processes for demo design was challenging. We learned to adapt our approach and structure, despite initial uncertainty.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: With input from various parties—clients, stakeholders, end-users, and experts—we realized the importance of balancing different perspectives. This required refining our design process, especially when resource constraints limited our ability to gather more input.

• Value of Co-Creation: Initially, we planned a co-creation workshop with stakeholders to gather deeper insights. Reflecting on the process, we believe this step could have enhanced our results and offered a more comprehensive view.

• Collaborating with Real Clients: Unlike academic projects, this experience required us to manage client relationships and adapt to their needs, teaching us the importance of clear communication and proactive project management.

If we had more time

• Expanded Testing: Given more time, we’d conduct additional testing with stakeholders to evaluate the demo’s impact on potential customer conversion.

• Additional Scenarios: We’d add more scenarios to the demo, exploring specific cases and how the technology could adapt in various contexts.

• Further Development of the Onboarding and Opt-In System: Additional refinement and testing would strengthen the opt-in flow, improving user comfort with data privacy.

• Emergency Services Integration: We’d investigate how emergency services could effectively use the technology’s data, especially in long-term health monitoring contexts.

• Real-World Testing: It would be insightful to observe user interactions with the demo in real-time to gather immediate feedback on functionality and usability.

The End

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