The E-Hot Wheels Moped is a project that I created as part of my Interaction Design course at Carnegie Mellon. In this project, my team and I had the goal of making mopeds more accessible and user friendly for everyone. As this was a collaborative group effort, we divided most stages evenly across the team. My contributions included:
Created detailed wireframes
Building a physical prototype
Crafted high-fidelity interactive prototypes
Conducted user test sessions with other students
OVERVIEW
Ford is releasing a new semi-autonomous moped designed to help reduce the number of accidents on the road, making them more accessible for those with cognitive and physical disabilities. Ford came to us with the task of designing new controls and interaction paradigms for the moped.
DEEP DIVE INTO THE PROBLEM
Through this process, we identified key issues with mopeds that informed our design decisions. Here are the insights we uncovered about moped riders' needs and desires:
Inconsistent road regulations
Road regulations vary significantly across states and countries. This inconsistency can confuse users and create barriers, making mopeds less accessible for riders from diverse regions.
Limited suitability for all roads
While mopeds perform well on shorter trips and simpler routes, they are not the preferred choice for longer distances or more complex journeys. Their design and capabilities often restrict their versatility with certain road types.
Learning curve for new drivers
Driving a moped can feel intimidating to new users. However with time and practice, riders can become more comfortable navigating them.
Information overload on small digital interfaces
Small digital interfaces on mopeds limits the amount of visible information. However, these interfaces must still provide essential details like current speed, battery levels, and navigation to ensure driver safety.
TURNING RESEARCH INSIGHTS INTO DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
With a clear understanding of the main challenges faced by moped riders, we shifted our focus to the design process. Our goal was to generate innovative solutions that addressed these challenges, outside of traditional controls already available in standard vehicles. Here's a list of design opportunities we developed:
IDEATION - THROUGH VISION BOARDS AND SKETCHES
To kick off the ideation phase, I gathered inspiration from existing vehicle screens, and analyzed design patterns from cars, scooters, and mopeds to understand what worked well in real-world contexts. Using these insights, I created initial sketches to explore how our designs would be integrated into the moped interface.
IDEATION - THROUGH LOW FIDELITY PAPER AND PHYSICAL PROTOTYPES
First, I sketched out ideas onto a tablet-sized piece of paper and used a ‘Wizard of Oz’ technique to demonstrate the interaction design of our team's prototype.
