Volkswagen Terra Viva
This project was created as part of a student-sponsored collaboration with Volkswagen (VW). All rights to the work are retained by the student creators and the sponsoring company.
UI / UX
Design
Automotive Design
Video Editing
Automotive Design
Video Editing
TerraViva is a concept vehicle that was developed under the sponsorship of Volkswagen. I was the User Experience Designer for this project and I had the pleasure of collaborating with Woobin Park (Interior Transportation Design) and Samson Deroaches (Exterior Transportation Design). Together we created a vehicle that would promote physical activity, and mindful habits. We wanted to create a vehicle for the people. To accomplish this took great teamwork and effort from all sides. I had the privilege of leading this project for our team and directing the workflow and ideas to keep our end goal in mind. The final result is something that I am very proud of, as it showcases our creativity. Our vehicle had the ability to be used as exercise equipment, a zen space, and become more adaptable to the owner. We created a car that cared about its users and would help them live healthier and happier lives. The video you see is a story that will take you through the experience of the vehicle. I edited it together and was in charge of audio, while my teammates worked on the animation. This was an amazing experience to see how my skills can work with and fit with other disciplines. I learned that my talents can take me to more places than I originally thought.
As the User Experience Designer of the team I was in charge of designing the interfaces found throughout the car and helping the exterior feel cohesive with the interior. I also created a meditation experience that could be activated when the user was feeling stressed or flustered. It is meant to help calm the user down and help them to think more clearly and relax. Mental health is very important and having a space to decompress after stressful events is important. The in-car AI would welcome the user and help guide them through a meditation exercise, such as 1 minute of square breathing, or playing calming white noise when asked to do so. The assistant would also help the user manage their time and make sure they are not working an unhealthy amount.
PROCESS:
The process of this project was quite rigorous due to the tight schedule we were under. As the leader of the team, I made sure that we were all on the same page and designing for our end goal. I made a schedule and conducted weekly meetings to keep the team on track. Organizing a team for a project such as this is not always easy, but I learned a lot about my leadership abilities, and was able to build upon them and grow my confidence in the area. I was in charge of creating the periodic presentations and and slide decks. The video that was created was storyboarded, and edited together by me. I mixed the audio and made sure the video flowed with the story and animation. The interfaces I created took several iterations to get them to where they are now. After many class critiques and gaining feedback from Volkswagen themselves, I was able to adapt my designs and create something both functional and fun.