The Autonomous Vehicle Experience
Designing audio entertainment experiences of the future
Team
Solo project
w/ UX mentor feedback
My Role
UX Researcher
UX/UI Designer
Tools
Figma
Adobe CC
The SXM autonomous vehicle experience aims to create a space that encourages users to explore new music and be in full control. With no worries about driver distraction, we are giving users more interactivity and adventure than a traditional music listening experience.
The Problem
SiriusXM wants to elevate their customer’s current digital experience. They seek to re-imagine the needs of their users as riders in autonomous vehicles, looking for something new in their routine. By redefining the listening experience, I am committing to SiriusXM’s mission of being a diverse, vibrant, and valued service in audio entertainment that is vital to listeners.
Essentially, the SiriusXM wants to know
How do we guide users into choosing SiriusXM and staying engaged with the content during the ride?
Our audience & objectives
Since SiriusXM is a satellite radio provider, its target audience is busy working adults. The autonomous vehicle experience is a crucial opportunity to bridge the gap the service has with a younger audience.
Who are we designing for?
What are we looking for?
And now I begin my Research and Exploration Phase
To gain deeper insights into what features to include, I devised a research approach encompassing a competitor analysis, user interviews, persona development, and a journey maps. Employing this comprehensive approach, we would assess user perceptions of the current app and collect valuable feedback for innovation.
Competitive Analysis
By studying other streaming platforms, I identifying design opportunities that are currently inexistent within music listening experiences and further inform valuable design features and listening flow.
Design considerations
User Interviews
To help determine a list of features to include in the AV service, 6 interviews of current users were conducted. I also was interested in analyzing the existing app and identify any core usability issues.
Key Quotes
Empathizing with users
To further understand our users' needs and behaviors, I two personas based off the user interviews and research I conducted, Alex and Jeanie. Below is Jeanie's journey, who will help me develop user-centric designs, and avoid the pitfalls for designing without an audience in mind.
Jeanie
User scenario
and Jeanie's journey map
After our research and analysis was complete,
here are the takeaways
01 Effort should be put into guiding users into selecting content they can finish based on the ETA.
02 The beginning when users are presented w/ content options and recommendations can be the most overwhelming.
03 Option to scan QR code for log-in and detailed station information can be another way for increased conversion rates.
04 Interactivity can be used to personalize the experience for users and enhance their overall feeling.
And now, take a look at
My Design Journey
User Flow Mapping
I initiated the design phase by conducting an in-depth user flow analysis. Leveraging insights gathered from my research, I brainstormed strategies to structure the flow. Managing the flow for this project presented a challenge due to various user entry points, but the aim was to ensure a cohesive experience that encouraged users to explore all features and try something new.
Design Process & Iterations
As I iterated on layout concepts, I explored ways to optimize space usage and balance to establish a coherent user direction while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing interface. Below, you'll find the complete timeline of the design iterations.
Mockup
Wireframe
Landing page
Final design
On default, filters for content were removed to prevent users from feeling overwhelmed and taking longer to make decisions. Instead, I focused on displaying the duration of each episode prominently, making it easier for users to find content based on time availability. I also made sure that episode details are more noticeable and avoided clutter in the interface.
Mockup
Wireframe
Content recommendations
Final design
I added categories for extra content to make the interface cleaner and organized. I also made the song details look more stylish by placing numbers on one side and descriptors on the other. For easy navigation, I added a "Back to Hot 100" button to backtrack. I placed the Pandora station option at the bottom, making it stand out.
Mockup
Wireframe
Hot 100 / Artist page
Final design
For a more cohesive interface, selectors for lyrics / music videos were chunked together with other controls and labels were dropped. I standardized the color of toggled buttons to a calming blue, which matches the color scheme of lyrics and other interactive elements. Lyrics have their own dedicated space, making them stand out clearly. I also made sure that the lyrics that are not in focus appear slightly faded, so users can focus better on the current lyrics.
Mockup
Wireframe
Music Videos + Lyrics
Final design
For better engagement and excitement, I added a rotating carousel with famous celebrities featured on the radio. To simplify the login process, I introduced a QR code / pin number login for existing users, which makes signing in a breeze. A "Continue as Guest" feature was added, allowing quick access to new music without any hassle.
Mockup
Wireframe
Welcome screen
01 Research on the future of AVs
AVs are the future, so I could have done more research on the forecast of entertainment trends down the line. Livestreams are predicted to become more popular in the late 2020s, so I could have incorporated those into my design. As of now, the finished product is to a 2022 SiriusXM experience.
02 Landscape analyses are important!
Designing a conceptual autonomous vehicle experience is challenging. Since there is no set shape for the screen, or type for that matter, it adds another layer to research and design. Doing a landscape analysis of AV screens and concepts OEMs have come up with would have been helpful in the first steps of the research process.
03 Design with a Northstar vision
I learned from this project the importance of designing with a Northstar vision in mind. Making every design decision to support the overall problem statement and achieve the end result is crucial. Use research to justify each pixel you move around and ground it in data.
My final thoughts
I have loved SiriusXM since I was a kid in my mom's minivan. Ideating with the experience design team and getting feedback throughout the process was a great earning experience! This project specifically helped with my mastery of Figma and furthering my UI design experience. I want to thank Simon, Marti, and Dave from the SXM family for being such a help and teaching me about UX during my internship.