Product Design
Duration
Sept 2023 - Apr 2024
Role
Product Designer
Team
Group of 4 designers, Toyota software engineers
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
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User research
What kind of research methods did our team implement to understand our project area better?
Because it was our first time navigating through the automobile user experience space, our team decided to start our user research process by first understanding the trailer hitching process. Since no one on our team has hitched a trailer before, our insights from learning this process will be essential to designing the automobile application, as they allow us to pinpoint the pain points for new users.
Paper Research
Understanding how the trailer hitching process differs for users, weight as an element, and step-by-step instruction
User Interviews
Divided into two categories: beginner users and pro users. Included questions on logistics and image association exercise
U-Haul Observations
Learning from U-Haul managers how the trailer hitch process works step-by-step and understanding customer needs
User INTERVIEW
We interviewed 9 car owners in total — 3 beginner trailer hitchers and 6 pro trailer hitchers
Interviewers ranged from students whose family owns cars, but have never personally hitched trailers before to business owners who hitch trailers on the daily to move big loads of inventory. Getting a range of experience is important as we are able to pinpoint three painpoints for users while hitching trailers.
Towing Safety Checklist
"I check my safety chain every time… It’s a fear of mine that the trailer will come loose."
Weight and Capacity
"I always worry about whether I’m within the towing capacity."
Equipment Compatibility
"Found it difficult where the hook up was actually made to attach and act as a closed loop."
Persona
We identified 3 primary user groups with different confidence levels and guidance needs.
These personas helped us translate broad research findings into specific design objectives.
User flow
After defining the main design requirements, we moved on to drafting our exact user flow.
The user flow maps the step-by-step process drivers would follow when using the trailer hitching guidance application, from initial setup to final alignment confirmation. It helped us identify where users may need clearer instructions, visual feedback, and reassurance during the hitching process. This flow guided the structure of the interface by ensuring each step supported safe and precise trailer alignment.
Final designs
Our team presented the final project poster at the UMich School of Information Exposition.
The team presented the final project at the University of Michigan School of Information Exposition and won first prize for the UMSI BSI Capstone Final Project award. Detailed wireframes and the prototype remain protected under NDA.
