Building An Experience To Validate Business Decision Making
JAUNT MOTORS
JAUNT Motors is a Melbourne based startup that wants to create a sustainable road trip tourism option across NSW & VIC.
By restoring abandoned Land Rovers….implanting electric motors….the vehicles (EV) will be placed in remote rural locations for city folk to rent, exploring Australia with a minimal carbon footprint
But they’re at a crossroads. The Electric Vehicle (EV) has consumed more time and resources than anticipated. The end-to-end journey has yet been explored!
My Role
Responsible for research strategy, client communications/managing expectations and defining opportunities through artefacts and storytelling, I led the production of all major research deliverables and assisted with the development of an IOS prototype. I worked alongside Joseph Brockelsby.
Duration - 2.5 Weeks
EV Priority Leads To Unfeasible Value Proposition
JAUNT'S CURRENT POSITION
WHAT WE KNOW
Vehicle Constraints
Range - 100km
Charging - 45min @ station
Restoration - Restitution (original 1970's spec)
Insurance Restrictions
25-65 age range
NO international drivers
30cm MAX water drive thru limit
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW
Target Market
'Hipsters'
NO 4WD enthusiast
'They just want to push it to it's limits'
- JAUNT Co-Founder
Value Proposition
'Unique' Day/WKND road trip for Sydney/Melbourne 'hipsters' to rent and Vintage EV and explore remote tracks in rural locations across NSW and VIC
BUSINESS EFFORTS
END-TO-END EXPERIENCE
EV BUILD
By not identifying their target market and articulating what makes the experience ‘unique’, JAUNT’s value proposition was not comprehensive. This led to key decision making not having credible or strategic input.
Defining the 'Unique' Experience
THE CHALLENGE - PROJECT GOALS
I created 3 main project goals focusing on Sydney/Melbourne, day/weekend road trippers to uncover a feasible value proposition and inform strategic decision making.
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Uncover road trippers’ thought processes in booking, planning and undertaking a road trip. Learn what they anticipate to be different in an EV and why.
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Discover JAUNT’s potential market niche, uncovering frustrations, expectations and motivations.
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Understand a potential end-to-end journey of what a JAUNT experience could entail, providing recommendations and opportunities to better inform decision making.
JAUNT’s co-founder drove the importance in designing a booking platform to accommodate anticipated demand with one EV.
Exposing the value of uncovering unknowns, by defining terminology like 'hipster' and 'unique', allowed the client to agree upon the goals above. It also gave us flexibility to the design phase of the project.
Emulating a JAUNT Road Trip
FIELD TRIP TO KURNELL
To gain a better understanding of what an experience entails, I designed a field trip to expose us to as many insights as possible in our short time frame. We hypothesized that we'd encounter day Road trippers with and without dependent companions (ie, children, elderly) and 4wd enthusiasts.
BOAT HARBOUR
Off-road Track
-2x 4WD enthusiasts
-1x User w/Kids
-1x User w/Companion
-1x Community Member
WESTFIELDS, MIRANDA
Charging Station
-Free 3hr parking
-45 min charge time
CAPTAIN COOK'S LANDING PLACE
Monument/Picnic Area
-2x Users w/Kids
-1x User w/Companions
WHALE WATCHING
Parking/Hiking Trail
-2x Users w/Companions
-1x User w/Parents(elderly)
-1x 4WD enthusiast
KURNELL PENINSULA, SYDNEY
KURNELL 1770 CAFE & BAKERY
Local Business
-1x User w/Companions
-1x Business Owner
The trip incorporated the following:
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INTERVIEWS
Attitudes/behaviours, motivations/considerations of road trippers
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2
CONTEXUAL INQUIRY
Observing their interactions with the environment, equipment and companions
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3
SME'S
Interviewing 4wd enthusiasts
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4
BODYSTORMING
Implementing a theoretical 100km range on our vehicle to uncover/understand considerations when planning/driving an EV trip
JAUNT only provided 1 user for an interview from their newsletter/fundraising database. 5-6 users recruited would have been ideal prior to the project kick-off. JAUNT was unaware of the value of, but after delivering a report on our findings at Kurnell, JAUNT attempted to recruit more users. Unfortunately, they were unable to do so prior to project completion.
We did notice discrepancies with their fundraising campaign placing importance on the restitution of the vintage vehicles, but lacking to inform more about the electric conversion.
Planning And Preparation Revolves Around Activities
BURDEN OF THE ORGANISER
Activities reigned as the highest motivator when organising a road trip. Anticipating what equipment/supplies to bring proved frustrating, with extensive research on the destination, awareness of companion requirements and contingencies (i.e., weather, closed areas, etc.) needing consideration through the process.
ROAD TRIP MOTIVATORS
Companions
Accommodation
Activities
62.8%
56.1%
43.3%
N=170
‘We brought the bikes for the kids, but this track is too dangerous for the little ones’
- First Time Kurnell Visitor
In interviews, this insight bled into the burden of the organiser. Those that were responsible for planning expressed frustrations with compiling and agreeing upon a destination (adequate for all parties), an itinerary fit for expectations (with contingencies) and responsibility in communicating/delegating efforts.
‘It’s like a job. You need to consider what everyone's comfortable doing.’
- Sydney Road Tripper
Opportunity To Work Within JAUNT's Constraints
COLLABORATIVE ITINERARY PLANNER
Utilising the Lego analogy; ‘building within the limitations of ‘the brick’, an opportunity presented itself to leverage off range limitations, charging stations and the day/weekend time frame.
ACTIVITIES
Great range for all user types
Reviews provide good info on planning/equipment
ITINERARY
Predominantly tour run. Itineraries are vague and require modification if partaking in multiple activities.
Iconography articulating what's inclusive.
Booking per activity, hard to organise a few in a day.
Experiences are diverse.
Reviews provide good info on what to expect
Standard 'touristy' activities.
Commission based business model - limited to partners.
Generated by date and location entry. Able to customise activities with adaptable itinerary.
Inspirock's itinerary generator and builder allow for flexibility but ferry users to external sites (partners) for booking and planning. Adopting this concept, with activities limited to fixed destinations, we must ensure;
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Flexibility with destination derived activities, ensuring there's a variety of activities for different user types.
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adequate information on what to bring and vehicle accessory limitations (possibly even providing some equipment to ease preparation efforts)
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A collaborative itinerary builder, relieving the burden of the organiser.
Hitting The Open (Limited) Road
RANGE - THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
The juxtaposition of limited range and ‘open road’ had not gone unnoticed;
‘Hitting the open road makes me feel free. I can go wherever I want...but I’ll be back at work Monday morning!’
- Sydney Road Tripper
EV CONSIDERATIONS
Capacity
Handling
Range
82.3%
43.3%
40.2%
N=170
THE SILVER LINNING - EV'S ARE SPARKING EXCITEMENT
All participants acknowledged the importance of sustainable tourism. They saw JAUNT’s solution as viable and it sparked curiosity, accepting but anticipating the change in their behaviours.
‘How do I plan around that (range)? I can’t get stuck out there with the kids!’
- Sydney Road Tripper
‘I need to know how and where to charge. How long will it take? We can do something while we wait.’
- 4WD Enthusiast
‘It’ll be interesting to drive on a track without the roaring sound of the engine’
- Sydney Road Tripper
The Adventurist, Family Planner And Time-Rich Explorer
3 DISTINCT PERSONAS
Key demographics, like age, dependents and time affordances, were recognised in interviews to suggest 3 behaviour patterns to consider. Our survey was structured to include qualification questions, so when synthesising we could validate our qual data.
Maggie (time-rich explorer) is far from a ‘hipster’. She was presented to challenge our clients perception of their target market. By articulating how the product could be applicable to this user type, JAUNT can expand upon their user base.
Focusing JAUNT's Efforts Where It Counts
AN ARTEFACT TO HELP WITH DECISION MAKING
By combining the 3 personas survey graphs on Trip and EV considerations, JAUNT can reflect on their decision making with a better informed strategy. The key takeaway here is that all current efforts are dedicated to the restitution and development of the EV, with little on the end-to-end journey.
COMBINED TRIP CONSIDERATIONS
COMBINED EV CONSIDERATIONS
Showing The Pain Points To Get The Bigger Picture
JOURNEY MAP
Our clients are visual learners, so I decided to sketch up a journey map highlighting the two main pain points associated with setting destinations and the EV in rural NSW and VIC.
COLLABORATING AND REFLECTING
PLANNING
TRAVELLING TO DESTINATION
ARRIVING AT VEHICLE
ACTIVITIES WITH COMPANIONS
LIMITED EXPLORATION - RANGE
DRIVING ON REMOTE TRACKS
Meeting Expectations With Pre-planned Options
PREPARATION AND PLANNING
5 USERS
Pre-Planned Trips
All users appreciated pre-planned trips based on different groups/activities. They understood that they could modify the itinerary and customise the trip if needed.
3 USERS
What If I Don't Have The Gear?
Users appreciated a list of gear to bring, but expressed the desire to rent/buy some specialised gear (like fishing rods) if they didn’t have them.
JAUNT could make partnerships with local suppliers, or provide an option to rent/buy specialised gear.
4 USERS
Curious About The EV
In our first iteration, users queried the EV’s features. We included this in the final iteration.
Users expressed delight with the ability to customise the EV. It also gave assurance with equipment/planning.
In further iterations, toggle buttons can be replaced with checkboxes, as users struggled to select one toggle without interfering with the other.
5 USERS
No Hidden Fees
Pricing was a concern with users in the first iteration, explaining how added fees (taxes, service fees, etc) are added along the payment process.
Users were excited about the grand total being displayed on this page, along with added payment options to assist with collaborative payment methods.
Inviting Someone To Take A JAUNT
COLLABORATION
Possibly the most exciting feature for our users! They expressed;
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efficiencies in planning and preparation
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ease of compromising with activities and the itinerary
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avoiding the burden of a sole organiser
Users want to message each other. The next iteration could include a chat icon to link to a dedicated messaging group in Messenger or WhatsApp, to save on costs.
Itinerary Planner Evolution
BUILDING ASSURANCES
FIRST ITERATION
4 USERS
Charging Stations
The charging card (fixed by calculation) was warmly received by users. Partaking in an activity while waiting to charge delighted all users, defying pre-conceptions of range limitations.
SECOND ITERATION
5 USERS
It's Tricky To Customise
The toggle buttons are frustrating. Future iterations need to include an add button and a delete button on the card. The click and drag function of rearranging an itinerary tested well, but could use a tutorial.
4 USERS
Comfort With Range
The petrol bowser (ironically) proved the greatest visual indicator of charge for the vehicle. The linear timeline behind cards sufficiently articulated the anticipated drive time.
Flexibility In Booking
SUPPLY CAN MEET DEMAND
Based on location, a calendar highlighting date availability was clear for users. During testing, I stumbled upon a previous insight not fully addressed; booking with companions. From testing, I revised the user flow chart to accommodate for this.
Decision Making Impacts Suitable Technologies
NATIVE OR WEB APP DEPENDS ON EV TECHNOLOGIES
The prototype's intention was to articulate a ‘unique’ experience, highlighting solutions for users' pains and accelerating their gains.
Engineers leaned towards a Native App, due to concerns of cellular coverage in rural locations. JAUNT needs to decide destinations and EV technologies to better understand what features are viable.
Our recommendation is to keep destinations close to city centers, like Kurnell, to meet with users' needs and expectations. If doing so, a Web App is more feasible, incorporating a lower development cost, car connectivity and easier maintenance.
Learnings
ONBOARDING CLIENTS EARLY
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NEVER ASSUME THE VALUE OF UX IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE
On project kick off I wrongfully assumed that our clients had been prepped and educated on the value of UX for the business. It proved extremely difficult to maintain project progression while educating clients simultaneously.
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HITTING THE GROUND...TRIPPING
Unfortunately, our clients didn’t recruit users prior to project commencement. After my report on Kurnell findings, they attempted to acquiring resources and crucial information (like users, insurance policies, design assets, technical vehicle constraints). This proved overwhelming for our clients, leading to a lack of motivation to maintain engagement as they felt they couldn’t keep up.
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BE INVOLVED AT THE START OF THE JOURNEY
This was a main drive for me to develop and refine a better onboarding process with clients. Establishing business objectives across multiple stakeholders, developing project goals in mind of scope, and acquiring necessary resources (like users) are all factors that improved the productivity of future works.
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GAIN TRANSPARENCY ON BUSINESS DIRECTION
Unfortunately, JAUNT made a substantial investment into second hand Telsa batteries prior to presenting major deliverables. Some transparency here with our client would be great. Our research deliverables could’ve better informed this purchase decision.
JAUNT has secured a destination close to a city center and partnered with a winery to further test the vehicle and refine the experience.