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DESIGNED AROUND YOU

User Friendly Replenishment of Washer Fluid

Hampus Brorsson- Pierre

Kristoffer Åhlund

Industrial Design Engineering, masters level 2017

Luleå University of Technology

Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences

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Master of Science in Industrial Design Engineering Civilingenjörsexamen i Teknisk design

Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences Institutionen för Ekonomi, Teknik och Samhälle

Luleå University of Technology/Luleå tekniska universitet

DEsigned around you

User Friendly Replenishment of Washer Fluid

Hampus Brorsson-Pierre & Kristoffer Åhlund 2017 Supervisors/Handledare: Peter Törlind (LTU)

& Mattias Paulsson (Volvo Cars)

Examiner/Examinator: Åsa Wikberg Nilsson

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Master of Science Thesis

DESIGNED AROUND YOU: User Friendly Replenishment of Washer Fluid

Master of Science Thesis in Industrial Design Engineering – Product Design and Development

© Hampus Brorsson-Pierre & Kristoffer Åhlund Cover Photo: Kristoffer Åhlund

All illustrations and photos belong to the authors if nothing else is stated.

Published and distributed by Luleå University of Technology SE–971 87 Luleå, Sweden

Telephone: + 46 (0) 920 49 00 00 Printed in Luleå Sweden by

Luleå University of Technology Reproservice Luleå, 2017

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to thank everyone that have been involved with the project and helped us complete our master thesis, in Industrial Design Engineering, at Volvo Cars.

At Volvo Cars we want to first and foremost thank Mattias Paulsson, our supervisor at Volvo Cars, for his effort of always finding the time to support us. A huge thanks to Claes Jansson for letting us use and instructing us on the Formlabs 3D-printer. We would also like to thank the co- workers at Cleaning Systems that participated in the dot-voting meeting. Another thank you to Pär Ferm, for letting us use a part of his workshop to build our prototypes. We would like to thank all the employees at Volvo Cars who took time to help us with interviews, materials and other things we needed.

Thank you to Peter Törlind, our supervisor at Luleå University of Technology, for supporting our work and given us feedback to steer us in the right direction when needed. We also want to thank all the people that have taken the time to answer our survey and helped us with other things.

Last but not least, we would like to thank the most important people, our girlfriends and families, for always having our backs and supporting us when times have been rough.

Hampus & Kristoffer

Luleå, February 2017

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KEYWORDS: User centered design, washer fluid, industrial design engineering, user friendly, usability,

automotive design

abstract

This master thesis concerns the development of a refilling position and solution, for washer fluid. As well as a study and development of the use of a secondary washer fluid for winter and summer use. The focus of this work, however, has been on the development of the regular washer fluid with regards to creating a user-friendly ergonomic solution with a premium feel, that improves the user experience and simplifies the refilling process for the user.

The automotive industry today is constantly evolving and always strive to improve their products in most areas when it comes to the environment and their clients, etc. Despite this, the process of refilling washer fluid has not been de- veloped in the modern automotive history. The refilling of washer fluid today, looks the same as it ”always” has done.

This takes place under hood in a small dirty compartment, with a relatively small tube opening where the user must aim the washer fluid when pouring. To get there, the user must carry out several unnecessary steps to get under the bonnet, where the user does not necessarily have anything to do. This, even though other areas around the washer fluid has evolved a lot, in terms of wiper blades and washer fluid nozzles.

The work is done with Volvo Cars Cooperation as clients.

Volvo Cars is a Swedish car manufacturer that manufactures passenger cars, which they have done since 1927, when the company started. They are aiming to become the world’s most modern and attractive premium car brand, a leader in innovation and people-centered development. They strive to make the life easier and more enjoyable for their users.

Since Volvo has the intention to always improve their pro- ducts to their users and make life easier for them, this pro- ject has used a human-centered design process. The work was done together with the demands and requests from the involved departments at Volvo Cars as well as customer sur- veys and interviews with mechanics. To find a solution that satisfies all stakeholders and Standards it required an itera- tive approach and design work.

The work resulted in two concepts where both ordinary and secondary washer fluid can be filled, these prototypes were made and built into a Volvo XC60, 3D renderings of these, as well as an interface for the secondary washer fluid. These solutions have made the process of refilling washer easier with less steps for the and gives a feeling of a premium and innovative solution.

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NYCKELORD: Användarcentrerad design, spolarvätska, teknisk design, användarvänlighet, användbarthet, bildesign

sammanfattning

Detta examensarbete handlar om utvecklingen av en på- fyllningsposition-och lösning för spolarvätska, samt en un- dersökning och utveckling av användandet av en sekundär spolarvätska för vinter-och sommaranvändning. Fokus i det- ta arbete har dock legat på utvecklingen av den vanliga spo- larvätskan med avseende på att skapa en användarvänlig ergonomisk lösning med premium känsla som förbättrar an- vändarupplevelsen och som också underlättar påfyllningen för användaren.

Bilindustrin idag utvecklas hela tiden och strävar hela tiden efter att förbättra deras produkter för miljön och deras kun- der m.m. inom de flesta områden. Trots detta har processen för att fylla på spolarvätska inte utvecklats någonting under den moderna bilens historia. Påfyllningen av spolarvätska ser idag likadan ut som den ”alltid” har gjort. Den sker under motorhuven i ett trångt smutsigt utrymme, i en förhållande- vis liten rörmynning som användaren måste pricka med väts- kan. För att komma dit måste användaren genomföra flera egentligen onödiga steg, för att ta sig in under motorhuven där hen nödvändigtvis inte har något att göra. Funktionen av andra områden kring spolarvätska har dock utvecklats myck- et, i form av torkarblad och spolarvätskemunstycken.

Arbetet är genomfört med Volvo Cars Cooperation som upp- dragsgivare. Volvo Cars är en svensk biltillverkare som idag tillverkar personbilar vilket dom gjort sedan 1927, då företa- get startade. Dom siktar på att bli världens modernaste och attraktiva premium bilmärke, ledande inom innovation och människocentrerad utveckling. Dom satsar på att göra livet lättare och mer njutbart för deras användare.

Då Volvo har avsikten att alltid förbättra deras produkter för användarna och göra livet lättare för dem, så har detta projekt använt en människocentrerad designprocess. Detta tillsammans med krav och önskemål from dom berörda par- terna på Volvo Cars samt kundundersökningar och intervjuer med mekaniker. För att finna en lösning som tillfredsställer alla berörda parter och standarder krävdes ett iterativt ar- betssätt och designarbete.

Arbetet resulterade i, två koncept där både vanlig-och se- kundärspolarvätska kan fyllas på, av dessa gjordes proto- typer och byggdes in på en Volvo XC60, 3D renderingar av dessa samt ett gränssnitt för den sekundära spolarvätskan.

Dessa lösningar har skapat en process med färre steg för användare vid påfyllning av spolarvätska samt ger en känsla av premium och innovation.

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1 Introduction

2 Theoretical framework

3 method and implementation

4 result

5 discussion and conclusion

6 references

BACKGROUND 2

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3

OBJECTIVE AND AIMS 3

PROJECT SCOPE 3

THESIS OUTLINE 4

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ENGINEERING 7

USER CENTERED DESIGN 7

ERGONOMICS 7

USER EXPERIENCE 9

CRAFTSMANSHIP 11

VOLVO DESIGN PREREQUISITES 11

PROCESS 13

PLANNING 13

RESEARCH 15

IDEATION 20

IMPLEMENTATION 22

FINALIZATION 25

METHOD DISCUSSION 29

RESULT OF PLANNING 31

RESEARCH 31

IDEATION 39

IMPLEMENTATION 42

FINALIZATION 45

FINAL RESULTS 47

PROTOTYPES 53

DISCUSSING THE FINAL RESULT 56

PROJECT RELEVANCE 57

OUR DESIGN PROCESS 57

OBJECTIVES AND AIMS 57

ANSWERING THE

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 58

RECOMMENDATIONS 60

LIST OF LITERATURE 62

CONTENT

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Appendices

Appendix A - Appendix b - Appendix c - Appendix D - Appendix e - Appendix f - Appendix g - Appendix h - Appendix i - Appendix j - Appendix k - Appendix l - Appendix m - Appendix n - Appendix o - Appendix p -

MIND MAP

STAKEHOLDER MAPPING

SERVICE MECHNICS QUESTIONS INSPIRATION POSTERS, IDEATION SKETCH TEMPLATES

BENCHMARKING, PUSH TO OPEN

INSPIRATION POSTER, IMPLEMENTATION STAKEHOLDERS

PERSONA

REPLENISHMENT STEPS RULA

SURVEY COMPILED SURVEY TOTAL

SPECIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS BRAINSTORMING

MORPHOLOGICAL MATRIX

1p

1p

1p

3p

1p

1p

2p

6p

2p

1p

3p

3p

16p

1p

10p

2p

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List of Figures

Figure 1 - Mind Map 1

Figure 2 - Vitruvian man, Hans Bernhard (2008) 8 Figure 3 - Anthropometrics Hand 8 Figure 4 - Communication channels 9 Figure 5 - Washer Fluid symbols, ISO 2575:2010 10

Figure 6 - Pyramid of response 10

Figure 7 - Color advantages/disadvantages 11

Figure 8 - The Levitt Rings 11

Figure 9 - The design process 13

Figure 10 - Mind Map 14

Figure 11 - The XC90, Volvo Cars 15 Figure 12 - The Torslanda Tour, Volvo Cars 16 Figure 13 - Stake Holder Mapping 17 Figure 14 - Paper version of the survey 19 Figure 15 - Example of a sketch template 20 Figure 16 - Post-it with a summary of a

chosen criteria 21

Figure 17 - Volvo Engineers discussing

the concepts 21

Figure 18 - Close up on a two point post-it note 22 Figure 19 - The Volvo XC60, Volvo Cars 22 Figure 20 - Benchmarking at IKEA Bäckebol 23 Figure 21 - Drawing the extended hatch 23 Figure 22 - Early 3D-printed model 23

Figure 23 - Pouring tests 24

Figure 24 - The 3D-printed hinge concept 25 Figure 25 - CAD modeling in Alias Autostudio 25 Figure 26 - Paper mock-up of the

hinge construction 26

Figure 27 - The V90 Interior, Volvo Cars 26 Figure 28 - The grill being processed

at the workshop 26

Figure 29 - Reducing the size of the runner by saw 27 Figure 30 - Spray painting a processed

3D-printed part 27

Figure 31 - Implementation work 28 Figure 32 - Sealed Refilling System,

ISO 22241-4:2009 31

Figure 33 - The Stakeholder for the Design team 32

Figure 34 - Persona Angela 33

Figure 35 - Replenishment Steps 33

Figure 36 - RULA result 33

Figure 37 - Page two in the survey summary 34 Figure 38 - Survey result, frequency of

washing windshield due to insects 35 Figure 39 - Survey result, cost of

secondary washer fluid 35

Figure 40 - Survey result, summary 36 Figure 41 - Specification of Requirements 38

Figure 42 - Inspiration Posters 39

Figure 43 - A summary of sketches from

the brainstorming focusing on position 40 Figure 44 - An early stage of the

morphological matrix 40

Figure 45 - Morphological Matrix 40 Figure 46 - The concept with the highest score 41 Figure 47 - The visionary concept 41 Figure 48 - The concept with the second

highest score 41

Figure 49 - VW Golf GTE Charging port 42 Figure 50 - VW Passat GTE Charging port 42 Figure 51 - Tesla Model X Charging port,

www.wikipedia.com 42

Figure 52 - Tesla Model S Charging port,

www.wikipedia.com 42

Figure 53 - Increased HLC Hatch 43 Figure 54 - Pour Test of concept 43 Figure 55 - Pour Test of concept 43 Figure 56 - Pour Test of concept 43 Figure 56 - Pour test on curved surface 43 Figure 58 - Clear Sight Development 44 Figure 59 - All parts of both concepts

before processed 46

Figure 60 - The push-to-open rail

before modifications 45

Figure 61 - The push-to-open rail

after modificationst 45

Figure 62 - The 3D-printed ”chrome list” 45 Figure 63 - The upper and lower part of the hinge 45 Figure 64 - Filling pipe connector 46 Figure 65 - The front of the emblem concept 46 Figure 66 - The ”upper cylinder” which is mounted

on the grill 46

Figure 67 - Cylinder with pouring surface 46 Figure 68 - The Emblem Concept openened 47 Figure 69 - The whole car with the

Emblem Concept openened 47

Figure 70 - The Volvo emblem 47

Figure 71 - Collage of renderings 48 Figure 72 - The whole car with the opened hatch 49 Figure 73 - The opened hatch in the grill 49 Figure 74 - The refilling module’s interface 49 Figure 75 - Collage of renderings 50

Figure 76 - Clear Sight symbol 51

Figure 77 - The Clear SightTM construction 51 Figure 78 - The Clear SightTM container position 51 Figure 79 - The Clear SightTM container 51 Figure 80 - Temperature notification 52 Figure 81 - Volvo On Call functions 52 Figure 82 - The emblem prototype closed 53 Figure 83 - Demonstrating the Emblem prototype 53 Figure 84 - Both prototypes being demonstrated 53 Figure 85 - The Grill prototype opened 53 Figure 86 - Both prototypes opened 53 Figure 87 - Collage of prototypes 54

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INtroduction

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2

1 INTRODUcTION

During the modern cars history, the use and replenish of washer fluid have almost always looked the same. The re- filling has been done under the bonnet straight down the washer fluids plastic container. Today the demand for cars in the premium segment has increased, and to be honest, locating all the levers, open opening the bonnet and mes- sing around in a dirty incommodious compartment doesn’t feel particularly premium, right?

Another aspect is the fast development of “self-driving cars”, the so called “Autonomous Drive (AD)” cars. With this tech- nology, the number of cameras and sensors will increase even more, and for the system to work, the sensors and ca- meras most perform impeccably every millisecond. This will result in a higher usage of washer fluid, and as a side effect, it will force customers to replenish washer fluid more often.

If that still doesn’t convince you, think about how most pro- ducts today strive to be as “easy to use” as possible and how more and more products are developed to make our lives more comfortable. It is inevitable that a more refined, easy-accessible and user-friendly solution for refilling was- her fluid should enter the market.

The current project is conducted as a master thesis for the program Industrial Design Engineering, in the course D7014A at Luleå University of Technology (LTU). The cour- se covers 30 Swedish university credits, which is equal to 20 weeks of fulltime work. The project is conducted in Go- thenburg for Volvo Cars during the fall of 2016.

1.1 BACKGROUND

The automotive industry is continually improving its pro- ducts regarding their, customers, environment, suppliers etc.

Volvo Cars aims to be the world’s most modern and attrac- tive luxury vehicle brand, leading in car innovations and with humans in the center of development. They always strive to make life less complicated and more enjoyable for their customers.

Despite this constant evolvement in the industry, the reple- nishment of washer fluid is something that has been practi- cally standing still for the past 50 years. Today on most car models, the refill of washer fluid takes place under the car hood in a nozzle connected to the container holding the fluid. But to get there, the driver usually must find and pull a lever located in the driver’s leg compartment, then step out of the car, walk to the car hood and locate a latch which allows the driver to open the hood. Finally, the driver must locate where the replenishment should take place, before unscrewing the lid and refilling.

Other fluids that require replenishment under the hood in- cludes engine oil, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid etc. However, these fluids don’t need to be replenished as often as the washer fluid and is usually changed during scheduled services. On today’s cars, there are also big plas- tic casings that covers large parts of the engine, which is a

result of the decreasing need of doing car services yourself.

When looking at what will come next in terms of the auto- motive industry, autonomous driving is a widely-discussed topic and it is currently being developed to launch in a near future. The technology will lead to an increased use of was- her fluid since the car itself will control when to use the was- her fluid and it will always strive for optimal vision. This will result in more frequent replenishments of washer fluid from the driver due to the increased usage. It is also more and more common that washer fluid is available on gas stations in the same way as fuel is, through regular pumps. This has further increased the need of a solution similar to how you replenish fuel today.

This, together with Volvo Cars vision to make things less complicated for their customers, are reasons enough to re- duce the number of steps to refill washer fluid and make things easier for the customers.

The washer fluids main function is to clean the car’s front and rear windshield as well as the headlights. The fluid will dissolve road salts, grime films, impurities and other tem- porary dirt impairing the vision. There are different kinds of washer fluids where the most common one is in a concen- trated form that requires the driver to mix it together with water. There is also pre-mixed washer fluid that can be bought and directly poured into the container.

Regular washer fluid contains substances that provides it with an anti-freeze protection, which prevents the fluid from freezing during the winter. There is also another version of washer fluid without alcohol that is common to use during the summer. The lack of alcohol results in the fluid losing its freezing protection, but instead it is gentler to the car’s sur- faces with a more pleasant smell. The problem is however the lack of freezing protection which can lead to major pro- blems if the fluid is not replaced before the temperature drops below zero.

There are solutions under development on the market today that includes a secondary washer fluid, which would primari- ly be used for removal of insects/sticky dirt or for defrosting the window. Volvo have solutions for defrosting windows to- day through electric-heated windows or fuel heaters, but in a future with only electric cars it might not be enough. The removal of bugs stuck on the windshield is something that Volvo Cars have no solution for today and therefore are in- terested in finding out if there is an existing need, and if so, how a possible solution for a secondary washer fluid could look like.

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1.2 Research Questions

The research questions for the project have been divided into two separate parts. The first part addresses the position and the construction of the replenishment while the second part concerns the possible need for a secondary washer fluid and how a possible solution could look like. The final concept is expected to be a combination of answers from both parts.

Replenishment of Washer Fluid:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Secondary Washer Fluid:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.3 Objective and aims

The project aim is to develop a solution that facilitates and improve the replenishment of washer fluid on Volvo Cars vehicles by offering an easier and intuitive way to do it. The project objectives have been divided into two part objectives who are described below.

Objective 1:

The project will result in a concept that enables replenish- ment of washer fluid without opening the car hood. The po- sition of replenishment as well as the interface where the user fill refill will be ergonomic, intuitive and user friendly.

Objective 2:

The master thesis shall also establish if there is an existing need for a secondary washer fluid, and if so, develop a so- lution that can be integrated into the concept in objective 1.

Outcome target:

The final solution will facilitate for those who replenishes washer fluid by providing an easier and more convenient way to refill. The solution will also give better vision as well as a convenient way to defreeze the front window using a secondary washer fluid.

Mission statement:

The mission statement below will follow through the enti- re project to communicate the purpose and mindset of the project.

“We will create a concept where the replenishment of was- her fluid is conducted in a user friendly and ergonomic way that meets Volvo Cars requirements in design, safety, ergo- nomics while feeling premium. The concept shall also offer a convenient use of a secondary washer fluid that facilitates driving during summer as well as winter“.

1.4 Project scope

The project is conducted as a master thesis by two students during the fall of 2016 and will progress for 20 weeks on full time, which is equal to 800 hours/students.

Due to the limited time and extent of the project, some limi- tations have been set regarding the scope. These limitations have been decided together with Volvo and is presented below.

- The project group will not conduct any measurements re- garding flow, pressure or other factors that is affected by the elevation of the chosen position. The elevation of the position will however be an important factor when evaluating the concepts since it is important that the final solution have a reasonable elevation.

- The distribution of the fluids through pumps, hoses or si- milar, will not be included in the concept development. In the same way, the project group will not go into detail on the construction (looking at container and nozzles etc.), instead the major focus will lie on how the overall concept of reple- nishment can be constructed from a user-friendly perspec- tive

- The process will not include any structural- or FEM-analy- ses on the concept construction due to the earlier mentio- ned main focus.

- The project will not include a deep study into materials and their properties. This will instead be sought within the inter- nal competence of Volvo when it comes to choosing suitable materials for the construction.

- The project will not examine different washer fluids and compare their performance with each other. The fluids will instead be defined as one primary washer fluid and one se- condary washer fluid with no further studies on their proper- ties.

Where should the replenishment take place to be ergonomically optimal for the user?

How can the replenishment be designed to work intuitively and “hassle free”?

How can the construction be designed to reduce the risk of spilling?

How should the interface of the replenishment look like to prevent confusion and minimize mistakes?

Where should the replenishment be placed to pass Volvo Cars design requirements?

Is there a position of replenishment that would work on all Volvo Cars models?

Is there an existing need for a secondary washer fluid?

How should the interface be designed to separate the different fluids?

How should the replenishment of the secondary washer fluid work?

How can the secondary fluid container look like?

Is there a need for feedback regarding washer fluid-levels or -concentration?

How shall the customers obtain the secondary washer fluid?

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4

1.5 Thesis outline

The project report is divided into four different chapters, where each chapter’s content is presented below to provide the reader with a quick and foreseeable view of the report.

The first chapter includes the background, theoretical fra- mework and will describe theory about industrial design engineering, human-centered design, usability and user ex- perience. It will also present theory that is more specifically connected to project areas such as ergonomics (both phy- sical and cognitive), semiotics, colors and automotive crafts- manship.

The second chapter will describe the methodology of the project and the theory behind each method. This will be fol- lowed by the third chapter which includes the results from each method and stage during the process, as well as the final result.

The report’s final chapters will cover discussions and reflec- tion where both the methodology of the project as well as the final result is discussed and reflected over. They will also answer the initial research questions that is presented in the introduction of the report.

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Theoretical framework

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6

2 Theoretical framework

The areas of the theoretical framework are based upon the mind map which is divided into two major areas; Function and Experience, this can be seen below in fgure 1 and in ap- pendix A. The Function area is mostly focused on the actual construction of a solution while the Experience area focuses on the interface and user experience. They are both connec- ted through Ergonomics and Design.

The theoretical framework topics is mostly connected to the Experience part of the map and will focus areas such as user-centered design, user experience, usability, HMI and ergonomics as well as theory that can help develop an in- tuitive and attractive interface using colors, semiotics and gestalt theory. The information that connects to the Function area is mostly gathered at Volvo Cars through interviews and internal documents.

Figure 1 - Mind Map

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2.1 Industrial design engineering

According to Persson (2016), where PD stands for product development “The driving forces in PD are: Technology, Mar- ket and Society. Ecological, economic and social sustaina- bility require recycling, reuse, energy conservation and new business concept”. Product development is a mix that com- bines both so called hard properties (engineering) and soft properties (industrial design), if you mix those two areas you can clearly see the ground that Industrial Design Engine- ering is built upon.

Persson (2016) also states that there are some cultural differences between engineering and industrial design but both have become an integrated part in product develop- ment. This has brought a relatively new academic discipline, where you do applied research within engineering design and product development. This differs from the traditional engineering science which have had a narrow focus on ma- terials strength, rigid body mechanics etc. Pure design on the other hand can be very broad and “unspecific” with a lot of solutions.

Some of the areas that industrial designers work with is form, color, aesthetics, but they also work with tactile and haptic perception, semiotics and anything that affects our senses as well as ergonomics and user interface. Universities all over the world has begun more in recent years to educate student in this way, you could call it a bridge between the engineer and industrial design disciplines. Smets and Over- beeke (1994) also states that industrial design engineers are both engineering designers and aesthetics designers and the importance to have this “bridge”.

2.2 User Centered Design

User-centered design (UCD) is a broad term to describe a process in which end-users influence how a design takes shape. It is both a design philosophy and a variety of methods to use in the design process. (Abras, Maloney-Krichmar &

Preece, 2004)

The term originated in Donald Norman’s research labora- tory at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and spread to common usage after Norman published a co-au- thored book entitled: User-Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction (Norman &

Draper, 1986)

To further build on his UCD ideas of placing the user at the center of the design process, Norman wrote The Psychology of Everyday Things (1988) where he discusses the needs and interests of the users and focuses on usability in design.

Norman (1988) gives four basic suggestions to use when developing the design:

- Make it easy to determine what actions are possible at any moment.

- Make things visible, including the conceptual model of the system, the alternative actions and the results of actions.

- Make it easy to evaluate the current state of the system.

- Follow natural mappings between intentions and the requi- red actions; between actions and the resulting effect; and

2.3 Ergonomics

Ergonomics is a science containing fields that involve in- formation about people e.g., anthropometry, biomechanics, psychology, physiology, anatomy and psychophysics. When working with ergonomics you study human capabilities, li- mitations and characteristics and learn how to apply this information on the product you are developing. The goal is to design a product/solution that will meet and exceed the customer’s expectations and achieve the standards needed (Hägg et al., 2008).

Bhise (2012) describes the importance of ergonomics in a list following below:

1. When designing products ergonomically it should meet the needs of the people.

2. A product should be able to be used with minimal mental and/or physical effort.

3. It should be easy to learn.

4. Usability problems can quickly be noticed.

5. Ergonomic products are mostly more efficient and safer.

Bhise also created an ergonomics summary chart which in- cludes subjects that should be taken in consideration during ergonomic oriented projects.

1. Grouping, association, and expected locations

between the information that is visible and the interpretation of the system state.

The major advantage of UCD is that a deeper understanding of the users emerges from their involvement in the different stages of the product. It assures that the product will be su- itable for its intended purpose in the environment it is sup- posed to be used. The major disadvantage is that it can be costly and time consuming due to the data gathering from and about the users. (Abras et.al., 2004)

Robert (2003) defined four different levels of participation that the user can have in the UCD-process:

- Informative: The users participate through inter- views, observations or surveys so that the designers can define the product requirements. The user’s involvement is at the beginning of the process with a low involvement and for a short period of time with no participation in decisions.

- Consultative: The users help evaluate the product through walkthroughs and usability tests. The user’s involve- ment is low to medium, for short times during the process and with no participation in decisions.

- Participative: The users participate in designing the product with a high involvement, for a long period of time and is part of the decision making.

- Designer: The user designs the product for his/her own usage. This is according to Robert (2003) common for sophisticated tools used in research.

The project was planned as a UCD-process with a consulta- tive participation level where the users were to evaluate the concepts but the decisions were to be taken together with Volvo Cars alone

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2.3.1 Anthropometrics

Human proportions have interested man throughout time, where Leonardo da Vinci’s (1452 -1519) ‘Vitruvian Man’ is one of the most famous images used to visualize/illustrate the subject (figure 2). Anthropometry is namely the doctrine about the human body’s measurements and specifically the measurements of body size, shape, strength and working capacity. It is an important branch of ergonomics that help match the physical shape and dimensions of a product with its intended users. (S. Pheasant. 1996), (M. Bohgard et al., 2008)

DESIGN FOR ALL

It is important to quantify the size, shape and length of pe- ople when striving for harmony between people and their environments (ISO 7250-1:2010). The replenishment of washer fluid is something that the owner or driver easily should be able to do regardless of size, shape or length. De- sign for all is therefore an important guideline to use during the current project.

Design for all is a term used when designing with the 5th to the 95th percentile. The 5th percentile is the 5% of the population with the smallest measurement and the 95th percentile is 95% of the population with the largest mea- surement (Hägg, Ericson and Odenrick 2008). See figure 3 for an example from Bhise (2012) on how to design a door handle in consideration of the 5th to the 95th percentile.

1.The door handles height should be able to be grasped by

2.3.2 HMI/HMS

HMI is the design considerations which applies when user interfaces are created and are related to or involve such disciplines as psychology and ergonomics. Bhise (2012) claims that the controls and displays in a car are the interfa- ce between the driver and the vehicle and that the problems that can occur when designing those are to be regarded as a human-machine interface problem.

According to Osvalder and Ulfvengren (2008) Human machine system (HMS), is an interaction system between humans and computers i.e. humans and computer work to- gether, complementing each other. When a HMS works pro- perly it can increase the wellbeing of the user and decrease the risks of accidents happening. If an accident would occur, the easy way is to blame the user, but when looked into you can often find out that the source of the accident was a poorly executed system.

When creating a user interface, the design is related to or involving disciplines such as ergonomics and psychology.

When talking about psychology in this area you could call it engineering psychology and it is emphasizing areas such as cognitive abilities, condition and limitations when it comes to processing information and making decisions (Danielsson, 2001). You could say that engineering psychology is the in- terface between psychologists and engineers. (Department of Behavioral sciences and Leadership, United States Mili- tary Academy, 2012-2013)

Communication between a user and a product’s interface mainly happens through three channels connected to hu- man senses: visual-, auditory- and haptic senses. Each of these channels have several important design parameters to take in consideration when developing an interface (figure 4) (M. Bohgard et al., 2008).

Figure 2 - Vitruvian man, Hans Bernhard, 2008

Figure 3 - Anthropometrics Hand

the short 5th percentile woman, without her having to raise her hand above her shoulder. The door handles height for the tall 95th percentile male should be in a position so that he doesn’t have to bend down to be able to grasp it i.e. it should not be lower than his standing wrist height.

2. The room for handles or pull cups should have enough space for insertion of four fingers of the 95th percentile man’s palm size (with consideration of the width of the palm and fingers and the fingers thickness). For winter use, gloved hands must be taken in consideration (with additional cle- arances), also additional clearances for avoiding scratches should be considered.

2. Identification labeling

3. Graphics legibility and illumination 4. Understandability/interpretability 5. Maximum- and minimum-reach distance 6. Control area, clearance, and grasping 7. Control movements, efforts and operability

Ergonomics is a highly important area in the automotive en- gineering industry and especially in a UCD-process since it focuses on developing knowledge of user interaction. It therefore plays a major role in the project.

Hand breadth at metacarpals

Description: Projected distane between radial and ulnar metacarpals at the level of the metacarpal heads from the second to the fifth metacarpal.

Method: Subject holds forearm horizontal with hand stretched out flat, palm up Instrument: Sliding caliper

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Visual Auditory Haptic Size

Contrast Color Luminance Shape Movement

Sound Level Pitch Frequency Language Melody

Temperature (Heat transfer) Weight

Surface Structure Overall Shape Size

Gripping Range Torsional Stiffness Vibrations

Friction Force Pressure

The communication between the washer fluid replenish- ment construction and the person doing the actual refilling is a typical example of HMI. The replenishment construction will communicate to the user through an interface contai- ning one or more of the channels above and is therefore important to take into consideration when developing the interface.

2.4 User Experience

User experience is described in the following citation by Al- ben (1996) “All the aspects of how people use an interactive product: the way it feels in their hands, how well they under- stand how it works, how they feel about it while they’re using it, how well it serves their purposes and how well it fits into the entire context in which they are using it”.

Bhise (2012) claims that people always seek to conserve energy and reduce effort and gives examples of features such as remote key fobs, power windows, power mirrors that reduce the number of movements and force extensions from the driver.

Boy (2011) proposes that UX is dependent of four basic elements. It centers on the User, who interacts with a Sys- tem when doing an Activity in a specific Context (USAC).

The User is where the experience takes place. It is ultimate- ly personal since each user will have a unique background, affecting the experience in terms of interests, goals, values, needs and expectations.

The System will convey the interaction with the user and is expected to have several basic qualities such as: appropriate functionality, reliability, usability etc. that contributes to the user experience.

The Activity is the conducted interaction with the system.

It’s important to specify the activity context in terms of loca- tion, time pressure, social interactions and so forth. It is also essential to take the related activities into account, to make sure the product delivers a positive UX. A good example of this is a camera with the central activity to take photos, while also having the related activity in sharing the pictures, char- ging the battery etc.

The Context affects all the other elements through larger

human and environmental factors such as cultural, political, linguistic, economic or environmental. Boy (2011) gives an example on how it is expected that the design of a new product considers the whole life cycle including the disposal of the parts.

2.4.1 Usability

According to Soares et al. (2012) usability refers to how easy or hard a product is to understand and use. Usability originated when visual displays started being common in products, nowadays the meaning of usability has multiplied.

The most accepted formulation of usability was created in the standard ISO 9241-11: “the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.” This standard can help you identify the ne- cessary information needed to evaluate and specify usabi- lity in terms of user performance and satisfaction (Bevan, 2001).

Bevan (2001) also states that a lot of international stan- dards that have been conducted in user-centered design and user-interface design over the years. When the stan- dards about HCI and usability were published, you could divide them into two categories: those with general recom- mendations and principles, and those with detailed specifi- cations. This was done to try and make it somewhat consis- tent.

Soares et al. (2012) states that with a high level of usability, you increase the safety, productivity and get a high level of satisfaction among the customers. The level of usability also affects the amount of complaints, returned products, word- of-mouth and re-purchase intent.

If a user does not understand how to use a product or its features (e.g. the controls and displays in a vehicle), then he or she will not be able to use that feature, and therefo- re disregard the feature as a choice in his or her mind. It’s therefore important to make sure that the product meets a number of applicable ergonomic guidelines, which will make the product easier to use and increase the user satisfaction.

“What people don’t understand does not exist”

- Bhise, 2012, p85

As an example, a control should be designed so that is easy to understand and interpret how the control operates or mo- ves. This could be done by designing configuration, shape, appearance or touch in a way that it provides additional cues about how it works. E.g. the shape of a knob should invite certain actions that are compatible with how the knob works (push or pull, slide or rotate etc). (Bhise, 2012)

Bhise (2012) argues that the controls and displays of the vehicles must be placed in expected locations, be well la- beled and should move in directions expected by the driver.

They should be designed so that drivers can understand and associate them with their functions.

Figure 4 - Communication channels

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10

SEMIOTICS

Semiotics can be described basically as “The study of signs”

(Chandler, 2007, p.1) although there are several other defi- nitions where Umberto Eco’s “Semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign” (Eco, 1976, p.7) is one of the broadest ones. A sign can be described as a visually perceptible graphic, generally larger in size than a symbol, designed for a label, tag or sticker. In the same way a symbol can be described as a visually perceptible figure used to transmit information independently of lang- uage, produced by drawing, printing or other means. (ISO 2575:2010)

Bohgard et.al. (2008) states that symbols can benefit a user interface if the symbol is well known and unambiguous in its design. They continue that a symbol can either be represen- tative and illustrate a real object (e.g. a light bulb), or it can be an abstract symbol (e.g. an arrow that shows direction).

Bohgard et.al. (2008) concludes that a symbol can bring se- veral advantages such as quicker and more accurate intake of information as well as being effective internationally since it is independent of language. It is important to remember that a symbol can be arbitrary for those who haven’t learned its meaning.

Bhise (2012) writes that car controls should have an identi- fication label or symbol that the drivers can understand and associate with their intended functions. ISO 2575:2010 states that symbols on controls and displays shall contrast well with their background to provide the best visual per- ception. The graphic designer is also normally free to make changes to the symbols if the essential characteristics of the symbol are maintained.

New symbols for functions not yet covered in an internatio- nal standard should be constructed using symbols or ele- ments of symbols from earlier standards. It should be done in a logical way that keeps the coherence with other symbols already published (figure 5) (ISO 2575:2010).

Figure 5 - Washer Fluid symbols ISO 2575:2010

GESTALT

The founders of the Gestalt psychology focused early on the factors that influenced the interface between human per- ception and the visual field. They determined that humans has a perceptual search for familiar patterns, and as a result of this, they considered humans “hard-wired”, and created particular laws of perception (K.Koffka 1935), (M.Werthei- mer, 1938), (W.Köhler, 1929).

The Gestalt Law of Proximity

The law of proximity suggests that objects that are closer together are perceived as more related than objects that are further apart (Figure 4). Shepard (2001) referred to this ef- fect as ‘Associativity’. In other words, randomly located items tend to be perceived as being separate, while items located together are perceived as a group. O’Connor (2012) argues that this law can be applied to effectively direct attention to key elements within a design. The closer the visual elements are to each other, the more likely they will be perceived as being part of a group.

The Gestalt Law of Similarity

This law suggests that elements that share similar charac- teristics in terms of color, tone, texture, shape, orientation or size; are perceived as more related than elements without those characteristics (Figure 5). According to O’Connor (2012), the law of similarity has a tendency to override the law of proximity, since color and contrast can easily re-define perceived groupings.

The theory of the Gestalt laws is important when developing an interface since it connects elements such as colors and contrast with the associativity of the user. Looking at the project, it is a possibility that the regular washer fluid and the secondary washer fluid might be positioned in the same interface. It is therefore important to design so that the user easily can understand how the interface works and which fluid is active.

COLOR

F.H. Mahnke (1996) argues that it is an absolute necessity to understand how color works as information and commu- nication. He writes that the perception of color always car- ries visual, associative, synesthetic, symbolic, emotional, and physiological effects with it. He describes the experience of color as a pyramid with six levels of response (figure 6).

Figure 6 - Pyramid of response

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ISO 3864:2002 refers to color as a solution when it descri- bes the need to standardize a system for conveying informa- tion, so that it relies as little as possible on the use of words to achieve an understanding. Bohgard et al. (2008) des- cribes color as something that need to be used with great caution, as it can mediate different messages depending on personal associations such as ethnic- or company culture.

They claim that some typical western color-stereotypes are the following:

= Stop, Danger, Heat, Fire = Warning, Slow, Tests = OK, Drive, Forward, On = Cold, Water, Calm

Bridger (2003) discusses the different advantages and dis- advantages that color possess (figure 7).

ISO 2575:2010 describes the use of colors for conveying failure or malfunctioning through an optic indicator or a tell-tale. A tell-tale is a display that indicates the actuation of a device through a light-emitting device. The emitting light will inform the driver of either correct or defective functio- ning or a device or function.

The meaning of colors in a vehicle environment can have different meanings depending on the situation or function.

A given symbol can also be shown in more than one of the specified colors to convey the intended message. (ISO 2575:2010)

Red: Danger to persons or very serious damage to equip- ment, immediate or imminent. It can also indicate heat when used in a heating and/or cooling system.

Yellow or Amber: Caution, outside normal operating limits, vehicle system malfunction, damage to vehicle likely or other conditions which can cause problem in the longer term.

Green: Safe, normal operating condition (where blue or yellow is not required), turn signals

Blue: Cold (in a heating and/or cooling system), high beam, main beam

2.5 Craftsmanship

Bhise (2012) describes craftsmanship as the idea that a vehicle should be designed, and built in a way that makes the customer perceive it as something that has been built by expert craftsmen. The customers should experience that the craftsmen have used their skills to enhance characteristics such as shape, finish, color, tactile feel, sound and other fea- tures that the customer associate with quality craftsmans- hip. This also applies so that the vehicle should be perceived as part of the brand it represents. Bhise (2012) provides an example where customers of expensive vehicles will expect the products to be extra well made with an overall high level of quality and luxury.

The “Levitt Rings” is a concept to describe product servi- ce characteristics through three circular layers. The core circle in the concept represents the basic function of the product, e.g. transportation. The second layer of the con- cept represents the comforts and conveniences provided by the product, e.g. heated seats, while the final and outer ring represents pleasing perceptions such as materials, fitting of parts, colors and textures. The overall desirability of the product is indicated by the size of the outer ring and it is, together with the second ring, highly responsible for increa- sing the product’s attraction (figure 8) (Bhise, 2012).

Since Volvo Cars is making its way into the premium seg- ment, craftsmanship is an extremely important area when developing the cars. As Bhise (2012) said, customers of expensive vehicles will expect the products to be extra well made with an overall high level of quality and luxury. Even though this project will end long before a product could be sent into production, it is still important to design the solu- tion in a way that it feels premium and gives the car attrac- tion.

Figure 8 - The Levitt Rings

Volvo’s internal design requirements for the washer system (VDR-DPR-31849917-Rev.006) states that: CONFIDEN- TIAL

2.6 Volvo Design Prerequisites

ISO 3864:2002 refers to color as a solution when it descri- bes the need to standardize a system for conveying informa- tion, so that it relies as little as possible on the use of words to achieve an understanding. Bohgard et al. (2008) des- cribes color as something that need to be used with great caution, as it can mediate different messages depending on personal associations such as ethnic- or company culture.

Figure 7. Color advantages/disadvantages

White: The color white can be used where none of the above conditions applies.

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METHOD AND IMPLEMENTATION

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3 method and implementation

This chapter describes the process and methodology used in this project. The process used in this project consists of 4 stages, a combination of Norman’s four activities “The Design of Everyday Things” and IDEO’s three steps. The methods used throughout the project are described below.

3.1 process

3.2 Planning

In “The Design of Everyday Things”, Norman (2013) claims there are four different activities in the human-centered process; Observation, Ideation, Prototyping and Testing.

He continues that the process is iterative and that the four activities are repeated continually until a satisfying product have been developed. The observation activity will conduct research about the customers and users of the product to achieve an understanding of the problem, Ideation is a crea- tive activity to generate numerous ideas, Prototyping is done to build quick prototypes or mock-ups of possible solutions while Testing will let groups of people that corresponds clo- sely to the target group use the prototypes to help evaluate and find improvements.

IDEO (2015) claims a designer will go through three main phases: Inspiration, Ideation and Implementation. The in- spiration phase will give a better understanding of people and their hopes and dreams by observing their lives and interviewing the right people. The Ideation phase will let the designers take everything that they have learned from the first phase and generate it into tons of ideas and opportu- nities for design. The implementation phase will bring the solutions to life by building and testing your ideas before putting them out into the world.

This project has been conducted mainly after IDEO’s (2015) HCD-process but with some alteration. It has an

added fourth phase, as in Norman’s process (2013), but it is named “Finalization” and includes the refinement and production of a quality prototype that is set to be delivered to Volvo Cars as the final result of the project. The process (figure 9) were planned with four phases instead of three since it worked better with the four stage-gates that was set together with Volvo Cars described in the following section.

At the beginning of a project, it’s beneficial to discuss and clarify certain project factors. It could include discus- sing what the purpose of the project is, what parties are or should be involved, what the project’s aim is and how you get there. By then creating a project plan where you plan time and resources in a structured way, you lay the ground for a well-executed project. A Gantt-chart could be included in the project plan to define activities, timespan, resource allocation and responsibilities. (Wikberg-Nilsson, Ericson, Törlind, 2015)

A Gantt-chart is a time-planning tool developed by Henry L Gantt. It is used to create a timetable that includes the diffe- rent phases of the project as a vertical list. By visualizing the length of every moment as a horizontal bar that runs along a time axis, you get an foreseeable illustration of where a project phase (or method) start and where it ends.

(Nordstrand, Revai, 2002)

The Gantt-chart is an exceptional method when it comes to quick visualizations of a project time frame and is common in early stages of a project. It does however lack project ma- nagement abilities and it can be difficult to show dependen-

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

PROTOTYPE REFINE

GET INSPIRED LEARN

DESIGN PRODUCE

EXPLORE ANALYSE

EVALUATE DELIVER

CREATE DEFINE

ONE FINAL CONCEPT

4 CHOSEN CONCEPTS PROTOTYPE DELIVERY

RESEARCH IDEATION IMPLEMENTATION FINALIZATION

Figure 9 - The design process

3

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14

cies within the project. It is usually used with a straight-out informational purpose (Johannesson, Persson & Pettersson, 2013).

When the project started and the schedule was set with deadlines, the project group’s first mission was to create a time plan. This time plan was done as a Gantt-chart in order to try and estimate the length and resources needed for each phase (stage) and/or method by visualizing them in a chart.

3.2.1 stage gate

3.2.2 mind map

Stage-gates practices are widely spread and embraced by companies all over the world, because it can help to bring order and structure to the often chaotic process of product development (Grönlund, Sjödin & Frishammar, 2010). Grön- lund et al. (2010) says that Cooper (1999) the inventor of the Stage-Gate process, describes it as “both a conceptual and an operational model for moving a new product from idea to launch”.

To explain the Stage-Gate process you could say that it in- volves a series of stages where crucial activities takes place.

At the end of each stage a gate is “walked through”. In the gate, the achievement from the activities in the stage are evaluated. The activities depend on which stage you are in.

The early stages often consist of generating ideas, and the latter ones often consists of developing concepts, tests and commercialization (Grönlund et al. 2010 and Wuest, Liu, Lu

& Thoben, 2014).

In this project, there are four stages and four gates. Each stage ended with a decision meeting with the affected per- sonnel at Volvo Cars, to ensure that the work was conducted in the right direction. The decision for each specific gate would provide a predetermined result in the form of a ”deliv- erable” that would be the basis for further work.

Each phase was planned to have an internal delivery targets.

The set objectives would be a certain part of the project re- port that would be completely written at each final stage. It would contribute to a smoother workflow where the project report would always be written as the project moved forward.

The project’s stages with its included deliverables follows below;

Research

STAGE GATE: Decision Meeting together with Volvo, where- by the requirement specification is presented and approved.

DELIVERABLES: Specification of Requirements, theory chapter and the results of the research phase written in the report.

Ideation

STAGE GATE: Decision Meeting together with Volvo Cars, where three concepts will be chosen for continued work.

DELIVERABLES: 3 concepts, the results section of the de- velopment concept written.

Implementation

To prepare for the theoretical framework, a discussion was held regarding what areas were of interest to the project and how they connected to each other. The discussion re- sulted in a mind-map (figure 10). A mind map can be descri- bed as “a visual representation of areas, subjects, idéas and aspects that concerns a certain theme and that shows how different factors connects” - Wikberg-Nilsson et.al. (2015), p.45.

The mind map was visualized with connecting bubbles, where each bubble represents a project-relevant subject, to make the structure intuitive. Some affected areas were decided to be included in the project’s limitations, and the- refore their bubbles have a lowered opacity. The mind map was divided into two main areas; a functional area and one experience area. The functional area focused mainly on the construction of a solution, where aspects such as refill position, user access and physical objects such as washer pumps, hoses or nozzle were discussed. The experience area focused more on areas connected to the user such as user experience, user-centered design and interfaces.

Both the functional- and experience area were connected through an ergonomic area and a design area which affec- ted both the function and the experience. The mind map is also available in appendix A.

STAGE GATE: Decision Meeting together with Volvo Cars, where one concept is chosen to proceed with.

DELIVERABLES: 1 selected concept, the results section of the concept development written in the report.

Finalization

STAGE GATE: Presentation of the project and handing over of project materials to Volvo Cars for further work.

DELIVERABLES: Prototype, CAD model, 95% of the report was written.

Figure 10 - Mind Map

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3.2.3 stakeholder mapping

3.2.4 volvo car models

3.3.1 literature review

3.3.2 benchmarking

3.3.3 semi-structured interviews

An overview of the people and parts involved in the project is a great stepping stone at the start of a project. It forces the project members to discuss what people are involved in the project, how they are involved and why they are involved. The stakeholder mapping usually includes the project employer, the user of the product and other parts that are related to the project such as manufacturers. The stakeholders were chosen through discussions between the project members and the LTU supervisor.

Since Volvo Cars is heading into the premium branch of the automotive industry, a big change such as a new refilling concept would probably be implemented on one of their fu- ture premium car models. Therefore, this project will not look at any previous models but instead use the Volvo XC90 as the car model to examine (see figure 11). Future genera- tions of the XC90 is according to Volvo a possible candidate for such a change in washer fluid replenishment. The project group will still strive for a solution that will work for as many different models as possible.

The project started with a literature review, to get the needed knowledge of the subject, to base the work upon. Also, to get a deeper understanding about the project’s process.

Even though the literature review belonged to the first pha- se in the project, it somewhat continued sporadically when needed, during the other phases of the project.

A literature review is a good technique for identifying what it is known and unknown in the area of interest. With this information, formulate research questions and what subject

The goal with benchmarking is to set your objective on the most eminent and interesting solutions in your subject area (Drew, 1997). Main & Jacob (1992) describes Benchmar- king should not be confused with industrial espionage.

Rather, it is the art of finding out, in a perfectly legal and aboveboard way, how others do something better than you do so you can imitate -- and perhaps improve upon -- their techniques. It may or may not involve tearing down a com- peting product to see how it’s built”.

The project group’s benchmarking information was mostly found by searching the internet for different solutions of washer fluid replenishment on other car models. This was done through search engines such as google and at a car maintainence website with instructional videos of perfor- ming different maintenance tasks, such as locating and refil- ling washer fluid, on very large amount of car models (www.

carcarekiosk.com).

ISO-standards containing information related to vehic- les, and especially regarding the filling of fluids, were also examined to find directives and regulations. The bachelor project conducted by Dahlstrand, Ekblad, Larsson and Üye (2016) was also used as benchmarking since it deals with the same area of washer fluid replenishment and contains different solutions and patents within the area.

An interview is a verbally exchange between an interviewer and an interviewee, where the interviewer can ask prede- termined or spontaneous questions to one or several in- terviewees. When using predetermined questions as the interviewer you can chose to ask the in a predefined or- der or choose which order you want. The first one is cal- led a structured interview and the latter one is called a se- mi-structured interview. A semi-structured interview allows the conversation to have a more natural flow and allows the answers to be more defined through supplementary ques- tions (Jarrat 2015).

The advantage with this type of information gathering is the possibility for the interviewer to connect with the inter-

3.3 research

In this stage, information was gathered to the define the stakeholders and learn as much as possible related to re- plenishment of washer fluid. The goal for this stage was to produce a specification of requirements, to be used as a guiding document for the continued work.

Figure 11 - The XC90. Picture: Volvo Cars

area to further investigate. It can also make you discover new necessary areas to do research on. The quality of the literature review is based on the author’s efforts to search for relevant information, how thoroughly it is evaluated and how critically it’s analyzed (Bolderston 2008).

The literature review was conducted at Volvo Cars Torslanda, with the literature from Volvos database and LTU: s library’s search engine. The key subject areas were; Industrial De- sign Engineering, User Centered Design, Ergonomics, User Experience and Craftsmanship. Keywords used: “cognitive ergonomics”, “product development”, “ergonomics and de- sign”, “ergonomics and product design”, “product design”,

“ergonomics AND automotive”.

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16

3.3.4 stakeholders

3.3.5 observation

The mapped-out stakeholders in the planning phase (see figure 13 and appendix B) were targeted to acquire informa- tion about each stakeholder’s area and what opinions and requirements they had on the project.

Volvo Brand

The Volvo Brand stakeholder should communicate the com- pany vision and the key aspects that should be kept in mind when developing the solution. This information was acquired by contacting “Consumer & Product Insights” who provided information from the Volvo Brand Attribute Guide (BRAG), which is a guide created by the Product Definition Team that describes what Volvo needs to focus on, to be able to achieve their targeted market position.

Manufacturer: Ergonomics

The ergonomics stakeholder communicates what require- ments and requests the ergonomics team have regarding the replenishment. The information was acquired through an interview with a member of the ergonomic team and by gathering information from the Volvo Design Prerequisite:

Washer System. (VDR-DPR-31849917-Rev.006) Manufacturer: Safety

The safety stakeholder communicates the requirements and requests that the safety team have. The information was ac- quired through an interview with two members of the che- mistry and fuel system who are experts in fire safety.

Manufacturer: Cleaning Systems

The Cleaning System’s (CS) stakeholder were put together through discussions with the Volvo Cars supervisor, who is a project leader at the CS-team. Information were also ac- quired by finding requirements from the Volvo DPR and by attending meetings related to the replenishment of washer fluid.

When studying how people experience a product or service in an environment, is a part of a field observation. Depen- ding on the situation and product or service the observation can be done with or without the interaction of an instructor (Jordan 2000).

When performing an observation, it’s important to consider the risk of changed behavior among the observed people, when they know that they’re being observed. Therefore, it’s important to find the balance between observation and in- teraction of the observed one, to achieve a result that is as genuine as possible (Hansson 2007).

To get a deeper insight and understanding about the whole process of the construction of a car and how it’s assembled in the factory, the project group made a field study at Volvo Cars factory at Torslanda, Göteborg. The observation was made through a guided tour (figure 12) where most steps of the process were shown, from pressing the chassis to assembling the car and being shipped from the factory. The field study was an important observation which gave the pro- ject group an additional variable to take into consideration.

Especially the high tempo that the human assemble team have when building the cars.

Figure 12 - The Torslanda Tour. Picture: Volvo Cars viewee’s feelings and therefore get deeper understanding

of the answers. This will provide answers with higher reliabi- lity (Jarrat 2015).

The project group chose to use semi-structured interviews in their research since their knowledge were very limited regarding the work of the different Volvo Cars departments.

By using the semi-structured model, the project group could let the interview go in a natural direction and ask follow-up questions that naturally occurred during the interview.

The interviews were held with the stakeholders so that the project group could define the stakeholders demands, clari- fy their wishes and gather miscellaneous information about their areas. The results of the interviews can be seen in the stakeholder appendices described in the result section.

They would all be used later in the project to define the specification of requirements.

Manufacturer: Design

The Design stakeholder is based on a meeting where the topic of new washer fluid replenishment was discussed. This enabled participating as observers and the creation of the stakeholder using the meeting notes. The stakeholder con- tent was also sent by email to be checked and confirmed by the Design team.

Service Mechanics

The Service Mechanics stakeholder is based on several in- terviews that were conducted with mechanics on different Volvo Service Centers located in Gothenburg. The questions asked were related to earlier experiences with customers, their daily work connected to washer fluid, personal prefe- rences if the replenishment would be moved, etc. The full list of questions is available as appendix C.

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Figure 13 - Stakeholder Mapping

References

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