The Safe-Ride Bike Vest
Academic | Group Project | Fall 2017
Course: HF770 - Prototyping and Interaction Design
Assignment: Develop a vision and 3D prototype for a product that solves a problem in the travel, commuting, or health spaces.
The Problem
Biking in cities can be dangerous and anxiety-inducing for urban cyclists. 54% of cyclists say these anxieties prevent them from biking more often. Yet biking is often the most efficient way to get from Point A to B in increasingly traffic-congested cities, is good for the environment, and the exercise is good for your health. Further, as more cities create bike lanes to encourage bike commuting, the number of cyclists should grow. How can we support people who want to commute by bike?
SKILLS HIGHLIGHTS:
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Goal-directed design
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Physical and digital prototyping
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Brainstorming/ideation facilitation
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User interviews
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User testing
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Wireframes
Research
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Literature Review
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User Interviews
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Competitive Product Analysis
We conducted a literature review of the problem space and identified that safety is a big concern for cyclists in the city.
We conducted user interviews with four people who have biked in urban areas. Because we had no budget for this academic project, we recruited users from friends and family.
Goals:
Through this research, we wanted to:
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Better understand safety concerns and sources of anxiety
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ID current pain points
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Learn about user behaviors, contexts, and gain information that would help us determine how our product should fit into this reality
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Understand navigational preferences
Key Research Insights
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Visibility and awareness is a big safety issue
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Cars not always expecting cyclists
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Cyclists and their hand signals can be difficult to see (especially in traffic or dark)
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Navigation on new routes can cause anxiety because:
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Cyclists worry they will end up on "bad" roads (heavy traffic, no bike lane, turns at busy intersections)
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Current navigation tools place burdens on user (try to memorize route, have to stop to check route, kills phone battery, etc)
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Collaboratively building a primary user persona helped build group consensus around our target user’s motivations, goals and pain points. Referring to it later also helped ensure we kept our design on track for meeting those goals.
Final Prototype Demo Video
We created a "protocast" video demo as part of our final presentation to help bring our product to life for stakeholders.
Or, keep scrolling to see our protoyping process!
Low Fidelity First Prototype
After defining requirements and ideating around them, we quickly cobbled together a low-fidelity physical prototype of the product out of paper, markers, and duct-tape.
Our first prototype consisted of three main components: phone app, vest, and navigational bracelets.
Navigation App: Mapping app on phone allows users to choose between a Fastest, Safest (good bike lanes), and “Avoid Traffic” route.
Lighting Vest: A vest with adjustable straps that can be worn over backpacks has bright LED lights on the back to alert motorists to cyclists’ position on the road.
Directions Wristbands: A wrist band on the right arm provides navigation instructions indicating a user’s next turn and distance to turn (in this photo it is showing a “recalculating symbol” if the user missed their turn).
Sample display showing the user they are turning left in 200 ft.
The simple format and large arrow allows users to see directions out of the corner of their eye to avoid taking their attention off the road.
The wristband on the left arm contains motion sensors that detect when you have moved your hand to give a left-turn or right-turn hand signal, and activates corresponding flashing arrows on the back of the lighting vest device. The arrows flash for 10 seconds and turn off automatically.
User Testing
We tested our initial prototype with two users.
We simulated changing screens and navigational directions by substituting paper sketches by hand, and asked that our tester imagine they were on a bike ride. While crude, this user testing nevertheless provided us with helpful feedback early in the design process, which we were able to cheaply and easily incorporate into our next set of revised prototypes.
Second (Final) Prototype
After testing our initial prototype with users, we revised our prototype based on their feedback. A low/medium-fidelity prototype of the wristband was made using paperboard, markers, paper, velcro, glue, and an LED light string. Medium/high-fidelity wireframes were created for the phone app in InVision.
Navigation App: Higher-fidelity and interactive wireframes were created in InVision.
Main Changes: We simplified to two route options - fastest or safest route (the latter takes into account multiple aspects including traffic and bike lanes).
When it's time to turn, the distance bar is filled and turns red (right image), and flashes brightly at the user.
Navigation Wristlet
User Feedback:
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Our users felt that providing numerical distance wasn’t sufficient as the only information because they don’t feel comfortable estimating distances, especially when streets may be close together.
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Users didn’t think they needed to see directions while indicating a turn, and they would prefer to have the directions provided on the left side, so they aren’t looking away from traffic if they want to look at the display.
Main Changes:
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Wristband now shows street name and distance in a visual instead of numerical format. Distance progress bar will flash brightly at cyclist when turn has arrived.
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We combined the two wristlets into one that detects motion and provides directions.
Safety Vest: Vest with LED flashing turn signals.
Conclusion
We built a prototype for a biking safety vest and navigational wristlet product that:
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improves cyclist visibility;
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clarifies cyclist intentions for motorists in the universal language of signal blinkers;
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provides navigational instructions for the most bike-friendly route to destination, in a way that allows cyclists to keep their eyes on their surroundings
The result — cyclists feel safer and are safer.
PROJECT TEAM
Many thanks to my teammates on this project.
It was thoroughly a team effort, and we collaborated on all work elements and decision-making together. Group members took leading roles in the following areas.
Katrina: Project leader, brainstorming facilitator, interviewer (2 of 4), interview note taker, physical prototype builder, validation tester, big question poser
Shuning: Interviewer (1 of 4), interview note-taker, wireframe sketcher, documentation compiler, outside of the box thinker
Jared: Interview note-taker, InVision wireframe builder, protocast compiler (iMovie)
Resources Cited
(1) Angie Schmitt. (2015, March). Survey: 100 Million Americans Bike Each Year, But Few Make It a Habit. Streets Blog USA. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from http://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/03/04survey-100-million-americans-bike-each-year-but-few-make-it-a-habit/