On CUE: Rethinking the Cadillac User Experience

Project Context:

Here’s your CUE – a thoughtfully redesigned infotainment system for future Cadillac vehicles. A Cadillac is not only an object, it the boldest expression of American luxury. Cadillac – Designed to be driven.

Problem Statement:

Enhance the ease-of-use and responsiveness of Cadillac's CUE platform.

The Design Process:

Create an objective:

Craft a streamlined infotainment experience worthy of a Cadillac.

Deliver minimum viable product within allotted time-frame and budget.

Discover user problems & pain points:

In-car touch screen systems are slow to respond to user input, quickly outdated, and are seldom described as "useful".

Define research questions:

What words come to mind when you hear the word "infotainment"?
What would make interacting with your current vehicle's infotainment system more enjoyable?
How often do you feel confident in your ability to utilize all of the tech features of your current vehicle?
What is the make and model is your current vehicle?
How soon will you be shopping for a new vehicle?

Set testing goals:

Minimize the need for redundant controls.
- (Use of core features without the use of hard buttons or knobs.)
Reduce input lag by 10% vs. the current CUE system.
- Measure the time differential between when the screen is pressed and an action occurs.

The Supporting Materials:

Refer to research material, ecosystem best practices, and perform usability testing with current product.
Perform a competitive analysis as time permits.
Refer to (or create) brand standards/product style-guide for CUE.
Develop a mood board with inspirational colors, copy, and themes that best fit the product’s brand voice on a platform like Pinterest, inVision Board or through analog means.
Create personas to give all team members a concrete representation of a typical user.

Cadillac CUE Personas:

Lou the Lawyer:

Lou, 54, is a senior partner at the law firm Roughrowed & Pawthole and enjoys spending his free time collecting art and sailing.

Goals: not having to "RTFM" for his vehicle's infotainment system.

Behaviors and Beliefs: passionate about making sure his time isn't being wasted, and seeks to remove complexity from other areas of his life out of the office.

What he thinks: "Touch screens in cars are more trouble than they're worth!"

Characteristics: Tech savvy and logical. Can generate increased word-of-mouth "buzz" through sharing their satisfaction with clients, colleagues, and other important members of their community.

Elwood the Enthusiast:

Elwood, 42, is successful entrepreneur and has been a driving enthusiast since his teenage years and values driving dynamics above all else.

Goals: beat that guy down the street with an M3 at a stoplight drag race.

Behaviors and Beliefs: Passionate about engine notes, perfecting his "heel-toe" technique, and track days, bro.

What he thinks: "Touch screen infotainment systems distract from what's really important - the driving experience. I don't need an iPad glued to my dash!"

Characteristics: Tech savvy, shops based on feel, not a spec sheet.

The Design Explorations:

Perform a multi-layer approach to design exploration and architecture ideation.

1st layer - creation of sketches and lo-fi wireframes on paper, perform usability testing

2nd layer - creation of digital lo-fi wireframes and prototype, perform usability testing

3rd layer - creation of med-fi mockups and prototypes, perform usability testing

Give this med-fi prototype a spin here:

4th layer - creation of hi-fi mockups and prototypes to present to key stakeholders for approval and dev hand-off

The Final Design:

After performing extensive usability testing at every step of the exploration process the final, stakeholder approved, design will be handed-off to an appropriate member of the development team for implementation into the shipping product.

The Project Results:

After product launch, user and developer feedback will be taken into consideration for testing and inclusion in the next or a future update.