A Model-Based Design Thinking Strategy for in-Vehicle Infotainment Features Development

The advancement in connectivity technology is driving a shift in business models in almost every field. Automakers need to adapt to a new business model in which the platform (automobile) and the mobility solutions (Devices and Services) are enabled by a strong dynamic connectivity. To succeed in this business model, it is imperative to deliver an unparalleled customer experience. Traditional customer experiences focused only in the platform (automobile) are no longer sufficient to address the mobility needs. The development of in-vehicle features should consider both the platform and the connectivity in a single development scope. This paradigm shift sets new challenges for the in-vehicle features designers. Designers have to speak not only the language of the experience but rather a language to address different levels of abstractions to ensure effective communication with all stakeholders and developers including those outside the organization.

In this paper a new strategy for the development of in-vehicle features is exposed. This strategy is based on embedding the Design Thinking framework within the traditional systems engineering process. This new concept proposes the customer experience at the center of the development process connected through models at different abstraction levels within the different design development layers and domains. This scheme, introduces early in-model verification gateways in each layer of the feature development process. As a proof of concept, this paper presents the development of an infotainment feature under the proposed strategy. Finally we highlight the impacts of this new approach on the design development cycle among others.