For my senior design capstone. I was partnered with Honda to design an improvement of the vehicle cargo area to assist users with grocery shopping. I worked in parallel with 3 other students to integrate all of our design solutions together. This project was in collaboration with Hattie Carr, Grace Gerber, and Korene Embrack.
Class: Advanced Industrial Design 1 and Design Research 3
Duration: 12 weeks
Final Concept
Introducing the Reusable Bag Compartment system in Honda vehicles. This system includes a designated storage spot for reusable bags in the car, a Honda made reusable bag, and a method of notification to the curbside associates to use reusable bags.
The storage compartment is a glove box like storage unit built into the trunk of all Honda’s. It utilizes the space between the back of the car frame and the wheel well. It includes a light for easy identification and a small door for easy access.
Process
To read an in depth report of my process during this project, view the linked PDF.
Research
We researched how the system of curbside pickup could be improved through a mechanism in the car. I was looking for opportunities for Honda vehicles to improve the curbside pickup experience. I used a surveys, interviews, ethnographic style observation research, and secondary research online and with current Honda resources.
From these conclusions I came up with a design brief: Integrate a system between customers and grocery associates that allow reusable bags to be used in the process of curbside pickup. The primary stakeholders I focused on were curbside pickup customers using reusable bags. To begin my product development, this design had to be easily movable, blends with the car aesthetic, does not act like a car accessory, an integrated part of the car, and keeps groceries separate and stable from other items in the trunk.
Iteration
The iteration process consisted of many rounds of diverging ideas and converging ideas. I sketched ideas and presented to groups of other designers and Honda employees to get various opinions on concepts.
Testing
Throughout the iteration process, I performed verification testing to observe and analyze questions I had about the curbside pickup process. I looked into how different reusable bags fit in the trunk of a Honda pilot and how curbside associates pack groceries when provided with reusable bags.
Prototyping
I prototyped inside the trunk of a Honda pilot for accurate measurements and form exploration. I used carboard for my initial prototype and conducted another round of testing with a curbside associate. I refined my conceptusing 2D sketching
I made full scale prototype and a CAD model using the dimensions of the Generation 2 Honda Pilot.
