Master Thesis

MIND

A vision for mercedes-benz ownership in 2035

Mercedes-Benz is a premium car brand with a long and impressive history. For my master thesis I was tasked with creating an interior concept for Mercedes-Benz customers in 2035. Back in 2015, the automotive world was in the grasp of the autonomous vehicle revolution. Furthermore, AI was starting to peak over the horizon. The Mercedes-Benz customer, who tends to be more on the conservative side of innovation, this future vision provided friction. And for this friction I created a concept in which man and machine live in a symbiotic relationship, that ultimately provides more than the sum of its parts.

A NEW
INTERACTION PARADIGM

To the conservative premium car driver, a future where the machine gets to operate more and more autonomous will feel like a threat. To avoid this, the relationship between the product and the user has to be redefined. Rather than a classic hierarichal, a symbiotic relationship is proposed. Rather than “confirming hierarchy”, “accomodated involvement” should be considered. The analogy is that of walking your German Shepherd through the forest. In this relationship, the owner is still in charge. However, there are moments where the dogs’ abilities are better suited.

INTERACTION DECONSTRUCTION

To design a proper future product, I first analysed the current way customers interact with their car. The analogy I found was that of “confirming hierarchy”, where the driver is clearly on top and commands the car to do it’s bidding..

INTRODUCING: MERCEDES-BENZ MIND

Mercedes-Benz MIND is a concept that introduces the AI of the car at the beginning of the user journey. Since Mercedes-Benz cars are made to order, there is a certain amount of waiting time after ordering. The AI is shipped to the customer in the form of a physical artefact. During the time it takes to build the car, the user and the car get to know each other. Much like the German Shepherd in the analogy, the owner trains the AI by having it accompany him through daily life, whilst learing it’s owner’s preferences. An unique and evolving graphical pattern shows the increasing sophistication of the AI.

When the car is finally delivered, the artefact is put in the center of the car. The owner literally enriches the car (and with that his own driving experience) with his personality, whilst leveraging the potential of the car’s advance driving assistance systems.

USER JOURNEY