motorcyles and the art of product design - idsa/icsid connecting07 conference presentation

Motorcycles and the Art of Product Design

Akshay Sharma, Virginia TechShimon Shmueli, Touch360

© Aprilia

CONNECTING’07 World Design Congress

Why should wecare about motorcycles?

Death rates are 15-30 times higher than cars

They are noisy

They come with an attitude

Motorcycles attract wide range of attitudes, cultures, and interactions

www.advrider.com

www.advrider.com

www.advrider.com

www.hells-angels.com

Michaux & Perreaux, 1868

19 mph

Steam engine mounted on a bicycle

The motorcycles is a (relatively) primal vehicle

Motorcycles enable intense experiences

speed = 8x

energy = 64x

E=mV2

Could the fun/thrill/experience be 64 times amplified even at 75 mph?

Most of us can relate to the motorcycle experience:- Self confidence- Motor skills- Social connections- Fun

Motorcycles facilitate and enable strong attachments

…so w

hat?

www.advrider.com

Art Humans

Enablers & Constrains

design

expression, aesthetics,

engineering

technology, economy,

environment

Need

s, w

ants

,

com

mun

ity,

ergo

nom

ics

How we define design

riderThe motorcycle is the mediator/facilitator/enabler between the rider and his/her experiences

www.advrider.com

experience:relationships© Triumph

experience:stimulus

© BMW

experience:community

© Harley-Davidson

experience:(em)power*

Women is the fastest growing segment. Women are moving from a passenger position, metaphorically and figuratively, to a rider position.

*

experience:environments

© KTM

experience:bonding

© Harley-Davidson

experience:sexy

Sexy has been around even in 1951!

experience:(all) senses

experience

motorcycle

rider

InvolvementThe emotional and physical connection between the rider and the motorcycle

The Rider is a Fully Stressed Member of the Equation.

experience

motorcycle

riderphysicalinterface

experience

motorcycle

rider

cont

rol

feed

back

The interface is where the conversation between the rider and motorcycle happens

motorcycle

Thin Physical Interface• tight coupling• high sensitivity• clear and strong feedback• less forgiving

rider

© Aprilia

© Ducati

Thin

Thic

k

© Harley-Davidson

Thin

Thic

k

© Wired

experience

motorcycle

riderphysicalinterface

emotionalinterface

experience

motorcycle

rider

“He talks to his motorcycle every time he passes by”

The conversation is also an emotional exchange, at least in the mind of the rider (but some say also in the mind of the motorcycle or its designer)

motorcycle

Thin Emotional Interface• mutual awareness• respect• shared destiny• self-expression

rider

© Aprilia

© Orange County Choppers

The motorcycle reflects the rider’s personality, desires, emotions.

© Orange County Choppers

© Orange County Choppers

The motorcycle reflects more than who the rider is. It is also who he/she wants to be.

© Orange County Choppers

the function drives the aesthetics

© Ducati

the function is the aesthetics

© Buell

Look in the eyes of the motorcycle

© Triumph

…it has a personality.

something that only a moter could love - Steven Spielberg

Design something that only a mother could love - Steven Spielberg

© TVS Motor Company

experience

motorcycle

rider

Immediate presence of an object of knowledge to the mind, without any distortions, inferences, or interpretations, and without involvement of any intermediate agencies.Source: Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Immediacy

experience

motorcycle

rider

High level of involvement between the rider and the motorcycle enables stronger immediacy

Involvement > Immediacy

High level of involvement between the rider and the motorcycles enable stronger immediacy which in turn enables stronger (better) experiences

physical/emotional

presentation

mouse

me

Invo

lvem

ent

imm

edia

cy

physical/emotional

experience

internet

Him/her

Invo

lvem

ent

imm

edia

cy

physical

environment, stimulus,…

product

user

emotional

community, self-expression

product

user

Invo

lvem

ent

imm

edia

cy

thank youشكرا致谢mercidankegrazieありがとう감사합니다obrigadocпасибоagradece ּתֹוָדה

Picture © BRP Can-Am Spyder

Shimon Shmueli, Touch360, Partner …………………shimon@touch360.comAkshay Sharma, Virginia Tech, Assistant Prof……….akshay@vt.edu

This presentation can be downloaded at www.slideshare.net/touch360