Komorebi – A Biophilic Design Concept for Enhanced UX in Autonomous Cars

Sammanfattning: Autonomous cars have the potential to revolutionize private transportation by allowing occupants to utilize their travel time for other activities. Considering the new opportunities for improved productivity, as well as the increasing demand for constant digital connectivity, reconnecting with nature will be crucial for alleviating cognitive stress and promoting healing and well-being. In this thesis, an overview of predicted trends in autonomous cars is presented along with the potential risks of prolonged exposure to digital connectivity. The aim is to explore new possibilities of improving user experience (UX) and relaxation in fully autonomous vehicles by incorporating nature-oriented design. Numerous biophilic design patterns are introduced to develop a concept car that provides a restorative and rejuvenating environment. The design process adopts the Double Diamond Methodology with a focus on UX. An extensive literature research is conducted to investigate the benefits of biophilic implementations on human cognitive performance and well-being. Concept ideas are generated with basis on the biophilic patterns and evaluated throughout the process to consider current and future predictions of customer needs. The result of the thesis is a nature-oriented holistic concept that combines the design disciplines exterior, interior and user experience. The concept incorporates principles from the Japanese and Scandinavian design philosophies as inspirational sources to give depth to the design and to achieve a harmonious integration of nature and man-made environments. The result is presented as a digitally modeled concept.