Nancy Nanqian Xu Research Product Designer “I am more than a typical designer whom you can easily find on Coroflot with stunning visual and rendering skills. I devote my time and effort to observe and talk with people, to simulate user experience with prototypes, to understand business value behind design solutions, to refine design with user feedbacks. I am a research designer, I like to design by doing.�
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
How “Design By Doing� helped me to target design challenges, nurture the inspirations, refine design solutions?
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
New Generation Boeing Seating Design Design Challenge: • Nailing down design problems with in-flight experience • Provide better and faster boarding experience • Provide enjoyable long flight experience
Object: Boeing 737 Responsibilities (team size:2) User Journey Analysis 737 Airplane Interior Mock-up (Full Scale) Seat Mock-up (Full Scale) User Testing 3D CAD Model Building (Solidworks, Hypershot)
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Prototype to Learn • Full-scale 737 interior prototype • 3 rows of 737 seats
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
User Experience Simulation Problem: Difficult entry/exit activity slows down the boarding time and causes problem specially for people with impairments - No visibility of storage area - Too narrow space between seats
Passenger opinions from interviews: “ I feel the storage area dirty, I don’t want to put my stuff in there.” “ The seat number is really hard to find, but I don’t want to rely on fly attendant.” “ The space between seats are too narrow. It’s embarrassing for me to get stuck in there.”
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Identify Design Challenges Challenges are defined based on rounds of user experience simulation within the 1:1 scale interior of Boeing 737
Storage-- provide better storage system for easy accessibility
Transition-- provide support for transition from sitting to standing positions for better mobility
Get Information Enter
Settle
Entertainment
Transition
Exit
Eat / Drink
Experience-- accommodating work/ rest/ entertainment and eating in the seating area.
Inform-- enhance entry experience by providing
clear seat number in the position that easy to be seen
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Inspirations We looked into furniture concepts, interior design for elderly people, working environments and other new and exiting design solutions to learn, to be inspired and to enjoy.
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Concept Brainstorm Design Concepts with Universal Design Principle: Equally solution for all majority users
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Folding-Chair Concept Concept: Folding part of seat bottom Transparent storage Desk opening below the storage Business Value Proposition: Faster boarding process. Technology Limitation: Center pillar needs to bear with 9g acceleration of gravity.
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Concept Prototype Full-scale Model for testing Material: Wood Steel Lighting Elements Foam Block
Inform Put row number on the seat near the ale for easy finding
Experience Lower the lighting to not to interrupt passengers by sides
Storage Making the storage upper and shift the desk in the lower part. Storage pocket is easy to approach and visible. Personal carry-ons are still available when the desk is unfold.
Transition Easy movements when standing up or just a relaxing during long flight
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Target Group User Reviews
“I like the storage be upper.”
“ The desk folding neatly and I can still reach “I like the storage where I can see my stuff.” my phone upper.”
“The belt seems not working.”
“Maybe a cup holder here?”
“I love the light goes on when you pull out the desk” 737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Concept Proposal
737 New Generation Boeing Seat
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Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Bus Rapid Transit Design Chicago Transit Authority Design Challenge: • Design new layout for faster boarding and unboarding • Design for better seating experience
Object: 60 feet long 3 door entry hybrid bus Responsibilities (team size:3) Observe Riding Behaviors 60 Feet Hybrid Bus Mock-up (Full Scale) Bus Layout Design User Experience Simulation Future User Scenario Design
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Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Observation
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Communicate with me while I wait
Optimize the boarding process
Give me a better space for my stuff
Make the back of the bus more comfortable
Reduce awkward crowding
Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Bus Layout Planning Design Problem: • Solve awkward facing problem by twisting
seat direction • Design for faster boarding experience by using aisle facing seat
However, We can not get a direct sense of whether the change is good enough. We want more feedback about our plan. So we decided to make a full scale bus interior.
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Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
61 stacking chairs 16
30 work hours
9 sheets foamcore
6 sheets particle board
4 graphic print-outs
2 rolls blue tape Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
User Experience Simulation We tested several design solutions using video camera to record the user journey. We kept the participants for 2 hours for 3 rounds of simulation.
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People move to back faster.
More space at front of the bus
Twisted direction seat
People move to back faster.
Mid-door entry
Mid-door entry/exit
Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Prototype as A Platform
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to observe user behavior
to inspire new ideas
to engage with clients
to foster dialogue Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
156 Lasalle
Occupancy 90% Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer next bus
05:00 min
Future User Scenarios To effective deliver our concepts, I created two user stories: The daily commuter story and visitor for the city. Embedded with our new concepts:
156 Lasalle Occupancy next bus
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50%
15:00 min
Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Real Changes Happened...
new 3 door bus
stop buttons 20
double branches hold
aisle facing seats
more spaces Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority
Nanqian Xu | Innovation Research Designer
Design by Doing Our intention to prototype is more than communication. It’s about seeking good ideas, engaging players in the product system, and a better delivery of changes to keep the innovation’s DNA. Thank you.
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Bus Rapid Transit Chicago Transit Authority