Web Design
In the early stages, the first thing you have to do is to make sure that your audience demands your solution. To do that, you must convert the Idea into an Offer. The way to make it is to create a Landing Page website that generates conversions and works as proof that you are a data-driven company.
Problem definition
Research
The research started by analyzing the current state of driving education business in the US. I quickly realized it is a very conservative business lacking modern solutions, with a billion-dollar market. After months of Googling, I was full of questions and longed for answers.
So I found the local driving school and hired a driving instructor for two hours, hoping he would like to participate in an Interview rather than a driving lesson. I was so glad I met that guy with over 30 years of experience who was interested in helping me to create a solution for such an essential but seemingly forgotten industry. He explained to me how DMV works and showed me the curriculum, Performance Evaluation criteria, and the certificates required. The result of our conversation was very distinct, I found two main pain points:
1. As a driving instructor, 9 out of 10 students he usually meets are teenagers who do not know the basics of traffic signs and rules of the road and have never touched the steering wheel before, which is making the behind-the-wheel lessons super ineffective. He said, "... even teens who played Need for Speed on PlayStation perform better."
2. The life of being a driving instructor is unflexible and underestimated; driving schools take too much to meet with the students.
Based on months of research and those beautiful answers, I began to form a solution that would help teenage students and driving instructors.
Solution formation
I imagined what if a car could be a toy and the environment around it be the playground where I could hit, speed, and do whatever I wanted.
So I bought the VR headset, Racing wheel, and Racing Cockpit and started to play the VR racing simulators to test this technology for convenience. Could this technology be used as a potential tool to solve my problem? Would I have VR Sickness? Сould it be a commercial product?
It worked great. The cockpit eliminated VR sickness, and the headset was comfortable enough to spend 1-2 hours daily.
The only problem was that the cockpit with the steering wheel and pedals was bulky and took up too much space. It also was hard to assemble it in a tiny teenage room. Even if you have an opening for it, it's not a nice-looking addition to any interior. So I designed new hardware and called it "Drum".
Techtoys Drum is a wireless gaming steering wheel with a beautiful-looking design that can safely be attached to any table and be a great addition to any extravagant interior. It has features that non of the existing products offer, such as:
- Wireless Connection (directly to VR headset);
- Turn Signal Switch;
- Gearshift (column shifter);
I arranged a meeting with a local prototyping company, they could build it for $25000 plus documentation for production next 1000 units, and it will take up to 3-6 months.
I also designed a box for it and printed it with the help of a local printing company to experience how nice it would be, for example, as a gift from a parent to a teen kid for Christmas.
My target audience is US teenagers 15-19 years old who will drive an automatic transmission car. It is about 21.05 million potential users, 89% of which end up having a driver's license. My job is to offer them a solution that the whole generation will go through to be happy and skilled drivers. People at that age could not afford $500 purchase, which is why users and customers are two different people in my case. Customers are parents and Users are their teenage kids. I, as a parent, want all the best for my kid, so I need a very convincing argument to buy an expensive thing. This argument is a "DMV Approved" product.
User Persona
Avatar:
Elizabeth is a 16 years old high school teenager who lives in Southern California. She lives in a happy but very busy family where her mother works long hours in a tech company, and her father is an entrepreneur who founded a tech startup. Elizabeth is into science and also attends lacrosse classes. She has a couple of close friends who, unfortunately, live far away.
Pain Description:
Busy parents can't always give Elizabeth a ride to school, so she has to take public transit, which takes about 35 minutes one way. She feels dependent when she has to beg for a ride or keep track of the bus schedules. Sometimes she feels stressed when running late for her lacrosse classes. She is exhausted from long trips during the week, so she doesn't even go to friends' parties which impacts her social life.
She is 16 now and considering getting a driver's license. Her parents don't believe in the efficiency of driving education, but to teach her how to drive themself, they just don't have time.
Outcome:
Elizabeth's parents got her a video game for Christmas. She played that game before doing her homework when she came home after school. The game has a story and action but also teaches her how to drive a car. On her way to school, she used her spare time wisely to prepare for the DMV exam. She was as tired as before, but now she was feeling committed to a bigger goal: to be independent. When she finished the game, she was ready to hit the road with a real driving instructor. She booked lessons with the instructor by herself in the app and used these lessons as rides to get to school. All that without parents involved, they just bought her a gift.
Offer:
Streets is a virtual reality video game that teaches people how to drive. Approved by DMV.
Proof of concept
The idea is to create an AAA action game with unforgettable characters in an exciting storyline with hands and voice interaction, and educative material altogether. While playing a fun game, you will complete tasks and learn to drive.
It took me about six months to learn Unreal Engine and to make sure that these objectives are feasible :
It took me about six months to learn Unreal Engine and to make sure that these objectives are feasible :
- Integrate third-party steering wheel intro Unreal Engine;
- Create game assets;
- Develop game mechanics using: Steering Wheel, Hand Tracking, Speech Recognition, and Virtual Reality;
- Design characters in MetaHuman and animate them leveraging Motion Capture;
It went well, I made sure that the technologies are ready for the implementation and success of this project.
Game design
- Create game assets;
- Develop game mechanics using: Steering Wheel, Hand Tracking, Speech Recognition, and Virtual Reality;
- Design characters in MetaHuman and animate them leveraging Motion Capture;
It went well, I made sure that the technologies are ready for the implementation and success of this project.
Game design
The first game I came up with was learning how to use the mirrors before doing a Lane Change. Since you are wearing a VR headset, it allows you to move your head around, so with upbeat music in the background, you have to do a sequence of events:
1. Check your Center Mirror
2. Signal my intention (using Turn Signal Switch)
3. Check Side Mirror
4. Check the blind spot (over the shoulder)
It is Center-Signal-Side-Slide. All those moves are needed to perform safe and effective Lane Change. The goal is to make a three-digit number by looking at those mirrors. Oculus has a microphone built-in, so as soon as you look at those mirrors in the correct order, you have to "say" the right number. If you get it right, you earn a point. It gets more and more complicated with speed and moving objects.
Mobile App
The mobile app "Techtoys Driver" is central to learning how to drive because it guides you and connects all the elements. You start your experience by downloading the free app to look at what we offer and how it works. In the app, you can:
- Order the necessary equipment to get started: Driving Home Kit and VR Headset if you don't have one;
- Book a lesson with local professional driving instructors;
- Receive feedback after gaming and behind-the-wheel lessons;
- Prepare for DMV Knowledge Test with 650+ exam-like questions;
- Track your progress toward becoming a driving master and compare yourself to others if you wish;
- Get a Certificate of Completion of Driver Education and manage other DMV-related documents.
- Comprehensive library of Rules and Laws of the Road. Ask any driving-related questions and get instant answers with examples.
Information Architechture
User Flow
If you are under 18, you go through two primary loops of studying.
Loop One - is a gaming loop. A pre-requisite to start this loop is to have a Techtoys Drum wheel, VR Headset, and the game "Streets" installed. During this loop, you are basically having fun playing a game. After every gaming session, you go to the "Driver" mobile app to get feedback, practice DMV tests, and check your progress. If the user plays consistently, it takes about two months to finish the game.
Loop Two - is a behind-the-wheel practice loop. After you have finished the game, you are already full of skills and knowledge, and it is time hit the road. During this loop, you hire a local professional driving instructor to practice what you learned while gaming. You do it until you feel confident driving in any road scenario and are not scared to take the DMV driving test.
It is all about learning to drive effectively and confidently rather than getting a plastic card that allows you to drive as you can.
Interactive Prototype
EXPERIENCE
