UX research and data for the "smartphone on wheels"

As the car shifts from combustion engine to electric, and into a "smartphone on wheels" where software and user experience matter more, Volvo Cars needed to understand how people use the whole vehicle, not just its individual features, across the full user journey.

What I did

I worked in a team for user insights and analytics, at the intersection of data analytics, UX research, and market intelligence. We analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from people and vehicles, to understand behavior from a complete-vehicle and complete user-journey perspective. I also served as Scrum master for my team and its neighboring team.

Results

• Created a new study method to validate the complete-vehicle experience at a one-year post-purchase follow-up. My team has reused it in later projects and studies.
• Ran 100+ survey studies of existing vehicles and mobility solutions, working with stakeholders across Volvo Cars. Studies directly and indirectly affected strategy decisions for future products.
• Designed and ran interview studies and focus groups, including contextual inquiries inside cars, to understand needs, pains and delights of newly released cars.
• Improved my team's ways of working as Scrum master, freeing time and resources for valuable work and away from ceremonies that added little.

Methods and tools

Methods: interviews, contextual inquiry, surveys, focus groups, user journeys, workshops, qualitative and quantitative analysis, data visualization, agile practices.

Tools: Power BI, Figma, Miro, Microsoft Forms, Jira.

What I learned

How to navigate decision forums, internal structures, and industry jargon in a large international corporation, and how to lead as a Scrum master. Power BI was new to me, and I have since grown to like it a lot, for my data analysis and visualization.