The Boring Company
THE UNDERGROUND TUNNELS
OVERVIEW
DEFEATING TRAFFIC IN LOS ANGELES
CHALLENGE
The automated underground commute does not exist...yet.
Users must be able to locate underground entrances, monitor commute, embrace high-speed travel — all the while trusting that they will safely make it out alive.
SOLUTION
Establishing trust towards the machine.
By providing Tesla drivers with a portable system which educates, informs, and empowers them to explore more efficient commuting routes, we aim to facilitate and expedite the adoption of The Boring Company’s tunneling project and help Los Angelenos circumvent the congested streets and highways of their urban jungle. Most importantly, our design must provide users with a sense of control, safety, and comfort through guided access, appropriate feedback, and educations.
TARGET USERS INTERVIEWS
FIND OUR USER PERSONA
At the outset of the project we did not have a clear mission for the pickup experience without pre-existing insights or users. Our first call to action was to interview and survey several target user groups. We created research goals for each group.
We attended a Tesla charge station, a Tesla Car show, and the Union Metro Station to conduct interviews with our 3 target groups.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Drivers are skeptical about having no control of their vehicle while it travels at 130 miles per hour in an underground tunnel.
USER PERSONA & SCENARIO
After synthesizing our interview data, we then crafted Andrew as our persona based off our findings.
We learned that Andrew:
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Commutes to work daily in his Tesla (50 miles)
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Traffic is his worst enemy
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Skeptical about having no control in his car
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Relies on his iPhone 7 for navigational apps and live traffic updates
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Loves Tesla because it is a gas saver and hi-tech
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
We continued the research process by evaluating the usability and functionality of the most popular Navigation apps to assess technological capabilities. Major findings:
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Moovit App: Guides users through the best routes with live traffic updates
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Google maps: Interface is highly intuitive; allows users to save favorite routes and guides users with feedback and alerts
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Transit App: Users can plan trips with multiple bus and metro routes; time is estimated depending on departure and arrival times.
MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT
Prioritizing our features
After distilling our research into a value proposition, we prioritized features, discovered my Minimum Viable Product, and sketched and wire-framed solution iterations.
Our focuses for the MVP:
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Route timeline view
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Get directions function
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Trip Planner + Smart pit stop
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Skate entry assistant
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Global menu + Search menu
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Favorites, Planned routes, Recent routes
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View nearby waypoints + tunnel routes
MOCKUPS
Walk-through
Onboarding
Dashboard + Get directions process
Tesla In-car App (Version 1)
Track Assistance
PROTOTYPE
PROJECT OUTCOME
Designing for the unknown, the uncomfortable, and the inevitable.
We conducted a usability inspection as well as multiple rounds of user research to identify the true underlying issues that may arise with the automated underground tunnel system. We conducted multiple design sprints to produce an app prototype that marries web mapping technology with “The Boring Company’s” business goal of providing a safe and seamless alternative to daily commute.
By confirming the feasibility of automated assistance, identifying a market fit, and understanding user needs and pain points, we designed and tested a product that would help Los Angeles commuters locate routes and available options while underground, and provides easy access back to the surface at waypoints.
