With the development of smart technologies, electrification, and autonomous driving, cars are evolving from simple transportation tools into mobile living spaces. The design focus has shifted toward enhancing in-car user experiences (Floridi, 2019). This thesis, in collaboration with Xiaomi EV, explores the potential of integrating IoT connectivity into smart cabin interiors to improve user experience in non-driving related activities (NDRAs) (Kim et al., 2015).
The project's ultimate goal is to create a "Refreshing" user experience within an L3 smart cabin. The forward-thinking concept developed in this project, Flowing Oasis, reimagines the in-car environment and interactions for Xiaomi's future electric vehicles.
The research follows the Double Diamond design framework, covering discovery, definition, development, and delivery phases. During the discovery phase, an in-depth analysis of user needs—particularly opportunities within the current research gap in in-car product customization and connectivity—was conducted, alongside a comprehensive brand analysis. The project then defined a clear mission: to create a modular, IoT-integrated cabin that supports a seamless user experience through product connectivity, addressing users' psychological and emotional needs by fostering a sense of belonging in a mobile context.
Key deliverables included CAD models, 3D visualizations, and VR prototypes, all used to validate the design's feasibility and user-centric value. The results indicate that integrating IoT-enabled features and introducing the Oasis platform—a co-creative business model where users define their in-car products—significantly enhances user satisfaction and aligns with Xiaomi’s goal of product premiumization.
Flowing Oasis not only provides users with a sense of belonging but also fosters continuous innovation through the IoT ecosystem, paving the way for future advancements in automotive design.

This project aims to create a proof of concept to evaluate the potential value of implementing a heat recovery system for Quooker in the kitchen context. In response to the global goal of achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, reducing energy loss has become a shared priority. Heat recovery systems can significantly decrease energy consumption, leading to economic and sustainable benefits. In collaboration with Quooker B.V., this project assesses the feasibility and impact of integrating such a system in kitchen environments. The evaluation follows a triple diamond approach, consisting of four stages: discover, define, develop, and deliver. During the discover phase, extensive research is conducted on kitchen contexts, user behavior, existing heat recovery systems, and the characteristics of current kitchen setups. The define phase involves exploring various design directions, identifying potential hazards, and selecting a single promising direction for further development. In the development phase, two design principles are prototyped and tested to determine which one offers the optimal heat recovery rate relative to its initial cost and carbon footprint. The deliver phase focuses on final testing, where the developed concept is evaluated for efficiency during typical kitchen activities, such as draining water after cooking and using the dishwasher. The results are analyzed over a 10-year period of daily use. The project concludes with an assessment of the final concept’s viability, feasibility, and desirability. Recommendations for further research and potential hazards associated with the implementation of
the heat recovery system for Quooker are provided.

Traditionally, conventional consultancies provide operational guidance to customers. However, market demands have shifted towards a human centred approach, leading to an increase in design consultancies. Design consultancies deliver not only great results but also introduce innovative ways of thinking through a process-driven approach differing from the result-driven process that clients were used to. The new ways of working poses a new challenge of rising uncertainty. Building trust with client organization reduces the inherent risk of working together, thereby building a stronger relationship. This helps consultancies gain credibility and create mutual reliability, improving brand loyalty and customer retention.

Similarities with the creative problem solving process and trust building process were drawn to form a template. Further the research was scoped to see trust building from an individual standpoint, i.e. design consultant being the facilitator in enabling clients build trust towards them. The project was set with the research question of “How do individuals in design consultancies help build trustful relationships with clients amid the constant shift in design perceptions? “

From empirical and theoretical analysis, eight driving factors and many trust building actions were identified. Apart from this, the research identified a lack of trust building awareness, how it is important to build trust around your context and with yourself. Further a trust building journey was developed that establishes how trust is built in a step wise approach and how it can be empowered for skill development for individuals seeking to work in a consultancy environment.

The design solution is a guidebook developed to raise awareness and help surface the factors necessitated towards trust building through narrative-based learning. Narratives of working professionals experiences highlighting suitable actions taken for trust development helps individuals reflect on their ways of working and embed new actions that improves trust building.

This executive summary provides an overview of the key findings and insights presented in the master's thesis named "Exploring MINIs contribution to urban ecosystems. Igniting Strategies on heat wave mitigation.". The study investigates the role of the brand MINI, in addressing the pressing issue of urban heat waves and its transformation to an ecosystemfocused contributor. With systemic design, a transition of viewpoint is offered in this thesis, and an additional planet centered approach is used to find new solutions which take the entanglements of the city into consideration. Urban heat waves have become a critical concern within the context of global climate change and urban development. Within the automotive industry, the heat generated by vehicles in cities has been identified as a blind spot that has received insufficient attention in recent decades. With this thesis a possible strategy with examplary interventions to address this gap is derived to make a meaningful contribution. This executive summary outlines the different chapters which include strategies, solutions, and recommendations presented in the thesis to address this challenge. After the introduction and table of figures the following chapters are: Chapter 3 – Background: This chapter introduces the urban heat wave problem and its impacts on urban ecosystems. It highlights the pivotal role of MINI in recognizing the challenge and aligning its strategies with the broader initiatives of urban development. Additionally, a comprehensive trend and context analysis, identifying the crucial role of automobiles in exacerbating this problem. Chapter 4 – Design Process: Chapter 4 explains the Design Process of this Master Thesis in three diamonds, which involves exploration through research, envisioning potential futures and third, defining a strategy for action. Chapter 5 – Stakeholder Analysis: In this chapter the outcome of Interviews conducted with both citizens and experts are presented, to shed light on the system’s issues and deepening the understanding of the problems at hand. Chapter 6 – Co-creation: To foster a co-creative approach, three workshops to facilitate dialogue and solution generation in collaboration with stakeholders where conducted. Chapter 7 – Synthesis: In a final Synthesis a Strategy for MINI is presented with the goal to shift the mindset of citizens and vehicle users through a three step approach. The first step involves raising awareness on heat waves by providing information. The second step focuses on developing vehicles that minimize heat generation. The third and most transformative step encourages a change in consumer mindset towards a concept where individuals gain access to mobility in exchange for contributing to society. The overarching goal is to reduce heat in cities effectively and contribute to the larger city ecosystem. Chapter 8 – Conclusion: By aligning MINIs strategy with the city goals, advocating for sustainable mobility, and collaborating with stakeholders, MINI can strive to create cooler, more sustainable urban environments for all. With the transition of MINI towards an ecosystem mindset and active contribution to the fight against urban heat waves, a transformation of users and citizens mindset can be achieved. The democratization of mobility through collaboration with city governments, citizens, and relevant stakeholders to determine the optimal vehicle solutions is recommended. The recognition that there is no one-size-fits-all solution underscores the need for a democratic approach.

This research aims to create a minor taxonomy of the domain of Ambient Intelligent Environments (AmIE), sometimes simply called Ambient Intelligence (AmI). These refer to ‘smart-,’ ‘intelligent-,’ or ‘assistive-’ built environments including homes, schools, offices, museums, hospitals, libraries, stores, labs, prisons, warehouses, transport hubs, airports, parks, cities, etc. AmIE are often confused with (or described interchangeably as) ‘ubiquitous-,’ ‘pervasive computing,’ ‘mobile computing,’ or ‘spatial computing;’ as well as the Internet of Things (IoT) and building automation including HVAC automation. While AmIE comprise the aforementioned technologies, they specifically describe the paradigm in which these and other technologies (namely sensors, actuators, and processors) are outfitted in the built environment so that those places become sensitive and responsive to the presence, needs, wants, and preferences of their inhabitants. Given that AmIEs require an array of computing technologies to function, they are necessarily complex design-engineering systems that rely on some level of algorithmic taxonification and, as such, are vulnerable to perpetuating harm in so far as biases have been codified therein. This research engages this complexity and risk of harm perpetuation by utilizing Minor Theory (also ‘minor theory’) as a theoretical lens through which to begin to move towards values aligned taxonification of the vast AmIE design space. Through a series of sequential literature reviews, this work offers a jumping off point for the continued taxonification of the AmIE design space by 1) introducing and applying minor theory as a method for data analysis and by 2) proposing three thematic vectors to consider in codifying an AmIE a design space: attunement, embodiment, and anti-fragility.

The BMW Group is one of the world’s leading premium manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles. However, mobility, together with an increased world population, causes problems like traffic congestions, emissions, and an increased energy and raw material consumption that impacts our climate. This, digital developments like the Internet of Things, and the pressure from emerging car brands like Tesla or new mobility providers, have disrupted the automotive industry. Complexity has therefore increased, creating wicked problems for BMW that has to adapt itself to these dynamic times. It however also creates opportunities opportunities for whole new driving and mobility experiences.
To create these experiences, BMW has to rethink its current ways of working that are still largely engineering and product driven. Instead, a more experience driven mindset could be the answer to increasing customer demands and market pressure. This research therefore focuses on developing a strategy on how industries could adapt to dynamic times by changing a company‘s internal mindset, from a product-oriented focus to a more experience driven one. Starting from the experience, means taking a user-centred approach that focusses on human needs instead of merely product- and feature-evolvement. This would not only benefit the customer, but also the company‘s success by generating competitive advantages, profitability and sustaining long-term customer loyalty.
Following from the research, it was found that UX and CX can be taken to a next level, which not only optimises customer touchpoints around products and services but solves for human needs around a clear purpose. This is called a Business of Experience (BOX) and the newly framed goal is to create a strategy that transforms the BMW Group into a BOX that is fully human- and experience driven. In line with the 4M framework, the need for four strategies was derived, called CO: strategies, to reach this final goal. On the individual level, a strategy is needed that enhances the engagement of every employee, a.k.a. Individual Contributor (IC), which is translated into CO:NTRIBUTION. On the second level, collaboration and knowledge flow between teams and departments must be enhanced, resulting in a strategy involving CO:LLABORATION. Next to this, there is a need for supporting organisational structures, cultures, and leaders, thus CO:ORDINATION. Lastly, stakeholders that form the community around organisations should be involved in the development process to learn about needs and innovations, and a strategy to enhance CO:-CREATION should be implemented.
A roadmap with three horizons and a final vision for the BMW Group was created, that should lead the BMW Group towards becoming a Business of Experience. A good starting point is the creation of a Centre of Excellence (COE). A COE is a centralised and independent, physical and/or virtual facility within an organisation, that leverages the resources that are already there and provides the rest of the organisation with coordination, research, knowledge, support, trainings, and enablers in a specific area. It supports change initiatives, like that of mindset shifts, in corporate environments and constantly explores new tools and practices, which it then transfers across all functions of an organisation.

Scania is one of the world-leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport, combined with an extensive product-related service offering. This thesis proposes a data-driven service innovation strategy to leverage the potential of data and data intelligence for Scania's future business in the truck segment. The freight transport industry is significantly disrupted by trends such as digitalization, automation, connectivity and electrification. These trends will restructure the value network of the freight transport industry by creating new ways of doing business. Enabled by connectivity and data intelligence, vehicle data can be aggregated and processed to provide data insights that benefit the logistics chain. It unlocks new opportunities for Scania to deliver new digital services driven by data, extending beyond their traditional business model. Therefore, to fully exploit the possibilities of the value pools created by data, the thesis aims to create an innovation strategy to define Scania's new market positions and customers and create a coordinated roadmap for Scania's future data-driven services.This strategy has been developed by analyzing the internal environment, the value network of the freight transport industry, the logistics chain, market trends and technologies. Insights from research have been synthesized to envision the future scenarios of the value network and define Scania's strategic direction. In the short term, Scania delivers digital logistics services to shippers and carriers, enabling them to achieve efficient and sustainable transport operations collaboratively by data sharing. In the long term, Scania aims to offer Logistics as a service with autonomous vehicles directly to shippers by partnering with a digital logistics broker. A future vision has been created for Scania's service development by 2030: "Scania as a sustainable transport ecosystem enabler, providing customers collaborative and optimized logistics solutions powered by open innovation to drive their business forward." To reach the future vision, four main service systems were designed incrementally and related to other technologies:1. Connecting & Sharing: Enable visible and controllable transport operation for both carriers and shippers through seamless data orchestration and sharing.2. Optimizing transport operations: Delivering sustainable and efficient logistics and transport management services to customers via data-driven decision making and integration of digital logistics brokerage platforms.3. EV transition Acceleration: Accelerating the transition to electrified vehicles by providing customers effortless transport experience with smart routing and power charging services.4. Logistics as a Service with autonomous vehicles: Transforming towards the transport ecosystem enabler by providing Logistics as a Service with autonomous vehicles.The strategy is presented in the format of a roadmap with all the elements such as trends, user values, service systems, technologies and business. By following this path and delivering these data-driven services to the market, Scania can create multi-dimensional business models and shift from a truck OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to a service provider with production.

This project revolves around redesigning Demand Responsive Transport services for non-digital users. The Ombudsman has identified that in the past couple of years public transport (PT) operators are replacing fixed transit lines (FLT) by Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services in low demand areas (OV-loket, 2017). DRT is more efficient, because it is on demand and therefore runs only when and where needed. However, the Ombudsman also identified that users experience many issues. This project started in october 2019 with an analysis of DRT transport and relevant aspects. This led to the insight that the implementation of DRT services are often experienced as a deterioration of existing PT lines because of several reasons. People are not familiar with DRT and therefore, the fact that a reservation is required remains unnoticed. It requires more actions to initiate the journey and therefore, more effort. The minimum reservation time in advance limits the spontaneity. Departure and arrival times are often inconsistent. Insufficient feedback decreases the certainty of travelling. Nevertheless, with the digital possibilities that are provided in smartphone apps, these issues are acceptable. It seems that DRT services are often designed with the digital users in mind. However, lacking these digital possibilities makes the user experience even worse, which is the case for some ‘forgotten’ 20% of Dutch people above 16+. This was the starting point of the project. A double diamond approach is taken. In the first diamond he objective was to identify the ‘forgotten’ group and get insights about their needs and requirements. Literature is explored to identify these users and determine the population share in order to substantiate the relevance of the project. Literature has provided a list of demographic characteristics that are often related to low digital literacy. This list was used to recruit participants for in-depth user interviews, to learn more about their (non) digital behaviour and planning and travelling behaviour. The insights were translated to a workable format: personas and critical usage scenarios. These tools were used to inspire during the ideation phase and evaluating the effect of ideas. During the design phase, several prototyping sessions have led to a concept proposition, which consists of several elements. First of all, the user is approached with advertisements that appeal to them and explains the functionality. Secondly, the bus platforms are equipped with Dynamic Responsive Information Panels (DRIPs) that display the actual departure times of the DRT bus. In this case, the user has a confirmation of the bus. Also, as a reservation pole is added that if the traveller missed the bus, she/he could notify the service operator that she/he is waiting at the bus station, which both enhances the user’s perceived certainty while travelling. Finally, a device is provided that allows the user to make a reservation with two simple interactions and consulting actual departure times at one glance allowing the traveller to book and cancel at the last moment which enhances the perceived travel spontaneity.