Value driven mobility design for future cities: a vision for 2040

Abstract

After it’s invention in 1886, the car has left us with amazing opportunities and progress. But it has become very clear that today’s degree of car use is not sustainable in terms of land and energy use and emissions. Big developments are about to shake up the automotive world, but they do not bring the change that is needed. A traffic jam of electric vehicles is still a traffic jam. Autonomous cars are about to increase the attractiveness of cars and mobility services are mainly competitive with public transport. Many regulations and projects aim to decrease car use and car ownership. But most of them try to address people’s reason by focussing on instrumental motives only. Instead, triggering people’s emotion by means of symbolic affective motives is much more efficient. In this project it is decided to focus on cultural values. Values are strongly tied to emotion and are the most important drivers for people’s behaviour. This design project works with the ViP (Vision in Product Design) design method as guidance, and uses other design and design research methods as input. First, the values of the future user (Mercedes-Benz drivers) are being researched using a qualitative method (Context Mapping) complemented by a quantitative method (Short Schwartz Values Survey). Values most important to Mercedes-Benz drivers are Self-Direction, Security and Benevolence. With the future user in mind and after constructing a future context, a mission statement is formulated: “In a world where AI is valued over human instinct/feelings and urban areas are confronted with severe consequences of climate change, we want MB drivers to embrace travelling with their peers, using sustainable mobility alternatives. In order for them to do so, we need to make sure MB drivers feel their sovereignty is respected, and they feel secure in the changes they are making.” The concept presented in this report is a platform where members form clubs through which they have unlimited access to premium mobility. The most important value propositions of the service are: ‘Unlimited access to premium mobility’, ‘Travel with people you’ve always wanted to meet’, ‘Choosing your own club, feeling at home in your club’, ‘Perform your desired activity’, ‘Growing as a member’, ‘Join in adventure’. The concept was validated by means of presenting the concept as it was ‘already there’, in a folder to do face to face interviews and on a website for an online survey. The in total 65 participants rated the service a 4,3 out of 7. Mercedes-Benz drivers rated the service on average a 3,8 out of 7. Participants were also asked to rate the value propositions of the service. The value propositions that were rated highest all found their roots in the values Self-direction and Security.