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BMW Group – AI Assistant
BMW Group’s initial designs for its Enterprise Voice AI Assistant, created to improve collaboration and employee productivity for global internal teams, lacked the emotional element, making it less appealing for users to integrate into their workflow. There were concerns about the potential impact of this lack of emotions on user engagement and adoption rates across their global employee groups.
As the lead UX Strategist, I led a team of 10 to research, develop and test concepts, align cross-functional teams and communicate and pitch recommendations to client stakeholders.
Role
Lead UX Strategist/Researcher
Project Type
Onsite Client Project (Under NDA) as part of the SCADpro Innovation Studio
Tools
Figma, Miro
Duration
10 Weeks
BACKGROUND & CONTEXT
Increasing the user adoption of BMW Group's GenAI enterprise virtual assistant
The initial designs for the AI Assitant lacked emotions. The clients were concerned about the potential impact of this lack of emotions on user engagement and adoption rates across their global employee groups.
Through a rapid generative research study, I led the team to identify the needs of key stakeholders in the car production process. Our research informed crucial design decisions with Archetypes helping build personalized workspace environments and design principles and experience framework informing the design of interactive AI Assistant form, sound and voice personality.
OUTCOME & IMPACT
I Identified key issues with the current design through evaluative research and recommended 5 strategies and detailed design guidelines & design principles that incorporated emotional design.
Recommendations were successfully implemented leading to the desired outcome and securing client buy-in for implementation for an AI Assistant that is tailored to the needs of different stakeholders in the vehicle development process.
The project successfully secured leadership and stakeholder buy-in at both BMW Group’s German headquarters and the North American division. Our design concepts and strategic recommendations were highly praised for their quality, timely execution, and strategic relevance. The clients expressed strong satisfaction with the outcomes, leading to the start of implementation within four months of the final deliverable handover.
I transformed an ambiguous project brief into a clear design direction by creating a framework for integrating emotions into the AI Assistant. I communicated insights with cross-functional stakeholders and the clients to align everyone on the vision and design directions.
MY CONTRIBUTION & IMPACT AS LEAD UX STRATEGIST
Securing buy-in for implementation from global BMW Leadership & stakeholders
Research Planning & Project Scoping
I directed a team of 10 to research, test and design concepts for BMW's internal AI Assistant. My work encompassed planning and conducting the research, project management, team alignment and presenting to clients. I developed a rapid research plan for a generative research study, defined research goals and narrowed the scope of the project to ensure project completion on time and for client satisfaction.
Team Alignment & Collaboration
Defined the vision for the project utilizing the North Star framework, an enterprise design thinking method to align cross-functional stakeholders on a unified vision for the project.
Research Analysis, Synthesis & Presentation
I collaborated with cross-functional team members to drive research activities such as secondary research, participant recruitment and user interviews. I utilized affinity mapping and thematic analysis to analyse and translate user insights. I also designed the ideal experience framework and 4 user archetypes and co-developed the design principles. My research informed crucial design decisions for the new conceptual designs with Archetypes helping build personalized workspace environments and design principles and experience framework informing the design of interactive AI Assistant form, sound and voice personality.