Hop-On
Turning ideas into realities through experimentation
CLIENT: Toyota Innovation Hub - a design division of Toyota
ROLE: Project Lead
Hop-on is a micro public transportation solution, focused on filling the mobility gaps in highly urbanized places.
It started as a spin-off from a previous project (Bikkuri) and it is currently under trials in Japan. It was showcased at the Nagoya's Automotive Engineering Exposition 2022.
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We turned speculative ideas into real mobility solutions by turning concepts into tangible experiences. Prototypes that “you can show, not talk.”
1
the origin
The project started as a continuation of one of the experiments around shared mobility based on the idea of the gifting economy the year before (Bikkuri project).
We were exploring how could we enable transportation without any exchange of money.
Would people actually be willing to use it? I quickly prototyped the idea to just see what would happen
We started offering rides to people in between the piers.
People were much more willing to try than we were expecting, coming up with questions and suggestions.
Unexpected probes generate unexpected results
We created a more realistic setup...
What if people actually believed it was a real mobility solution?
Translate these ideas about the future/s into experiences
We hosted an Eventbrite event!
And brought the Toyota stakeholders to the event to interact with the community.
Getting stakeholders to experience speculative concepts in person.
This poetic prototype provoked new research questions. The discussions led to thinking about business opportunities
2
Crafting a new mobility opportunity
Exploration of opportunity areas to provide new and better forms of transportation for people in highly urbanized areas
Started trying existing methods of speculative design and was inspired by the works of Sputniko!, Dunne & Raby, and The Design Futures Initiative.
3
First round of tests
Envisioning possible partnerships with other divisions of Toyota we designed a mobility prototype that could be used as a learning tool
We worked with a mechanical engineer to build a mobility concept that we could iterate in multiple ways. More inclusive to all ranges of mobility ability.
Using the Wizard of Oz method
A research method where participants interact with a system that they believe to be autonomous, but in reality, is controlled by an unseen human.
During prototype development, we constantly shared our explorations and gain feedback
4
First round of tests
Wizard of Oz testing. We provided mobility to commuters in between modes of transportation. How would be the onboarding experience? How would people respond to an AI voice or text?
I used a hacked phone with a speaker to communicate with the passengers, pretending to be the vehicle's AI.
We tested different ways of engaging with users
By creating the experience we are not just imagining but designing realities, real experiences, and reactions
The tangibility of our process (experience a ride, the actual interaction and reaction of people) got the interest of different groups inside Toyota.
On the client side, they started to think this as a potential new mobility product.
5
Use cases and pitching to toyota's different groups
Hop-on is a Micro Public Transportation designed to address the gap between main modes of transportation: vehicles, busses, trains, subways, etc. making mobility more seamless and more fun.
By creating the experience we are not just imagining but designing realities, real experiences, and reactions
For our pitch, we focussed on the riding experience. Creating a demo experience inside the office. Creating simulations, these fragments of an imaginary scenario worked as a catalyst for critical discussion.
We didn’t want to give Toyota a mobility solution. What we delivered was a new methodology to collaboratively create mobility solutions through prototyping and iterating the shape and the user interactions.
6
Sending the project to japan
The project was taken by a future mobility group inside Toyota
After a visit to Japan where I presented to demo to multiple stakeholders, the project was taken by a future mobility group inside Toyota. The Open Road Project.
The Open Road team used our prototypes to host an event in Tokyo.
Testing the acceptability and basic ergonomics. And get inspiration on contextual mobility ability needs.
The mayor of Shibuya Ward (Tokyo) was invited to try the new experiment!
We provided the instructions to manipulate the prototypes and the best practices for running tests and interacting with users
Shibuya Ward testing
As a result of the experimental research, the mayor proposed an event including the local community in the streets of Tokyo!
*From this point onwards the project was entirely run by Toyota, without our assistance ! But the process and the mindset remained throughout the further development.
A new prototype was developed by Toyota's engineering team named Frog!
By joining residents, government, and local businesses in the area, they are able to understand each other more than the discussion in the conference room.
Usually regulations, mobility innovation, and community needs are not in sync.
By expanding the role of vehicles in our future lives we can create benefits we haven’t even yet anticipated.
The FROG PROJECT became an initiative to reimagine the meaning of mobility in urbanized areas
7
Post-pandemic changes: renaming to ”Round Palette”
During the pandemic the project changed teams and now it is under the Toyota Coinq Pro group
Experimenting a new type of mobility for more controlled environments such as parks, subway stations and commercial areas
Round Palette was showcased at the Nagoya's Automotive Engineering Exposition 2022.
