New product designs in car clinics to understand choice

Honda successfully use our Augmented Reality (AR) mobile technology in car clinics to expand the range of design options they test with respondents. Multiple features, like wheel designs, are augmented onto physical cars to validate consumer preferences.

Honda Motor Company (the Japanese multinational corporation with over 1.6 million sales per year in the US) acknowledge the limitations of traditional car clinics where physical prototypes don’t provide realistic insight on the full range of style and design options. Honda wanted to know which wheel designs on their Acura model were most appealing to consumers however the prototype transported to the viewing facility only had one option.

Not all the prototype wheel designs were available for the Acura and, even if they were, it wasn’t logistically possible to change wheels during the car clinic. 2D images on poly boards weren’t a realistic option when seen alongside a 3D car. The research team needed to conduct detailed interviews with participants during the car clinic and therefore feedback on wheel designs required a quick and elegant solution.

Realistic representation

Wheel design options on physical car prototype.

Quick and practical method

To test multiple designs with participants.

Integrated technical solution

With existing car clinic research techniques.

Six 3D AR wheel designs were created from images and CAD files supplied by the client. The wheels accurately represented the real versions with reflective chrome alloy materials, matt finishes etc and carefully calibrated scale to fit different tyre sizes. During the week of fieldwork, participants used iPads to see the side of the car with AR designs overlaid on top of the existing wheels. Tapping the ‘Design’ button on the iPad screen changed wheel designs in real-time so the research team could interview participants about how different designs looked on the Acura model.  

 The realism of 3D AR wheels enabled researchers to accurately evaluate additional design features to deliver additional insight. The traditional limitations of physical prototypes in car clinics were therefore reduced by augmenting digital stimulus on top of the car. This dynamic approach increased participant engagement and maximised their feedback for no additional respondent fees. 

3D AR designs 

Overlaid on top of physical car. 

Dynamic testing

Of multiple wheel designs with each participant.   

Additional consumer insight 

Generated within traditional car clinic setting. 

Design concepts were brought to life with AR technology augmenting new wheel designs on a real car. This enhanced the consumer research by allowing more designs to be tested and for more accurate insight to be captured.

Honda have implemented the insight from the fieldwork with the selected wheel designs live on their website and in showrooms in the US.