Written By: Stephen W. Prisament, Virginia Tech
Throughout the duration of Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTCs), program sponsors consistently go above and beyond to help teams complete their projects more efficiently and advance the competition’s goals. Consumer Report is one of the many sponsors that Virginia Tech contributes to the team’s success in the current EcoCAR Mobility Challenge.
Consumer Reports is an independent and non-profit organization that is well-known for their extensive research and expertise in informing consumers on purchase decisions, which has especially helped the team’s Human Machine Interface / User Experience (HMI/UX) working group tackle complex design problems while ensuring a top-quality user experience. This year, Consumer Reports has offered multiple trainings to all the competition’s HMI/UX teams. Some of these training sessions include Prototype Content and Information Architecture Effectiveness as well as an Overview of Heuristic Analysis. These trainings provide practical experience that supplies teams with crucial information and skills to create a successful product for the end-user.
The heuristic analysis training, which introduced an evaluation method used to identify problem areas in usability of a product, was especially useful for Virginia Tech’s HMI/UX workgroup. The comprehensive overview first instructed attendees on how to complete a proper and detailed Heuristic Analysis. Then, participants were given time to conduct a heuristic analysis on another sample interface with help and provide feedback on how to improve that site’s user interface. The skills taught in this training were then put to the test just weeks later as the HMI/UX workgroup completed a heuristic analysis on their own interface for guiding drivers on how to use the vehicle’s Adaptive Cruise Control system.
Sponsors such as Consumer Reports are the heart of the competition, as they provide the crucial training and resources needed for teams to successfully compete in the program. By providing trainings such as the Overview of Heuristic Analysis, the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge is at the forefront of training students to recognize needs of the current consumer market and preparing students to tackle future User Experience needs.
