BACHELOR THESIS I 23.08.2024
Developing this project was part of my Bachelor Thesis. Special thanks to the BMW Market Communication Department, providing high detailed data and supporting me.
Idea
A photorealistic real-time vehicle configurator from BMW positions itself as an innovative technology in the automotive industry, allowing users to personalize and configure vehicles with realistic detail. Using a real-time engine, it offers an interactive experience that surpasses traditional online configurators, highlighting BMW's role as a digital transformation leader. Realism and product proximity are crucial for purchase decisions.
The potential target audience for this configurator includes car enthusiasts, tech-savvy individuals, and those with an affinity for premium automobiles. It also appeals to a younger demographic that expects seamless digital integration in the buying process. With its user-friendly interface and immersive experience, the configurator caters to a broad range of customers seeking a personalized and interactive shopping experience.
Getting Context
First of all, it is important to get context of the current market situation and what target the developer of a configurator must work for and making sure the user experience is good. Points I took a look at:
Product Configurators:
Reasons for Use
In today's digital era, product configurators are becoming increasingly important and can offer a competitive edge. A key reason is the ability to provide customers with a tailored experience, allowing them to customize products to their preferences, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.
Additionally, configurators streamline product development and production by reducing the need for post-sale customizations, saving time and resources. This enables companies to respond more quickly to market demands and enhance competitiveness.
Configurators also help minimize errors and returns by clearly specifying customer preferences, improving product quality and reducing complaints. The more realistic the product images, the lower the return risk.
Furthermore, configurators support cross-selling and up-selling by offering relevant add-ons during the customization process. Apple is a prime example of leveraging configurators to increase average order value and boost sales.
User Types
There are different user types who interact with the configurator, each with varying needs and goals. Users can be broadly categorized into three groups:
1. Customers and Prospective Buyers
This group uses configurators to design and purchase products according to their preferences. They value an intuitive interface, ease of use, and visual representations of the configured products.
2. Sales Team
This includes partners, dealerships, and internal/external sales staff. Salespeople use configurators to assist customers in product selection and to create tailored offers. They need detailed product information, pricing, and variant options, as well as the ability to quickly save and compare configurations.
3. Technical/Development Team
This group includes project planning, engineering, and product development. They use configurators to assess technical feasibility and ensure that all configurations meet specific technical and product requirements. For this group, it's crucial that the configurator has extensive validation rules and integrates with other technical systems.
User Experience:
User Experience
User experience (UX) refers to the overall experiences and impressions a user has when interacting with a product, service, digital platform, or application. A successful UX is characterized by ease of use, intuitive navigation, and appealing design of the user interface (UI), all aimed at meeting the needs and expectations of users. The UI is a subset of usability and serves as a medium for conveying psychological factors. These psychological aspects are crucial: a positive user experience builds trust in the product and increases satisfaction, leading to greater customer loyalty and ultimately higher sales. Users who feel comfortable and understood during their interaction are more likely to recommend or repurchase the product, highlighting the importance of a well-designed UX.
User Experience for Configurators
What makes a good user experience in a configurator? The core components of the user experience specifically for configurators can be identified as accessibility, availability, navigation, realistic preview, interaction, and performance. So, what makes a truly helpful configurator? Or, in other words: How do you get the customer to their perfect product, quickly and easily?
V.Friedmann had some tipps:
Good landing page, well chosen number of options, bringing the costumer closer, highlight features, use good and high qualitative content, don't give the feeling doing compromises, providing a stable UI, showing market identity, don't start with a "blank state", step by step