Recommendations for a User-Centered Design of Mobility Solutions

In this chapter, we are interested in the design and innovation processes of mobility solutions from the viewpoint of designers (vehicle providers, start-up companies developing digital mobility applications, mobility operators...). It is becoming increasingly important to take the door-to-door experience of travelers, and of other users of mobility systems, into account. Taking a step back on the research contributions of the Anthropolis chair (2016–2019), we advocate that user-centered insights are useful at different stages of solution development. When mobility solutions are not yet on the market, trials are mostly conducted to evaluate technological maturity (of autonomous shuttles for instance). Testers in these trials can say more about their experience and the value of the solution if asked to. When mobility solutions are on the market, there is a need to capture the experience of travelers and uncover their door-to-door problems through a systemic mobility diagnosis. This type of problem diagnosis can be used to feed innovation approaches, reveal value buckets for companies, and bring meaningful solutions for both travelers and the other users. Finally, we discuss the applicability and the potential of the recommendations for different mobility stakeholders.