Product Sense: Creating a Vehicle Concept for People in Later Life

Create a car meant for seniors. Decide which older people it serves first, which of their problems it solves, and what sets it apart from the cars they can buy today. ```hint Follow one trip Break a single trip into stages, from walking out to the car to parking at the destination, and note which age-related changes make each stage harder. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is the goal to help seniors keep driving safely and comfortably, or to get them where they need to go even if they no longer drive? - Are we designing a whole new vehicle with a car maker, or the features and software that go into existing models? - Who is the buyer: the senior, an adult child, or a fleet such as a ride service or a retirement community? - Does "seniors" mean an age band, or people with specific age-related needs such as reduced mobility, weaker night vision or slower reactions? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated goal and a chosen first segment of older people, with the alternatives set aside - Pain points tied to specific age-related changes and to the stages of a trip - Solutions mapped to those pains and prioritized by impact and feasibility into a first version with explicit cuts - Success metrics that include safety guardrails - Risks such as overreliance on automation, stigma, cost, and the line between family oversight and the owner's autonomy ### Follow-up Questions - How would your design change for someone who can no longer drive safely but still needs to get around independently? - Many older buyers reject products that label them as old. How would you design and market this car so they want it? - How would you test your ideas with older drivers before committing to expensive hardware changes?