In partnership with General Motors
How can we make personalization a universal standard with General Motors?
A service design case study exploring how an accessibility business branch of General Motors can reach new clients.
Scope: Design Research, UX, Web Design, Service Design, Graphic Design, Video Editing/Directing, Illustration
Primary Research
Intervention with Braunability
I reached out to Ellen Braaten, a design professor who uses a wheelchair and owns a Braunability van. Braunability is a leader in accessibility technology in vehicles. But from our research, there was lots of pain points for users and little room for customization or troubleshooting. Through the ideation, Ellen became central to the development of GM Access.
Areas of Opportunity
I digitally illustrated this map to visualize where GM Access could launch trial programs. It highlights all GM dealerships in the U.S., with orange areas marking those in regions with a high percentage of disabled residents. These areas highlighted in orange are ideal for launching an accessibility business branch.
Who would want this service?
GM Access initially targets wheelchair users and the aging population who drive their own vehicles, valuing the independence it provides for daily activities and medical appointments.
Wheelchair users often feel the world isn't designed for them. They seek normalization of disability and empowerment through design. Seniors face changing physical abilities, preferring simplicity in vehicle design with emphasis on function over form.
By looking at these two user groups, we developed the three pillars of GM Access.
In order to design a service, we needed to establish pillars for customer and General Motors success. These are the said pillars.
Make Accessibility More Accessible
Personalization is the Universal Standard
Bring Confidence to the Table
Flow of Service
This diagram illustrates GM Access' service flow and highlights its three key pillars.
Accessibility is accessible by offering services at any GM dealership and coordinating appointments for multiple services in one visit—features not available in the U.S. currently. Personalization is achieved through consultations with accessibility experts who help select the right technology, whether it's a customized steering wheel or another option. Finally, GM Access builds confidence by letting customers test custom features in VR, ensuring a good fit and an enjoyable experience.
Introducing GM Access
An accessible digital experience under General Motors that offers customization of personal vehicles.
Making it easy.
GM Access provides an easy onboarding with personalization of their profile with very few steps to complete. This gives the user an instant look of how personalization is the universal standard for GM Access and how personalization is simple - not extra.
Personalization is the universal standard.
Users can see options that work for them based on the results from the onboarding, whether that’s a whole vehicle or additive tech. The research for the best product has been done for them!
Building confidence in users.
The Home page for GM Access shows how users are at the center of the service. The very first impression focuses on the person and the joy around accessible tech. To show how it’s built with the community and that’s how you empower the community.
Integration into existing interfaces.
GM Access products and services integrate seamlessly into General Motors’ current digital landscape. With this, there is little interruption for their current brands, and GM Access is easier for General Motors to launch as a service.
Inspiring Audiences with Video.
I directed, edited, animated the logo, and created the voiceover for the pitch. Utilizing After Effects, I was able to stitch together the audio, video, and added visuals.
This pitch was inspired by existing General Motors videos that focus more on inspiring the audience rather than marketing products to them. It creates a sense of a symbiotic relationship rather than a materialistic salesperson-to-customer one.
This video was played before we presented our project to General Motors professionals.