Honda's business model centres around the concept of factory built cars with pre-defined sets of features (tiers), to which some extras can be added in the dealership. This however doesn’t lend itself to configuring a car to individual specs, and can be an issue for some prospective customers that have difficulties understanding the differences between tiers.
We approached the problem by generating several very distinct and unconventional approaches to tackle the problem, with some degree of artificial intelligence, which were qualitatively tested with real world users across the 5 key markets in Europe. We quickly discovered that users were both confused by the choices provided by Honda and suspicious of any tool that attempts to help them, rather preferring clear information and the ability to explore at will.
We ended up creating a step by step process, that converges the limitations of the business model and the main user needs and delivers a platform that handholds users to their ideal car by making each option selected concise and clear. The experience was designed to be very visual, with fully rendered scenes for each car and accessories, and most interactions having some visual component to help users along. We also art directed Honda’s production agency, working alongside them in the production of thousands of 3D renders of all models, colours and accessories.
