Works

Scope:

UX Design & Testing

Year:

2025

OVERVIEW

Designing and testing an experimental e-bike app prototype with real riders in Germany to define Yamaha’s digital product strategy.

The Mission

Build a digital companion app concept to differentiate Yamaha from market leader Bosch by focusing on user experience rather than just hardware specs.

The Core Philosophy

Implement Kando: the Japanese concept of creating an emotional connection where the rider feels at one with the machine.

The Feature Hypothesis

Introduce an automated "Detour" system designed to suggest scenic path variations that take users by the hand to explore new areas during daily commutes or weekend tours.

The Target Market

Germany, testing how the concept resonates across two distinct user archetypes: daily utility riders (persona: Hannah) and fitness-seeking cyclists who want to progress without competitive pressure (persona: Ultimate Hannah).

PROBLEMS

Business Deficit

Yamaha's relationship with a customer traditionally ended the moment the bike was purchased, missing out on long-term digital brand engagement.

User Obstacle

Competitor apps were purely functional and impersonal; they failed to capture the sense of discovery and emotional connection that cyclists actually value.

The Spatial Constraint

A smartphone screen can't compete with an active ride. Demanding a user's attention while moving at 25km/h creates a real safety risk.

MY ROLE

I co-led design ideation with a Japanese colleague and drove the user research strategy myself. Since Yamaha wanted to test the app in Germany first, they relied heavily on my cultural input to adapt the concept for Western European riders. To move through a risk-averse Japanese corporate environment, I built detailed concept maps to align stakeholders before a single screen was drawn, using AI tools to iterate on animation concepts quickly. From there, I coordinated with a developer in Sweden to build the prototype, then flew to Munich myself to lead the live field testing.

DIRECTION

I built an assumption-driven prototype centered on the abstract philosophy of Kando, designed explicitly to test whether emotional, non-numerical interface concepts could engage European riders, or whether they'd fall flat.

SOLUTIONS

Archetype-Targeted Design Setup

This let us test the Business Deficit and User Obstacle problems against two different user mindsets in parallel. I structured the prototype flows around a strict split of 12 live test users in Munich, separating utility-driven daily commuters (Hannah) from fitness riders who wanted progress without competitive pressure (Ultimate Hannah).

Quick and Simple Cycling Data Tracking

This addressed the Spatial Constraint directly: a rider moving at speed can't stop to log a ride manually. I built a clean landing screen on the assumption that automated background tracking would remove that friction entirely.

Engagement Through Abstract Visuals (Kando)

This was the direct answer to the User Obstacle problem: competitor apps felt cold and purely functional. I designed abstract, fluid shapes meant to mirror the rhythm of the ride, replacing traditional text metrics with soft, non-numerical feedback.

Dual-Mode Detours

This targeted the Business Deficit problem by giving riders a reason to keep opening the app after the sale. I programmed a proactive routing feature that switches between functional hazard alerts (like road blockages) and scenic exploration prompts that break riders out of habitual routes.

Information architecture of the app prototype

OUTCOMES

The Archetype Spectrum Validated

Our testing matrix mapped a clear user spectrum: casual commuters cared purely about time-saving utility, while the Ultimate Hannah segment wanted to raise their fitness bar but rejected competitive pressure, meaning the UI needed to celebrate personal milestones rather than social leaderboards. This unlocked a real commercial direction for Yamaha: long-term revenue through premium digital subscriptions, personal health metrics, and smart accessories aimed at a high-spending, non-competitive fitness audience.

The Detour Reality Check

Testing showed that standard automotive-style traffic alerts carry little value for cyclists, who can easily navigate around typical city congestion. Real value came from alerting riders only to total road closures, or offering genuinely enriching scenic detours.

The Kando Feedback

The abstract visual feedback caused what riders described as "maximum confusion" during live testing on home trainers. German riders read it as a short-lived gimmick rather than an emotional connection, proving that concrete utility has to come first before users can appreciate anything more abstract.

Iterations

Quantifying Exercise Intensity (Daily Summary)

In response, I introduced a more detailed post-ride summary. Instead of basic mileage, the UI now maps precise cardio zones, caloric breakdown, and physical output, giving fitness-focused riders a real read on the physical return of a ride.

Macro-Progress Mapping (Calendar View)

To serve Ultimate Hannah users specifically, I designed a visual history view where riders can track streaks, filter by ride intensity, and spot training trends across weeks and months.

LEARNINGS

Context Dictates Routing Value

A rider's tolerance for digital intervention changes entirely by context: someone commuting to work rejects distractions, while a leisure cyclist welcomes scenic detour prompts.

"Bike logic isn't car logic"

Designing navigation for micro-mobility means leaving automotive paradigms behind. Cyclists navigate everyday obstacles fluidly on their own, and only want automated rerouting for major, impassable blockages or genuinely worthwhile scenic detours.

Validate Big Hypotheses Early

Putting a highly assumption-heavy prototype (the Kando visuals and Scenic Detours) in front of real users on home trainers de-risked Yamaha's software roadmap before it reached expensive production phases.