Vehicle design for elderly Chinese drivers: a culture-specific travel needs model
Chao Zhao, Vesna Popović, Luis Ferreira, Xiaobo Lu · QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) · 2007
This research explores the current and future travel needs of older Chinese drivers. A methodological triangulation consisting of interviews, logbook and co-discovery was used to collect multiple forms of data and explore the research question. This study developed an initial concept model to identify older drivers’ travel needs. Vehicle meaning reflects users’ needs and gives a tangible expression about users’ experiences. The model demonstrates that the Chinese culture acts as a dynamic link among travel need factors. It is envisaged that the proposed model can play an important role in the design process to help designers to better understand the relationship between culture and design. The application of the model will focuses on concept vehicle design as a representative example.