On the 3rd, Hyundai Motor and Kia will open 'UX Studio Seoul' at Hyundai Motor's Gangnam-daero headquarters. This space will operate as an interactive research hub where users co-design future mobility experiences. It is the world's first ongoing customer participation-based research hub that designs future mobility experiences together with users.
'UX Studio Seoul' has been transferred and completely renovated from the existing 'UX Studio' that opened in 2021 in Seocho District. It has been established at the Gangnam-daero headquarters, which is easily accessible to customers, to effectively convey the core value of mobility user experience (UX, User Experience) that Hyundai Motor and Kia pursue.
The existing 'UX Studio' was an in-house collaboration platform used by researchers responsible for Hyundai Motor and Kia's products, design, and engineering in the vehicle UX development process. User research, which is essential to UX studies, was also conducted privately by inviting specific customers.
The biggest change in the newly renovated 'UX Studio Seoul' is that it has become a research platform that provides an open space for any customer to participate as a subject in mobility development. Visitors can freely experience diverse content about future mobility environments in the UX studio, can participate directly in the advanced UX research process, and can experience how user opinions are reflected in the product during vehicle development.
While several automakers conduct various forms of customer research, 'UX Studio Seoul' is the world's first systematic and ongoing research platform where general customers can practically participate in the vehicle UX development process and provide feedback.
The opening of 'UX Studio Seoul' by Hyundai Motor and Kia aims to further innovate user experiences amid the transition of future mobility paradigms such as electrification and autonomous driving, while providing differentiated value of the brand in all elements that customers feel while using mobility, including design, driving performance, infotainment systems, and convenience features.
'UX Studio Seoul' consists of the first floor 'Open Lab,' where visitors can experience UX exhibition content and participate in research, and the second floor 'Advanced Research Lab,' which is an immersive UX research space.
Hyundai Motor and Kia operate a permanent program in which professional guides explain key contents of the space to ensure a smooth exhibition experience and research participation for visitors.
Kim Hyo-rin, senior manager of the Hyundai Motor Group Feature Strategy Office, noted, 'The UX that Hyundai Motor Group aspires to provide is an experience that goes beyond convenience to deliver an emotional impact.' She added, 'The starting point is ultimately the customer's voice, and 'UX Studio Seoul' will not just be an experience space but a place where customer voices will be reflected in the actual vehicle development process.'
The first floor of 'UX Studio Seoul' is an open customer experience space called 'Open Lab,' equipped with a UX test zone, SDV zone, and UX archive zone. Customers can observe the UX research process and directly participate in the research, and they can also experience future mobility technologies based on Software Defined Vehicle (SDV).
The second floor of 'UX Studio Seoul' is the 'Advanced Research Lab,' which includes a UX canvas and feature development room, simulation room, UX lounge, and vehicle exhibition space. This immersive space is where Hyundai Motor and Kia researchers collaborate with pre-recruited users to conduct UX research.
Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating the transition to SDVs while listening to diverse opinions from consumers to create a more enjoyable and comfortable travel experience. As part of this effort, they are establishing global UX studios in locations such as Shanghai (China), Frankfurt (Germany), and Irvine (U.S.) to research and develop UX concepts that reflect real user feedback from the respective regions.
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