The document explores the relationship between motorcycles and their riders, emphasizing the intense experiences, self-expression, and emotional connections facilitated by these vehicles. It highlights the design aspects of motorcycles as mediators of experiences and how they reflect the rider's personality and desires. Additionally, it notes the increasing participation of women in motorcycling, transitioning from passengers to riders, further enriching the community and interactions surrounding motorcycles.

1. Motorcycles and the Art of Product Design Akshay Sharma, Virginia Tech Shimon Shmueli, Touch360 © Aprilia CONNECTING’07 World Design Congress

2. Why should we care about motorcycles? Death rates are 15-30 times higher than cars They are noisy They come with an attitude

3. Motorcycles attract wide range of attitudes, cultures, and interactions www.advrider.com www.advrider.com www.advrider.com www.hells-angels.com

4. Michaux & Perreaux, 1868 19 mph Steam engine mounted on a bicycle The motorcycles is a (relatively) primal vehicle

5. Motorcycles enable intense experiences

6. E=mV 2 Could the fun/thrill/experience be 64 times amplified even at 75 mph? speed = 8x energy = 64x

7. Most of us can relate to the motorcycle experience: Self confidence Motor skills Social connections Fun

8. Motorcycles facilitate and enable strong attachments

9. … so what? www.advrider.com

10. How we define design Art Humans Enablers & Constrains design expression, aesthetics, engineering technology, economy, environment Needs, wants, community, ergonomics

11. rider The motorcycle is the mediator/facilitator/ enabler between the rider and his/her experiences www.advrider.com

12. © Triumph experience: relationships

13. © BMW experience: stimulus

14. © Harley-Davidson experience: community

15. Women is the fastest growing segment. Women are moving from a passenger position, metaphorically and figuratively, to a rider position. * experience: (em)power*

16. © KTM experience: environments

17. © Harley-Davidson experience: bonding

18. experience: sexy

19. Sexy has been around even in 1951!

20. experience: (all) senses

21. experience motorcycle rider Involvement The emotional and physical connection between the rider and the motorcycle

22. The Rider is a Fully Stressed Member of the Equation.

23. experience motorcycle rider physical interface

24. experience motorcycle rider The interface is where the conversation between the rider and motorcycle happens control feedback

25. motorcycle Thin Physical Interface tight coupling high sensitivity clear and strong feedback less forgiving rider © Aprilia

27. © Ducati

32. Thin Thick © Harley-Davidson

33. Thin Thick © Wired

34. experience motorcycle rider physical interface emotional interface

35. experience motorcycle rider “ He talks to his motorcycle every time he passes by” The conversation is also an emotional exchange, at least in the mind of the rider (but some say also in the mind of the motorcycle or its designer)

36. motorcycle Thin Emotional Interface mutual awareness respect shared destiny self-expression rider © Aprilia

37. © Orange County Choppers The motorcycle reflects the rider’s personality, desires, emotions.

38. © Orange County Choppers

39. © Orange County Choppers

40. The motorcycle reflects more than who the rider is. It is also who he/she wants to be. © Orange County Choppers

41. the function drives the aesthetics © Ducati

42. the function is the aesthetics

43. © Buell Look in the eyes of the motorcycle

44. © Triumph … it has a personality.

45. something that only a moter could love - Steven Spielberg Design something that only a mother could love - Steven Spielberg

46. © TVS Motor Company

47. experience motorcycle rider Immediate presence of an object of knowledge to the mind, without any distortions, inferences, or interpretations, and without involvement of any intermediate agencies. Source: Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. Immediacy

48. experience motorcycle rider High level of involvement between the rider and the motorcycle enables stronger immediacy Involvement > Immediacy

49. High level of involvement between the rider and the motorcycles enable stronger immediacy which in turn enables stronger (better) experiences

50. physical/emotional presentation mouse me Involvement immediacy

51. physical/emotional experience internet Him/her Involvement immediacy

52. physical environment, stimulus,… product user emotional community, self-expression product user Involvement immediacy

53. thank you شكرا 致谢 merci danke grazie ありがとう 감사합니다 obrigado cпасибо agradece תּוֹדָה Picture © BRP Can-Am Spyder Shimon Shmueli, Touch360, Partner …………………shimon@touch360.com Akshay Sharma, Virginia Tech, Assistant Prof……….akshay@vt.edu This presentation can be downloaded at www.slideshare.net/touch360