THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC BOATING
DRIVING INNOVATION & DESIGN
Role: Sr. Design researcher + Project lead. Work completed while at Conifer Research
The need and desire for greener energy is pushing entire industries to rethink how they power their products and operations. A marine industry client was seeking to identify the needs and criteria that will help them bring an electric boating option to market. The importance of performance and horsepower for key segments of boaters converging with assumptions about electric power, it is unclear how the benefits of electric power may fit into boaters' priorities.
Methods + Approach:
Participants lived through out the US and in select European markets.
Three phases
1) Online-ethnographic research: to understand the current experience and perceptions of electric propulsion, barriers and opportunities for electric adoption
2) In-depth follow-up interviews: digging deeper the value proposition and cues owners will use to assess an electric experience, and segments and use cases that best align with electric propulsion technology. Interviews included co-creating future scenarios around how electric-powered boating could affect aspects of the boating experience.
3) Quantitative survey: Using emerging themes from the qualitative data, the survey was used to get a larger read on power and performance trends and differences in prioritization between segments and markets.
Outcome:
Leveraging an adapted version of the UTAUT model (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) and synthesis of both qualitative and quantitative data, barriers, knowledge gaps, expectations, and priorities of boaters within three influential adoption areas were identified. By focusing on these three areas, the spaces they occupy in the boating experience, the meaning they convey, and how they interact with one another, the client is in a position, with defined design and messaging criteria, to inspire ideation and clearly define the electric experience for boaters and make a statement in the market.