Ethical Mobility Transformation for Volvo Cars x Vaware

As part of a five-week innovation sprint with Volvo Cars and Vaware, I led a human-centric research and strategy project focused on the future of urban mobility in Miami-Dade County. Our challenge was to explore how Volvo could ethically expand its mobility offering while addressing the emotional and psychological stresses of city travel.

Through in-depth user research—including surveys, street interviews, and ethnographic observations—we discovered that 70% of commuters in Miami value emotional comfort as much as speed, and over 60% preferred slower, safer routes in their daily routines. Many reported feeling overstimulated, unsafe, or anxious in traditional transit environments.

We translated these insights into a concept for a new service ecosystem: an emotionally adaptive, on-demand mobility experience that emphasizes calm, safety, and trust. My role focused on designing a data ethics framework and co-developing a prototype that could sense a user’s mood and adjust the travel environment accordingly—through route choices, ambient design, and service interactions.

The project culminated in a live presentation to Volvo leadership, emphasizing the importance of empathetic data, inclusive design, and brand differentiation through care. Our work received strong feedback for its emotional depth and practical scalability. It now informs ongoing R&D discussions within Volvo’s innovation teams.

This project exemplifies my approach to ethical innovation—bridging business goals with deeply human needs—and my ability to lead interdisciplinary collaboration across research, design, and strategy.