Building collaborative test practices: Design ethnography and WOz in autonomous driving research

Abstract

This article outlines a novel way of performing experimental "Wizard of Oz" (WOz) User Experience (UX) research that specifically targets driving in different levels of self-driving modes. The reasons for exploring the possibilities of combining experimental and ethnographic WOz-testing have been twofold. On the one hand, this mixed-method approach responds to a growing body of critique concerning how the WOz test is biased by the claim that it explores real-life behaviour in an experimental setting. On the other hand, our approach also meets the demands for innovative research methodologies that can contribute to deeper understandings of how to better evaluate and account for human expectations and experiences when automated technologies become integrated in everyday life contexts. This knowledge is inevitable for a broader understanding of the overall user experience and expectations of autonomous driving and, more specifically, building an interdisciplinary collaborative testing approach.