Executive Summary
A luxury car brand partnered with Touchstone Research to conduct specialized automotive UX research on a prototype 3D virtual vehicle shopping experience. The study utilized AI and a specialized tagging system to provide the brand with clear directional guidance on which digital features drove consumer engagement and which required further refinement before additional investment.
What this case study covers:
- Comparative analysis of 3D vs. 2D vehicle viewers.
- Evaluation of AI-powered tagging systems in a retail environment.
- Impact of interactive functionalities on consumer purchase confidence.
Study Snapshot
- Methodology: Multi-phase hybrid approach (Quantitative Online Survey + Qualitative Moderated Interviews)
- Audience: Nationally representative adults, age 25–55
- Markets: United States
- Duration: Project-based
Business Challenge: Strategic Automotive UX Research for Virtual Innovations
A luxury car brand and their developer partner created a one-of-a-kind virtual vehicle shopping experience. Once a working prototype was available, the brand needed to field automotive UX research to evaluate the relative impact of individual functionalities. Specifically, they sought to understand the value of 3D vs. 2D environments and the effectiveness of a new tagging system. The goal was to validate the prototype’s strengths and identify areas for improvement to justify further investment in the technology.
The Research Solution
Touchstone implemented a rigorous automotive UX research program to optimize the digital path to purchase for this prototype within the technology sector. This multi-phase approach combined a large-scale quantitative survey with deep-dive qualitative interviews to capture both broad market trends and nuanced user feedback.
Research Design
📊 Phase 1: Quantitative Survey – A split-cell survey with n=800 participants across four cells to measure the impact of 3D environments.
🗣️ Phase 2: Moderated Virtual Interviews – N=22 participants engaged in in-depth sessions to provide rich feedback on the virtual vehicle interface.
🎯 Full-Service Execution – Touchstone managed the project from initial methodology design through to final strategic reporting.
Why This Approach: Driving Innovation via Automotive UX Research
The multi-phase design was essential for validating the prototype’s performance across different user segments. By using a split-cell quantitative design, the brand could statistically measure the impact of specific features like 3D rendering and AI tags against a standard 2D control. This provided a data-driven foundation that was then enriched by qualitative focus groups and interviews to uncover behavioral drivers and specific pain points in the virtual shopping experience.
Key Insights
- Insight: Certain elements of the vehicle viewer significantly impacted user perception, while others were viewed as superficial.
- → Implication: Development teams could distinguish between “must-have” interactive features and aesthetic additions that did not drive value.
- Insight: Rich qualitative feedback identified specific functional strengths and weaknesses within the prototype.
- → Implication: The brand obtained the necessary evidence to propose specific changes to the viewer’s functionality to better align with consumer needs.
Business Impact: Decision Support Through Automotive UX Research
This automotive UX research initiative provided the client with clear direction on which elements of the virtual experience truly made a difference in the consumer’s decision-making process. These insights allowed the brand to focus their future development investments solely on the features that would yield a positive ROI and gain internal stakeholder buy-in for proposed functional changes.
Services Provided
- UX Research
- Quantitative Research
- Qualitative Research
- Recruitment & Fieldwork
- Technology Market Research
Partner With Touchstone Research
Are you developing new digital tools or immersive virtual shopping experiences? Contact our team to discuss a custom automotive UX research program that helps you validate prototypes and optimize your digital path to purchase.