Project Description

As conversational AI becomes increasingly relevant across automotive experiences, Kia needed to understand how an AI assistant could support the full customer journey, from digital platforms and retail touchpoints to in-car interactions.

In collaboration with BUCK, L3A contributed UX research and experience strategy for Kia’s next-generation AI assistant, developed for the brand’s latest vehicle lineup. The work helped define the assistant’s role, behavior, and interaction principles across Kia’s broader customer ecosystem.

The strategy required balancing utility, safety, and brand personality while looking across industries to understand how virtual assistants behave, how user expectations are evolving, and where Kia could create a more distinctive AI experience.

The work also emphasized how the assistant could maintain a recognizable and cohesive presence across Kia’s broader ecosystem of customer interactions.

Approach & Contribution 

L3A partnered on the UX research and experience strategy phase of the project through stakeholder interviews, landscape analysis, and insight synthesis. Interviews were conducted with stakeholders across product, design, and innovation teams to better understand expectations around the assistant’s role within the broader Kia ecosystem, including utility, personality, trust, and long-term scalability.

In parallel, L3A conducted a cross-industry audit of conversational assistants spanning automotive, consumer technology, and service platforms. The research examined interaction patterns, conversational behaviors, onboarding approaches, multimodal touchpoints, and opportunities for differentiation within the automotive experience.

Insights from the research were synthesized into a strategic recommendations document that helped inform the conceptual direction, identity, and interaction principles of Kia’s next-generation AI assistant. 

Outcome

The research and strategy work helped inform the conceptual direction and identity of Kia’s next-generation AI assistant across a range of customer touchpoints. The final experience established a cohesive AI presence designed to extend across vehicle, digital, and retail experiences.