Background

BMW China initiated the development of a localized version of its Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA) to better resonate with the Chinese market. The project sought to create a culturally relevant and empathetic voice assistant that maintained BMW’s premium brand image while addressing local user expectations. As part of the initiative, BMW’s engineering team invited my team to craft the first set of Chinese-language voice responses for the IPA, marking a significant step in humanizing technology for the Chinese audience.

 

Challenge

The challenge was to design voice interactions that transcended functionality and became a meaningful part of users’ daily lives. I was inspired by two transformative projects: Meet Q: the gender-neutral voice assistant and Kacie Kinzer’s Tweenbots. Meet Q revealed how the tools we use influence our behavior and perceptions. Most assistants default to female voices, reinforcing stereotypes of women as submissive or supportive. This insight encouraged me to design IPA responses that exuded warmth and strength, challenging societal biases. Similarly, Tweenbots demonstrated humanity’s inherent kindness and how subtle design cues could nurture positive interactions. These inspirations led me to create IPA responses free from discrimination or bias, promoting an inclusive and uplifting user experience.

 

Solution

Working closely with my team, I defined four fundamental interaction styles for IPA: concise, empathetic, engaging, and informative. We crafted dialogue samples that reflected BMW’s values while fostering trust and connection. For example, IPA responses were designed to exhibit optimism and approachability, emphasizing “technology with warmth.” We also ensured responses avoided stereotypes or assumptions, embodying a forward-thinking, inclusive approach. Through extensive collaboration with BMW’s engineering team, our concepts were fine-tuned to integrate seamlessly into the assistant’s technical framework.

 

Results

The engineering team incorporated key elements of our proposed dialogue into the first version of the Chinese IPA, while the foundational concepts we introduced—empathetic, inclusive, and human-centered interactions—were adopted into BMW’s long-term development guidelines. This project highlighted how interaction design could not only enhance user experience but also address societal biases and foster positive behavior. By embedding these principles into IPA, the project set a new standard for voice assistant design, bridging technology with humanity.