Planning our Route:

“At The Visitor Center”

How to Fuel a Design and Innovation Project with AI

In our pursuit to identify, understand, and efficiently leverage the potential of AI tools in our daily innovation work, our team is embarking on a transformative and informative journey through conducting an AI-powered “mock project.” This initiative aims to provide an avenue for exploring and uncovering AI opportunities that will elevate our efficiency, effectiveness, and creative prowess, ultimately allowing us to bring the benefits of our discoveries directly to our client collaborations.

The Project – National Park Michigan Mobility Challenge (NPMMC) Program

In August 2023, the State of Michigan and the National Park Service (NPS) launched the NPMMC Program. This initiative focuses on the identification and deployment of advanced mobility and electrification technologies in and around four of Michigan’s National Parks. The three specific areas of opportunity include:

1. Small-scale electric shuttles and automated driving systems to navigate in and around NPS sites
2. Micromobility options for short, last mile trips in the parks
3. Multimodal electric charging hubs in and around NPS gateway communities

More details on the program are available on the state’s website here.

Given SF’s rich history of innovation in the mobility industry and our Michigan-based heritage, this project serves as an ideal topic for our internal “mock” exploration.

Setting Project Goals

Our team aligned early on the fact that our goal would not be to fully solve the State of Michigan’s Challenge, but rather to focus on the exploration of how AI could play an important role in the processes we might use to tackle the Challenge. Although focused on the journey as opposed to the destination, we did still create a comprehensive project plan and approach to guide our exploration process. This includes specific phases, tasks to complete within those phases, and deliverables. Alongside this plan, we have strategically mapped out various AI tools we will evaluate at each stage, and hypothesized uses of those tools to ensure we’re set up to uncover diverse opportunities.

We also identified several areas of learning to track as the project progresses, including:

• Recommended tools to use for specific tasks
• Ways in which each tool improves the process
• Tool use tips and tricks
• Shortcomings of tools
• Guidelines for using AI tools, including security protocols and points of consideration to raise with clients

Catalyst For Transformation

This exercise will be about more than just understanding the tools; it will be about leveraging them optimally. As we delve into the nuanced ways AI can enhance our processes, streamline workflows, and elevate the quality of our work, this exercise serves as a way to train and sharpen our team, while also weeding out tools where time shouldn’t be waste. As we progress, we will be able to iteratively refine our approach, ensuring that we have the capabilities and experience to deploy these tools confidently and with informed expertise in future client projects.

Join Us On our AI Journey

Stay tuned for updates, insights, and revelations as we unravel the potential of AI. This journey isn’t just about a list of tools to leverage; it’s about enabling new heights in our industry and delivering unparalleled value to our clients. Your engagement is not just welcomed; it’s vital.

We invite you to join us on this adventure by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Linkedin where we’re posting regular updates on what we’re learning, what shocks us disappoints us, delights us, and will change how we approach innovation. 

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