The design of Generation Z camping car system based on Grounded Theory-AHP method
Authors: Tang Shihan , Ye Qijun , Wei Wenjing , Zhou Bowen 
Published: August 2024

Car camping industry has been developed for a long time in western countries, and the related research has been more mature. However, there are still differences in the field between China and the West due to economic development and national characteristics, so it is important to carry out targeted and systematic research on the car camping industry in China. Several researchers have found that young people of Generation Z, as one of the major consumer groups, have distinct preferences and consumption differences, such as tolerance of diversity, love of personalization, interest-driven consumption, etc. Because of this, they are more inclined to glamping, which is mainly manifested in higher requirements for camping scenes, recreational facilities, and equipment styles. It means that campers put their emphasis on the activity experience. Therefore, to improve the camping experience, exploring the needs of Generation Z people is one of the most important ways. In addition, Chinese people usually choose private cars as camping vehicles rather than an RV, but the basic functions of an ordinary private car are obviously unable to meet the users’ camping needs any more. Consequently, the fundamental purpose of this paper was to propose a design strategy for Generation Z user camping car systems by studying the scenario needs and preferences to improve the users experience.This paper proposed an innovative applied methodology for camping car system design. In order to ensure the accuracy of design and development, qualitative and quantitative methodologies was combined. Through this methodology, we successively output a needs model of the target population and the weight ranking of needs, and used it as a design strategy. The main processes were as follows:(1)Qualitative research sectionTwenty young men and women (1:1) were included in the study (n = 20, age 22±4 years, car camping enthusiasts). Participants were asked to take part in a semi-structured interview lasting approximately 30 minutes, which focused on user needs and preferences in the car camping scenario. The questions were based on five sections: user information, vehicle needs, scene accessory needs, experience descriptions, and desired needs. In this study, we will collect information on users' needs and preferences, which will serve as the raw material for the subsequent study. In the information analysis and processing, combined with the Grounded Theory method, the original interview data were analyzed and summarized through three levels of coding. After that, a three-level “User Requirements Model for Generation Z Camping Car System” was summarized upward, with the levels being: independent category, main category and core category.(2)Quantitative research sectionIn this paper, the AHP method will be used for quantitative research. Firstly, convert the demand model into a hierarchical recursive model. Secondly, the judgment matrix was constructed, and experts were invited to score. Finally, the scoring data are processed to derive the weights of the indices of user-specific requirements (independent category layer) and sequentially ranked to extract the key requirements and their priorities. In this research, car camping enthusiasts (n = 15) and car designers (n = 5) were invited as experts to compare the scoring of the requirement factors.(3)Design Strategies Application SectionSince the main categories and core categories were more abstract and cannot be implemented into the design, they were used as strategies to provide design guidance. Specific applications were below: the user requirement model was used as a strategy to construct the overall framework of the camping car system, and the extracted key requirements were used as the focus for planning the functions of the camping car system.The final camping car demand model output 3 core demand categories, 7 main demand categories and 30 independent categories (specific primary needs). Besides, 14 key demands were extracted from the category of independence. With that conclusion in view, this paper described the design strategy of a camping car centered on Generation Z users in detail. Based on it, a whole vehicle system was designed, which consisted of the interior and exterior of the vehicle body and the interaction screens inside the vehicle. The findings and design applications in this paper had the potential to provide design references for future product development of camping vehicle systems and could also be considered as a guide for research with similar objectives.