Audi App Jam: Creating the Future of Automotive Apps for China

We are looking for innovative App concepts that provide real value for the Audi customer. We seek App concepts that have not been seen before or are being taken to a new level of development. We want new App concepts that enhance the user experience of Audi, while conveying the style and values of the Audi brand at the same time.

A winning concept should be overwhelming in function, use-ability, emotion and beauty. The App should be intuitive, understandable and user friendly. It is important that the main function of the App is easy to reach and controllable. The App needs to be relevant and meaningful to Audi’s brand.

We are looking for automotive App concepts in the following three categories. Contestants are free to suggest extraordinary Onboard Apps. But we are looking for more input in categories 1 and 2.

1.) The Smartphone App：This is a car-related app which purely runs on a Smartphone only. You can use these Apps whether you are inside or outside of the car.

2.) The Hybrid App：This is a car-related app which runs on a Smartphone, but can communicate with a car as well. You can use it inside or outside of the car. (for example: you listen to a music stream on your Smartphone on the way to the car, once you enter the car the music will run on the car sound system and you can control the app with the car multimedia interface.)

3.) The Onboard App： These kinds of Apps run only inside the car using the car multimedia interface. They cannot be used outside of the car. Apps of this category need to fulfill extremely high safety standards. Therefore, implementation, lead time and testing need far more time than a pure or hybrid Smartphone app.

In terms of function, we are looking for Apps in the following areas, but the list should not limit creativity.

A. Information Apps  provide car data, service oriented function, execution functions, personal log book etc.
Service oriented functions enable Location Based Services that locate the car, provide local information, directions etc. Execution functions remotely control the car for services such as heating, door locks etc. Car data provide the customers with information about the car service and usage such as fuel and oil gage, tire pressure etc.

B. Lifestyle Apps provide the customer with information and connections to services that enhance ease of function in areas such as: sports and re-creation, health and wellness, fashion and style, hobbies, social networking, travel, shopping, pets, magazines, personal finance, household management etc.

C. Entertainment Apps provide video on demand (VOD), films, drama, TV series, culture, documentaries, music and music videos, animations and user-created content, audio books, e-learning etc.

The App Jam project is divided into two phases – the ideation phase and co-creation phase.
The ideation phase of the App Jam is now open via Xindanwei.com! This is how you become one of the finalists being invited to the co-creation phase.

The “Ideation” phase

The “Ideation” phase is the time to identify user needs that can be addressed through the use of Audi research, to brainstorm, and to share your ideas on this page. We encourage people to make the most of the opportunity to evaluate the ideas by asking for feedback on the project page of Xindanwei. By doing this our team will be able to contribute to the improvement of your ideas.
We are looking for both IDEAS and TALENTS. You can apply with an IDEA or explain your skills and expertise and why you have the best TALENT for this App Jam to support other’s ideas.

The ideation round jury, consisting of the Tongji-Audi joint lab team, Ask Lab team and other external experts, will choose 30-40 people who have ideas and/or talents for the co-creation phase. To help the jury to understand your idea/talent it is essential that you answer the questions in the application form.
Your idea can be presented in any design or choice of format. There are no specifications to adhere to. You can submit your idea/talent in the form of presentations, text documents, images or video files in the upload form.

The deadline of submission is 11:59 p.m. Beijing time, May 31th, 2013. Please submit your idea/talents here (http://goo.gl/KeA9i).

There will be a workshop at 7pm May 20, 2013 at Xindanwei Yongjia Rd 50 by Audi Tongji Joint Lab to share the Audi research and insights on automotive apps development. We welcome everyone to join this workshop. Please RSVP to xindanwei@gmail.com

The co-creation phase:

The co-creation workshop gets you ready for grand prizes in cash.
In the co-creation phase 30-40 people with idea and/or talents will be invited to pitch their idea’s to the crowd and jury on the evening of June 14, 2013. Only five idea’s will be selected to join the co-creation workshop over the next days to further develop their concepts. The talents can choose their favorite idea/concept to form teams.

The teams will be supported by co-creation facilitators from Ask Lab and mentors/experts from Audi and the industry for the workshop on June 15-16, 2013. At the end of the workshop, the five teams will present their prototypes to the jury to have a chance of winning one of three grand prizes. They will be joined by a select team of students from Student Boot Camp.

The 3 wining teams will be supported with 25,000RMB each team in cash to further develop their prototype into a presentable App within 3 weeks (20% of the prize money will be paid upfront, the rest being paid on the final delivery on July 5, 2013). There is also the potential of being licensed for the product to be made available for Audi.

Audi is a leading brand for premium cars worldwide. In China, Audi has led the premium car market for more than two decades already.
With its claim Vorsprung durch Technik and with China as the largest market for the brand, Audi is continuously striving hard to keep its leading position.
The “connect” services, which were introduced to China last year, are based on Audi’s award winning MMI technology which was introduced to China in 2005. The concept is completely tailored to the requirements of customers in China, including a touchpad to allow the input of handwritten characters. Audi’s aim is to keep the lead as the benchmark in user interface which can be experienced by our customer every single day they drive in an Audi.

Audi Tongji Joint Lab (ATJL) is a partnership between Audi and Tongji University. As Audi’s research outpost in Shanghai, ATJL is exploring new approaches to overcome traditional industry borders and culture gaps. ATJL develops and facilitates App Jam and Bootcamp in close cooperation with Audi’s headquarter in Germany, Audi China in Beijing, Tongji University and Ask Lab in Shanghai

Ask Lab is founded by Xindanwei cofounder Liu Yan. Ask Lab presents a new framework to innovate and create. Through designing, organizing and delivering exciting co-creation programs and contests, we build access between the movers and shakers of China’s creative, technology and social innovation scene, and the grand challenges faced by companies, NGO’s and our society

Audi Tongji Joint Lab is working together with Ask Lab to utilize innovative processes of crowd sourcing, co-creation and design thinking to stay in the lead and develop the most current App for Audi users. The App Jam is an open competition to join the best forces to describe user needs, concepts and services regarding Automotive Apps and to develop Apps which are better, ahead of, and more innovative and exciting than our competition.