2026-27 Capstone

Primary Research Method One, Interviews

One of the methods I used for part of my primary research was conducting interviews. My goal of these interviews was to gather information from participants who owned a variety of car brands. Based off of this data, I wanted to see if there was some correlation or comparison point between individuals who owned different car brands, and the pros and cons that come with that. In addition, I wanted to gather a greater understanding of family dynamic in a home setting verses a car setting; was it the same or was it different?

Recruiting Process

To recruit my participants, I reached out to them via email or text. To fit everyone's schedule, including my own, I held phone call interviews that lasted 10-30 minutes each. In addition, I recorded each of the phone call interview to reference later on when I reviewed each of my participants responses. I recruited five participants in total, but I was only able to interview four out of the five participants I recruited; one of the individuals unfortunately did not answer my phone call.

Interview Questions

Below are the eleven questions I asked my participants in the interview.

Question 1

Do I have your consent to record this phone call?

Question 2

How many cars do you currently own, and what are the make and model of each one?

Question 3

What makes a long car ride the most enjoyable and why?

Question 4

What is the biggest challenge you experience when playing with your child or children at home?

Question 5

What feature would you add to your car to help you engage and interact more effectively with your child during trips?

Question 6

Which features or comforts from your home would you most like to have available in your car while traveling?

Question 7

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is not at all important and 10 is extremely important, how important are ventilated seats in your car, and why?

Question 8

Imagine you are taking a seven-hour road trip across the United States with your family. What three items would you consider essential for keeping both you and your children entertained and connected during a car trip?

Question 9

Imagine you are taking a seven-hour road trip across the United States with your family. What activities would you consider essential for keeping both you and your children entertained and connected during a car trip?

Question 10

Who is in charge on choosing the music that is played off of the car radio?

Question 11- Other Thoughts?

Interview Responses

Participant One- Rachel B.

Question 1

Do I have your consent to record this phone call?

Yes

Question 2

How many cars do you currently own, and what are the make and model of each one?

Two Cars, a Honda Pilot 2016 and a Lexus GX 2014

Question 3

What makes a long car ride the most enjoyable and why?

I like the personal comfort of seat, heated seats, cold seats, material, convenience of modern technology anything you need, charging ports, those are the biggest ones

Question 4

What is the biggest challenge you experience when playing with your child or children at home?

Children not getting along. I really think it is when they are too close. When physical proximity is too close and kids are too close to one another. Own space. Honda pilot is big enough, but when you have teenagers, you need the next SUV and/or mini van.

Question 5

What feature would you add to your car to help you engage and interact more effectively with your child during trips?

I love having a DVD player built into the car. Kids with their own screen would have different DVDs for different ages. Individual headphones, own media and cand listen and watch to their own media. Tron verse barbie, too scary for a six-year-old [e with] one DVD player in your car. Every road trip, [we have not] used [it] as much. Hard to find movies they all want to watch. Nice to have a DVD player and don't get car sick [as you look up to watch the screen].

Question 6

Which features or comforts from your home would you most like to have available in your car while traveling?

Would love storage in the car for books, tablets. Storage where the kids sit so they can get themselves. [I] turn around to interact with kids and [I] get car sick. [I] have to sit in the back. [So I] rotate [sitting up front with my] older child. [I would also like] compartments, storage [that is] easy and convenient. Something built in or accessible, or a feature you can add on to your car package; a parent bundle.

Question 7

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is not at all important and 10 is extremely important, how important are ventilated seats in your car, and why?

10, In this day and age so important. [I] would not buy a car if it didn't have those. For the kids, but at least the parents in the front seat. [This] might change when [you] turn 40. Tolerating at 20 is different than what I tolerate at 40. [Ventilated seats] are so nice, lots of people don't want to give [them] up.

Question 8

Three items [include an] iPad (for each kid). Started bringing blankets for each person, cupholders for kids. Water bottle for kids- chocolate milk or pop from a restaurant. Each kid has two cupholders in the Honda Pilot. Cupholders fit most water bottles. The water bottle do not fit awkward, wide water bottle [because there is no] oversized cupholders. My water bottle doesn't fit, but I'm used to it. Stanleys [water bottles] fit in the door. Ethan sits in the third row, and he still has two cupholders, four cupholders [in the third row].

Question 9

Three Activities- We play I spy, collecting license plates from 50 states, watch DVDs. Just the kids can see the DVD screens.

Question 10

Who is in charge on choosing the music that is played off of the car radio?

We don't listen to the radio because we all listen to our own stuff. They listen to music off of their devices. [We] all like different music and podcasts. Every family is different, sometimes kids talk a lot and have headphones to block children out. Welcome to our family road trips!

Question 11- Other Thoughts?

[Space for] extra luggage.

Participant Two- Ron T.

Question 1

Do I have your consent to record this phone call?

Yes

Question 2

How many cars do you currently own, and what are the make and model of each one?

Including the business, I own and personal, four family cars, all Honda. [A] Honda HRV 2026, [a] Honda HRV 2021, [a] Honda Pilot 2012, [a] Honda Odyssey 2011, [we are currently] leasing a Honda Passport 2025, and [a] work van.

Question 3

What makes a long car ride the most enjoyable and why?

One that makes it more comfortable, seating, long legs, tall, head room, adjustable seating, not stiff adjustable. Cruise control because your feet get tired of holding a speed and doing a long trip. Little thing, satellite radio when you can't get reception. [Also,] good gas milage.

Question 4

What is the biggest challenge you experience when playing with your child or children at home?

Just spending more face-to-face time. [Ther are] lots of screens [and it is] hard to get the one on one on time together without electronics. Finding time without electronics.

Question 5

What feature would you add to your car to help you engage and interact more effectively with your child during trips?

Bluetooth, hands free, conversations on the speaker. Bluetooth feature for wireless feature. I think probably the idea that the Bluetooth ability, include the Bluetooth to engage with everyone more. I have a volume button on steering wheel, [so] having a conversation [is] a lot easier, [as I can] easily control the volume.

Question 6

Which features or comforts from your home would you most like to have available in your car while traveling?

A cooler that stays cool and some kind of box or center counsel and it cools it down to a refrigerator. An accessory, dash cams [that are] put into car [permanently]. Automatically installed in a car, [and a] built in dash camera into the mirror. Recording the front of your view as well.

Question 7

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is not at all important and 10 is extremely important, how important are ventilated seats in your car, and why?

7 because they control body temperature which controls your mood in turn. Air conditioners, control your mood and makes you happier.

Question 8

Three things- good music good playlist, cooler full of water and fruit, and extra gallon of gas tank to just have in the gas. One gallon of backup gas in a can.

Question 9

The radio, share songs and playlists, I Spy, GPS screens that people can see where they at, Bluetooth.

Question 10

Who is in charge on choosing the music that is played off of the car radio?

Me my wife and kids its wife (the passengers). If everyone is sleeping the driver.

Question 11- Other Thoughts?

None

Participant Three- Christine T.

Question 1

Do I have your consent to record this phone call?

Yes

Question 2

How many cars do you currently own, and what are the make and model of each one?

[We own] four cars, my car is a Honda Passport, Avery's is a Honda HRV, Audrey's is a Honda HRV, Ron's is a Honda Pilot.

Question 3

What makes a long car ride the most enjoyable and why?

For me I love having Sirius radio, listening to highway and not have commercials.

Question 4

What is the biggest challenge you experience when playing with your child or children at home?

Trying to get them off them off their phone.

Question 5

What feature would you add to your car to help you engage and interact more effectively with your child during trips?

Games that you could play together. [When we would go on a] family vacation when they were little, Avery and Audrey, would hide an object [and try to find it]. Game not on a screen as long as all three [of us are] playing together on a screen.

Question 6

Which features or comforts from your home would you most like to have available in your car while traveling?

My blanket, sitting on couch and watching TV.

Question 7

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is not at all important and 10 is extremely important, how important are ventilated seats in your car, and why?

I would say a 9 [for] heated seats. Ventilated seats I don't use as much. I do not like the holes and makes it hard to clean.

Question 8

They just get on their phones. Long trip they will talk and maybe a movie. It would be nice to face them and turn around and talk to them.

Question 9

A place to eat our meals [and] being able to just talk to each other. Sometimes we like to read books, individually. Everyone listens to their own music.

Question 10

Who is in charge on choosing the music that is played off of the car radio?

Usually the driver.

Question 11- Other Thoughts?

I love the heated steering wheel. I have arthritis and having a heated steering wheel, feels nice.

Participant Four- Justin S.

Question 1

Do I have your consent to record this phone call?

Yes

Question 2

How many cars do you currently own, and what are the make and model of each one?

Two cars, a Honda Odyssey 2020 and a Lexus gx470 2006.

Question 3

What makes a long car ride the most enjoyable and why?

[For] myself I enjoy long drives and car rides; the whole family does well. [For the past] three-year period, [we] drive up to Montana a couple weeks [out of the summer]. It is a twenty-hour drive, three days split. [We drive in] one shot going home. Splitting it up got three days of seven-hour driving. Kids are entertained, read books, watch shows, read, enjoy the increased screen time. [For] myself, driving with no music [and] just the experience. Out West I enjoy it more, you get the mountain landscapes and driving through the dessert. I enjoy that I can drive all day long. My wife as a passenger gets the time to check her phone, listen to music, and talk with family. Long car rides have been enjoyable.

Question 4

What is the biggest challenge you experience when playing with your child or children at home?

Probably regulating time management. Lilly is 13 almost 14, Mica is 12 this summer. Different personalities, the challenges come from them being bored and not knowing what to do. Watch a show and go on iPad. [My] daughter is more creative and crafty, [but she] watches tv series or movies [too]. [There are either] friends in house on a screen. Kids always have friends around. Interact with a friend, level of entertainment and staying busy. [I] get distracted so much with business [I] lose track of important things. We have structured family times, at dinner or go out sometime. Discipline about connections as a family, [but we get] sucked in own worlds.

Question 5

What feature would you add to your car to help you engage and interact more effectively with your child during trips?

That is a challenge because they are sitting behind you, turning around, driving not something you can do easily. [The person in the] passenger seat [who is] not driving [can] turn around, but if she does that a lot, she gets car sick. Turning around is uncomfortable and can cause people to get sick [when turning around to] look at each other. If you have a screen in the front, projecting [a] passenger in the back at a shorter distance or scale, [it allows the front passenger to] sit in a natural position.

Question 6

Which features or comforts from your home would you most like to have available in your car while traveling?

The comforts of home you are not distracted, can't be distracted on road trips. [We do not have] self-driving vehicles that you can put on audio pilot. I have to stay on road and in my lane. At home you have access to long kinds of things. Kids [are] in a car for 6 hours straight, and they get what they brought in their backpack. In the house it is one room to the next. Interested in interacting with and reading is a comfort from home you can't bring with you. [A physical feature] you can have in a car verse home [are] climate and temperature [control]. Different comfort levels, I like the car colder, the kids have a blanket but get colder. Temperature crossover, something to improve [is] climate.

Question 7

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is not at all important and 10 is extremely important, how important are ventilated seats in your car, and why?

Ventilated seat I would say a five, not something I think about, Arizona gets hot. [The car] sits out for a while. [When] running errands, [the] car sits in afternoon sun for half an hour. If you don't have the remote start feature, the first minute can be uncomfortable.

Question 8

iPads, we give the kids a heads up to have shows and movies you want have to downloaded. If they do not download or forget, they just jump on hot spot. Devices are really important. Snacks and drinks, it gives us something to do. Comfort things like a pillow or a blanket, they are cold a lot of the times, regulate temperature they want their body to be at. In terms of sleeping, I thought they would sleep more. For example, site seeing in the morning [and] at end of day they sleep. They are less about being super comfortable.

Question 9

Time is spent individually [a] bulk of the time. Most of time, we will interact and talk a little bit, [but] everyone has [their] own time. We stop every hour and a half. When we drive to Dan Diego and California, the hour stops are perfect. [We use these breaks to] stretch and use the time to interact with one another. Use breaks as family gathering 15-20 minutes of that and go in [the] car and back to individualism.

Question 10

Who is in charge on choosing the music that is played off of the car radio?

Typically depends. Lately my daughter will listen to music on her headphones and my son will sometimes do it as well. If they are not on their devices, we give up the radio to pick something from Spotify. If they are entertained, I let [my] wife pick music from her phone. I will listen to anything if everyone is entertained. Whatever makes the kids happy, we give up the radio for the kids. Entertaining them is not as important.

Question 11- Other Thoughts?

Something to not turn around, never a system in place. Can FaceTime, but the audio would get messed up, just the visual. A camera and display system could be interesting. [Although the] kids not wanting us to look [at them the] whole car ride in the mirror. If I saw something like that it would be something to try out. Comfort is big. For example, a car is familiar, a plane is not. Connection thing, display thing comes to mind, stow take out if you want it, or something interactive. Interesting with projector idea, interacting on projector thing push a bit tie in with display. It could be placed front and center.

Reflection

I believe gathering verbal feedback from individuals over the phone allowed me to gain a greater understanding of their experience in the car and a home setting. I was able to hear what the user liked and disliked about in their car and their home, while also receiving an in-depth explanation of the family dynamic in both settings.

Key Takeaways

There is a disconnect between families due to technology.
The individuals who choose the music that is played in the car is different for everyone.
Some individuals highly desire ventilated seats, others do not consider them at all.
Many individuals report having to turn around to interact with children. It poses a challenge because many individuals get car sick when they turn around and it's uncomfortable.

Reference

Nuthawut Somsuk. (2026). Job interview via phone call or conference meeting. Vecteezy. https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/2989637-job-interview-via-phone-call-or-conference-meeting