BMW Designworks

Heart of Westwood

Envisioning a Mobility Hub in the Area of Westwood

Heart of Westwood, mobility hub design and interactive kiosk design.

background

Over seven weeks, I worked in a team of three designers to reimagine mobility in Westwood, home to UCLA and soon a key area for future major sporting events in 2028. Through research, we identified three core transit challenges: congestion, limited rider comfort, and inadequate support services. We designed the Heart of Westwood, a multimodal hub that consolidates transit, improves the commuter experience, and provides multilingual AI-powered support. We presented our solution through high-fidelity visuals and a final presentation featuring our design process.

see the prototype

project type

Internship

role

Product Designer and Researcher — Synthesized research insights to identify core transportation challenges. Developed people-centered solutions that balanced transit efficiency, rider comfort, and support services for a global community.

timeline

June 2025 - August 2025 (7 weeks)

team

Arthur Jensen (Me)
Audreen Fune
Austin Gregory

problem

Westwood faces severe congestion, poor rider amenities, and limited support services, challenges that will intensify with the 2028 sporting events

solution

We designed the Heart of Westwood, a multimodal transit hub that reduces congestion, improves rider comfort, and provides multilingual AI-powered support.

impact

We presented our ideas to BMW Designworks to initiate discussion and received feedback from Los Angeles city representatives on how the hub could shape the future of mobility in Westwood.

introduction

Introduction to the Project

At the start, we were introduced to a project brief to develop a master plan vision for a multimodal mobility hub on a city block in Los Angeles.
We were encouraged to explore AI-powered, data-driven design and creative workflows to enhance and expand our design process.

Images from the BMW Designworks Summer 2025 internship.

MOBILITY CHALLENGES

Three Core Mobility Challenges in Westwood

The team focused on Westwood, a key transit interchange with bus and metro stops that will become even more critical during the 2028 sporting events.

I conducted ethnographic and desktop research to uncover three core key mobility challenges in Westwood that limit how easily people can get around.

Traffic Congestion in Westwood, Los Angeles.

Areas of major congestion in Westwood.

Heavy Congestion
With tens of thousands of people traveling through Westwood, the area faces heavy congestion, long commute times, and bus delays.

Lack of shelter and seating for people waiting for the bus.

Commuters waiting for a bus.

Lack of Shelter & Seating
Currently, bus riders wait on crowded sidewalks with little shelter, often in the sun, leaving many tired and drained before their journey even begins.

Lack of multilingual support and functionality with current Metro Kiosks.

Current kiosks offer limited support.

Limited Support Services
Current Metro kiosks only support English and Spanish, which could cause delays for international visitors expected in 2028.

research & strategy

Developing a Long-Term Plan to Address These Mobility Challenges

With major sporting events coming to Los Angeles in 2028, UCLA is expected to host 15,000 athletes and over 500,000 visitors.
This surge will intensify existing transit challenges, highlighting the need for long-term solutions that extend beyond a single occasion.

Maps highlighting university campuses and their mobility hubs.

INSIGHT 1

How Other University Cities Tackled Congestion

We looked at what solutions other university cities implemented; UC San Diego increased campus transit ridership by 140% with a multimodal hub.
Seattle cut solo car commutes by nearly 20% in a decade.

Metro D-Line Station under construction.

INISGHT 2

Opportunity Arises With New D-Line Metro Station

A new Metro D-Line station is opening 2027, part of a $9.5B city project.
The D-Line station is projected to get around 18,000 weekday boardings.

Map of Westwood highlighting the mobility hub and new Metro D-Line station.

INSIGHT 3

Transforming UCLA’s Parking Structure 32 into a Mobility Hub

Across the street from the new D-Line station is Parking Structure 32.
As car commutes to the UCLA's campus decline, this parking structure is underutilized and could be repurposed into a mobility hub.

LOCATION OF HUB

Proposing a Mobility Hub in Westwood to Offer Multimodal Transit Options

Instead of the new D-line Metro station solely serving as a non-transfer stop, a mobility hub attached would connect all of Westwood through multiple modes of travel.
Below is a before and after showcasing our vision to transform this static, car-centric structure into a vibrant, people-centered hub.

UCLA Parking Structure 32.

Before: Parking Structure 32
Repurpose this structure into a central point for mobility.

Heart of Westwood Mobility Hub.

After: Heart of Westwood
Provides appealing multimodal options for travel.

GOALS

Overview of Challenges & Solutions

We identified goals that demonstrate how our hub’s amenities and services will address the three key challenges in the area.

Diagram showing how our mobility hub addresses these challenges.

DESIGN & IDEATION

Identifying and Designing Solutions to Address Core Mobility Challenges

I started to brainstorm ideas and solutions to tackle the mobility challenges.
I sketched ideas on paper to define the hub’s core amenities while designing its appearance, inspired by Mediterranean Revival architecture.

Map of Westwood highlighting key infrastructure pain points and proposed solutions.

TRANSIT AMENITIES

Infrastructure Upgrades

We propose infrastructure upgrades to ease congestion, including signal timing adjustments at Charles E. Young & curb expansions at Wilshire/Westwood.
We aim to create safer, more efficient streets that prioritize people over cars.

Design of hub, highlighting a welcoming, inviting, and efficient commuter space.

PEDESTRIAN AMENITIES

A Safe and Inviting Commuter Space

The hub provides a comfortable, inviting space inspired by the metaphor of a heart.
Curved design elements convey fluidity, warmth, and movement throughout the space.
The underground tunnel connects commuters to the D-Line, designed for safety and guidance with leading lights and a digital ceiling screen for comfort.

Designs of the kiosk space and kiosk interface.

SUPPORT SERVICES & TECH

How Other University Cities Tackled Congestion

We created a soundproof space in the hub where new visitors can access a smart kiosk for assistance.
The kiosk provides multilingual support, route planning, and general information, offering privacy without isolation.

High-fidelity VISUALS

Heart of Westwood

The Heart of Westwood is our vision to make transportation seamless and enjoyable.

A video showcasing the different levels and features of the Heart of Westwood.

HIgh-fidelity visuals

Levels of the Mobility Hub

Our mobility hub is divided in to three key levels: Underground, Ground Level & Terrace.
In Figma, I designed floor plans and created AI-generated imagery to visualize how these spaces and their amenities provide a comfortable experience for commuters.

A series of screens showcasing the design of the Underground level in the mobility hub.

DESIGN

Underground

The underground level is designed to provide parking and includes a tunnel that directly connects the lot to the new D-Line Metro Station.

A series of screens showcasing the design of the Ground Level in the mobility hub.

DESIGN

Ground Level

The ground level is a bustling entry point, with commuters catching buses at the outdoor bay or heading underground to the Metro D-Line platform. This space also includes help areas with interactive kiosks, providing unfamiliar commuters with a place to pause and access information.

A series of screens showcasing the design of the Terrace in the mobility hub.

DESIGN

Terrace

The Terrace offers a calm retreat from the bustle of the ground level, featuring greenery, seating areas, restrooms, and an indoor café where commuters can rest, recharge, and enjoy a bite to eat.

HIGH-FIDELITY SCREENS

Commuter Help & Information Areas

Interactive kiosks are located throughout the mobility hub to assist visitors and commuters unfamiliar with the space.
These spaces are designed with natural lighting and open sightlines to enhance comfort and safety.

Two screens displaying the user interface of the interactive kiosk.

Tech support

Interactive Kiosks

These kiosks provide route details, real-time arrival and departure information, ticketing support, and TAP card services. Users can interact by voice instead of touch, and built-in translation features help overcome language barriers, supporting Westwood’s large international population.

reflection

What Worked & What I’d Improve

Throughout the project, one thing that worked well was my ability to bring a pragmatic perspective to the design of our mobility hub. I focused on identifying real mobility challenges in Los Angeles and developing practical solutions. Considering the city’s plans to address limited mobility, as well as the anticipated impact of the 2028 sporting events, was essential to informing our approach. One area for improvement would be spending more time sketching and ideating on paper before turning to AI tools. While AI was a valuable resource, relying on it too early can result in visuals that feel overly generated or uncanny. Balancing AI with hands-on, analog work ensures a more human-centered design. In future projects, I would prioritize human-first design before incorporating AI tools to guide and enhance the process, rather than define it.

Let’s make something great together!

Let’s make something great together!