User Centered Design - MIConnect 30/05/2013

happy customers.

We all want

• User Experience experts • Young, dynamic company since 2007

Born out of ‘Centrum voor User Experience onderzoek (CUO)’ -K.U.Leuven’

@usentric

Our mission:

“To create experiences that exceed expectations”

We believe there is a relationship between:

user experience &

happiness

Happy customers &

Happy companies

Interaction has a language...

Involve your end users in the design process!

Implement the needs, wishes, expectations and limitations of end users within an iterative design process.

User Centred Design

Spa

Observe.

Create.

Evaluate.

Case Ascolia

Business situation

• Company, manufacturer of mobile furniture

• Based in Brussels & Lyon

• Bought by current owner in 2005

• Financial evolution

• Increased Revenues

• Decreased Margins

• Changing competitive environment

• International consolidation

• Growing price pressure

• Full offer of products

« How to stand out of the crowd with a limited offer? »

Redefining the strategic framework

• What do we provide?

• What business are we in?

• Whom do we serve?

• Competitive analysis

• Market segmentation and prioritization

• How do we realize this?

• Company structure

• What is our value proposition?

• Product, Price, Accessibility, Service, Experience

Co-creation with internal stakeholders

From mobile furniture supplier for hotels and hospitals

to experts in compact mobile organization solutions that assure rapid services

User centered approach = outside –inside = starting from his needs instead of product offer

New business possibilities

New way of branding

New business definition & new approach

• Branding and communication strategy Definition of values

• Logo

• Brochures

• Website

• Exhibition material

• Commercial strategy Segmentation(priorities)

• New product development en quality control • Toolkit

• Transport optimalisation

• New materials

New ambitions

• Defining goals & strategy

• Defining clear positioning

• Commercial strategy

Target groups /DMU

Defining all stakeholders involved

Recognizing buy reasons

Discovering internal strenghts

Preparing the field

• First inspiration round

(Paris – Hotel *****)

• Extreme user

• Different stakeholders

• House keeping direction

• Room maids

• Hotel direction.

• Guests

• Learnings...

Exploring the field - OBSERVATION

Internal rules

Workspace

the reality

Damages..

Fragile & unused elements

A lot of additional

attributes…

• More Functionalities & ergonomics • Use of different drawers instead of one compartiment on top

• Extra level for clean linen

• 5th wheel : makes it possible to turn on the same place ( small corridors)

• Materials & accessoires • New material : VOLKERN

• strong, light ,durable material

• wooden look

• Large protections (bumpers) to avoid damages on walls ,doors,paintings..

• New organisational elements • Optional elements : Space for Swiffer..

• Raw with trays for small elements ...beauty products,slippers..cleaning products..

• On top of trolley : opening for Paper,files..

Creation of a basic trolley with options

• Funnel is full of ideas..

• New opportunities are discovered.

• Growing demand of clients..

• Bigger deals

• Different marketposition..

• Different, more adapted offer

• Better margins..

• Higher motivated people

• Improved company culture…

Results after release

• New inspiring tours are planned in existing and new sectors

• Further development and testing of new prototypes

• Focus on internal organization and production

• …

The way forward…

TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMER…HE’S YOUR ONLY PROFIT CENTER!

Hope you enjoyed this case

as much as we did!

u-sentric | Annita Beysen & Hanne Sidarow| Karel Van Lotharingenstraat 4 bus 3.2 Belgium

Contact: annita@u-sentric.com & hanne@u-sentric.com

www.u-sentric.com

Thanks! Questions or remarks? Don’t hesitate to contact us!