Elaine Potter

Initial Research Report

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Introduction

From time spent on Co-op in a computer peripherals and universal remote control company, and from my own user habits when working in an unstructured environment when navigating through a laptop or television a number of pain points became apparent.

The following research was done to investigate all problem areas and to find a product concept emerging from the results.

Secondary Research

Methods and Results

Design for pleasure (Book review)

• Jordan, P.W, (2000) Design for pleasure, USA and Canada ,Taylor and Francis.

•How people can form a bond with a piece of technology.

•Maslows Hierarchy of Needs.

•Goes through products of interest to this project and how they are approached in the design process and if and why they were successful.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological

Safety

Social

Esteem

Self-actualization

Have product instil self confidence and Pride

Aid the activity of social networking and not alienate the user when in use

The basic functions can be done easily and intuitively

Be made of good quality materials

Let the

user utilise their product to the max of their ability

Existing Products of Interest

Learning by ToyingLecture by Professor Sudarshan Khanna.

In relation to my FYP

I think now more than before that the option of further customisation is important to the product I will end up designing. People have more of a connection with something that they have had some part in creating. It is possible for a person to feel a connection to a piece of technology when they have helped shape form it in some way.

Plus any sort of product that incorporates any element of play will, as a by-product, lead to a much more enjoyable and engaging product.

Summary Of Secondary Research

Design for Pleasure– Similar products– The different pleasure sensors– Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Existing products– Brainstorming– Amazon reviews– Peoples opinions

Learning by Toying– Make the product feel more personalised and unique– Create a bond with the customer– More enjoyable

Primary Research

•Logitech

•Brainstorms

•Observations

•User trials

•Personality Profiling

•Style analysis

Past Information gathered whilst at Logitech.

Pain-points identified at Logitech from people in different departments such as: Engineers, marketing and Design.

1. Unstructured environments

Uneven tracking surfaces

2. Portability

Light and small

3. Customisation

Different user requirements and preferences

4. Fashion

5. Colour

Design for postponement

BrainstormingThis time was spent to further define the project problem statement and also it proved invaluable to getting fresh view points and altering direction when undertaking research. From the results of Brainstorming it was clearer to prioritise areas of interest.

ObservationsThis stage of research to see what devices people commonly used and how they used them.

The control devices that were observed and documented included the following:

• Mobile phones

• Both “normal” keypad and touch-screen

• Remote controls

• Computer mice

• Games controllers

• Scroll pad on laptop

Sample Observations

Questionnaires

The questionnaire was used to gather some facts to back up thoughts that were expressed in the initial brainstorming

and secondary research stage. Some of these facts that had yet to backed up were:

• That the majority of people would watch television on the internet,

• and that people use their laptop away from the traditional desk.

Results of Questionnaire

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Desk Bed Couch Other

Do you use your laptop in the following positions?

*Note nobody said no to watching television on the internet.

Results of Questionnaire

User TrialsOne device that can solve a lot of problems (but could do with a lot of improvements also) is the Logitech diNovo Mini, this is marketed as a “Palm-sized keyboard with a media remote and Clickpad)

•To understand how people interacted with this a user group of 10 basic users in their early twenties was chosen to carry

out a user test.

•To gather information from the user test pictures and videos were taken,

observation was used also the users were asked to write down some feedback at the

end of their time using the device.

•Vox was used to gain written feedback.

Sample Observations from User Trials

User Profiling

ExperExpertt

ExplorExplorerer

Basic User Profile

•3rd year student.•He has a laptop, mainly for writing up college reports and surfing the net.•Favourite website -Youtube.•Sits at his desk with a computer mouse when writing reports•Surfing the net he will mostly bring his laptop to bed or sprawl out on the couch.•Has a Numeric keypad Nokia phone but is interested in upgrading to an iPhone.

Explorer User Profile

•Fergal is 31•He is an accountant who is steadily rising up

the ranks of his firm•He drives a sports car

•He likes showing off his money and success•He is a big fan of Apple products

•He always has to have the very latest, newest and flashiest technologies

Expert User Profile

•Aine is 28•She is a design engineer

•She spends most of her day at work on pro-engineer

•In her down time likes to catch up on TV programme on the internet

•Aesthetics are important to her•She likes all her technology to blend in

with everything else in her house i.e no flashy for the sake of it technology

Style Analysis

Colour

Colour has become huge as an essential option in a product.Apple computers and iPods have lead the way for offering people the chance to have their products show a side of their personalities. Now every technology manufacturer has to keep up. This must be kept in mind when deciding a manufacturing process.

Portability

As has been gone through already laptops have become more portable and so the devices that control them must be ultra portable also.

Customisable

Customers want a product that can be customised to some degree, whether that be size, weight or colour. Now users expect more and more out of their products it is now taken for granted that the product have good aesthetics, ergonomic and user friendly.

They now want more, by offering customisation it will give the product that does end up being designed an edge over competitor’s products and be more pleasing to the users.

Environment

Bibliography

• Reviews for existing products www.Amazon.com

• Images www.google.com/images and www.gettyimages.com

• Book “Design for Pleasure” Jordan, P.W, (2000) Design for pleasure, USA and Canada ,Taylor and Francis.