User Centered Design

USER CENTERED DESIGN

My group and I took a few days to observe users using different products in their daily lives. We noticed that there are a few existing products which aren't completely useful or create some minor problems for the customer. We came up with ideas for four different products and then narrowed down to two main products. After formulating the design brief for both the products, we listed out the pros and cons for both products and chose the product which was most user friendly. The document below shows a step by step process of our decision and the details of our product, Headphone Protector.

24/10/2014                                                       GROUP 3                                            DE1096

USER CENTERED DESIGN
BASIC PLAN

TEAM MEMBERS:

1) Ahana Kothari

2) Rhob Edwards

3) Jack Connery

4) James Fulton

5) Andrew Sutherland

6) Ruairidh Mckenna

PRODUCT IDEAS: 

MAIN IDEAS

1.   Headphone spring (to reinforce joints, to prevent casing from tearing and exposing wires.) DETAILED PROS AND CONS

2.   Phone amplifier DETAILED PROS AND CONS

SECONDARY IDEAS

3.   Weighted road bike pedals OR pedal lock for inserting feet

4.   Mug Stabilizer

Brief: The objective of this project is to design artefacts that solve a problem from the users perspective...

To-Do: 

29th October, 

•   Define project/product

•   Pro and Cons

•   Clear investigation of product

•   Specification

•   Decision on final product

8th November

•   Clear sketches of ideas

•   Storyboard

•   Mood board

12th November

•   Interm Presentation

15^th October

·         Final submission

Concept Design, Product 1: Headphone Spring - 

Problem: over time the casing of chargers and headphones wears out and starts to tear exposing the internal wires making it dangerous and less useful. The main cause of this is that the wire gets bent extremely often and this leads to the tearing of the external casing.

Solution: To reinforce the components involved in headphones (and wires in general) from excessive wear and bending that can cause internal wires to become exposed and damaged. This could be done by creating a spring like cover to prevent the bending.       

Initial Design Proposal - This would be a cover that has a spring like structure to prevent the wire from external casing of the wire from tearing due to bending, over time. Primarily, these components comprise the end most points of the wires, where they link with a socket component. Examples used include headphone AUX jacks that can be bent while stored in pockets etc.

The spring would therefore act as the primary support, while the cover would conceal the component structure from sight. Acting as an aesthetically pleasing encasing as well as a way of keeping the support in place so that it can perform its purpose more effectively.

This product is inspired from a spring, however would appear more as a clip-on, flexible, metallic casing for the wire.

The design of the product should be based on an iconic brand who’s design style is recognizable. However this brand should be in a completely different category of the product we are designing.

Design style: Examples could include Deconstructionism, Soviet Realism, and Bauhaus etc.

Again, look at use of fashion designers for possible inspiration. 

To attach universally to components, simplistic design may be required to avoid complications.

Sports (Puma - Sports teams), high-end jewelry (Pandora, Louis Vuitton, Rolex), cars (Jaguar - curves, Lamborghini - angular) [applicable for all products under discussion]

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Increase the lifespan of wires (headphones)

Styling outer casing can improve the aesthetic appearance of headphones - make something cheap look expensive and/or desirable

Cost effective

Can be made for sorts of target audience

Can be personalized

Universal

User friendly

Mass producible

ergonomics

Cons:

Will add increased cross-sectional dimensions to original product

(Small) Detachable product - can be lost - choking hazard?

Can be lost

Bulky

Not always aplicable

Users Perspective: After observing headphone users, or any consumers using wires or cables find it difficult to maintain the wire in perfect condition over time. It is frustrating that the external casing starts to tear over time. Therefore this product could be highly demanded by the users. Since it is easy to clip onto wires and easy to use and has an important function, it will be very useful.

Concept Design, Product 2: Phone Amplifier-

Problem: Is it easy to have a conversation in loud crowded areas? Majority of cell-phone users find it difficult to hear while having a conversation on the phone due to the noisy environment.

Solution: The solution to block out external noise would be to focus on the sound form the phone. This could be done by circular structure in the shape of miniature satellite dish.

Initial Design Proposal: This would be a small disc like product which would fold into the phone casing, and pop out when needed. The shape would help focus the sound to the phone making it easier to hear. The function is similar to that of a satellite dish. It would initially be metallic, but the material must be light and flexible.

Design style: same inspiration as above.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

User friendly

Personalised design

Cost effective

Cons:

Disrupts the design of the phone

Bulky, adds weight to the phone

Not always applicable

Concept Design, Product 3: Weighted road bike pedals or pedallock for inserting feet.

Problem: While riding a bike it so easy for the foot too slip off the pedal. This happened mainly because the pedal moves along with the motion of the foot. If the pedal stayed stiff at a particular angle or had more support, we would not experience this problem.

Solution: The Basic idea is to add weights to the pedal to hold it in place or to add more stable foot holds to prevent the slipping.

Concept Design, Product 4: Mug stabilizer

Problem: Ever toppled a mug over by mistake?  A never ending problem, mugs and cups fall over when hit with the hand by mistake spilling over all the contents.

Solution: If you could slip on a cone shaped support onto your mug which would rest the mug at both angles, not disrupting the main purpose of the mug but preventing it from falling over when hit or shoved, instead it would just move slightly due to the angles.

Pros and cons: (discuss)

TO DO LIST TILL 29^th

Ø  Pros and Cons for all products…… discuss as a group DONE

Ø  Then decide on one product DONE

Ø  Mind map on how we arrived on the decision getting done

Ø  Specification Pending

FINAL PRODUCT DECISION

Ø  Headphone protector [because it has more pros than cons whereas the phone amplifier has equal amounts of pros and cons.]

Ø  Brand design inspiration: Lamborghini

Preliminary Specification For Headphone Protector:

Aesthetics –

·         Must look appealing

·         Must represent the brand

·         Customisation

Cost –

·         Should cost less than original headphones

Customer –

·         Age range/target audience, 12-25 (teens to young adults)

Size –

·         Small/compact/light

Safety –

·         Electrical insulation

·         Choking hazard

Function –

·         Protect wire

·         Increase headphone wire lifespan

Materials –

·         Flexible for wire, hard for clasp

·         Durable

·         Electrical insulator

Manufacture –

·         Mass producible

·         Reliability, low failure rate at manufacturing stage

·         Cost effective