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7.1 Final Prototype: MagnetiGo

My Gap: In what way might I make access to my commuter card more convenient?

Key User Needs:

The card can be kept in something I already carry or wear

The card is easy to use

The card is easy to add value

The card is secure

The card is durable

The card looks good

! The card can be kept with my (smart)phone

Insights from Week 5 Concept Testing:

Needs to support any phone model (not just iPhone)

Needs to support different card types (not just commuter card)

Cannot interfere with function of the phone

Must have a slim profile (not bulky)

Final Prototype:

One unintended side effect (positive) of this design is that it fits very easily into the palm of my hand. I used this design on my commute this past Friday and it was WONDERFUL. I could use my iPhone with one hand (reading) or two (responding to email), it fit into my purse easily, and the product didn't fall off at any point in the commute. The magnets were super strong - in fact the only problem I ran into was when I placed my phone on a metal table and when I lifted my phone, the prototype remained magnetized to the table!

Prototype Name:

I used Lingzini to put together a couple of name options:

I then took my favorites and graded each of them based on name length, positive/negative association, spelling, tone, and pronunciation. Based on the outcome, there were 2 names that I really liked: MagnetiGo and QuickiTap. I like that the "i" in the name makes a subtle reference to the iPhone. It ultimately came down to making a stronger association with the core product design (MagnetiGo) or functional purpose (QuickiTap).

At the end of the day, I decided to go with MagnetiGo because it rolls off the tongue nicely, is fun to say, and is more interesting.

Next Steps:

I would like to use a better plastic case. This one was a cheap name tag holder and the plastic is a little rough around the edges, which doesn't feel nice against my hand. I'd also like to position the magnets in a pretty way instead of just a random spacing on the back. Even though it can't be seen, I think laying out the magnets in a flower shape would make it more attractive. Finally, I'd want to make some for my friends and coworkers to see what they think of it and further refine the artifact.

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6.1 Alpha Prototype

My Gap: In what way might I make access to my commuter card more convenient?

Key User Needs:

The card can be kept in something I already carry or wear

The card is easy to use

The card is easy to add value

The card is secure

The card is durable

The card looks good

! The card can be kept with my (smart)phone

Original Design:

Alpha Prototype:

Based on feedback from my week 5 survey, I wanted to make the following updates:

Supports any phone model (iPhone, Android, etc.)

Supports different type of cards (commuter, hotel, ID, etc.)

Does not interfere with the function of the phone

Slim profile

In building my alpha prototype, I used a metal plate from my iMagnet car cradle which can be slid between any phone and its case or stuck directly on the phone's back. Then I attached some magnets to the back of a plastic name card holder.

This holder accommodates 2 cards, but I decided to use my commuter card and a wallet-sized photo. To close the plastic name card holder so the cards don't fall out, I tried both tape and a hair clip.

I'd like to investigate a thinner magnet in the future as well as more elegant ways of closing the name card holder in my beta prototype.

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5.1 Concept Testing

My Gap: In what way might I make access to my commuter card more convenient?

Primary Needs:

The card can be kept in something I already carry or wear

The card is easy to use

The card is easy to add value

The card is secure

The card is durable

The card looks good

Selected Concept:

Magnetic clip

Refinements:

Clasp "stretches" to accommodate phones of all widths (i.e., not limited to iPhone)

Slight curve to the clip design so that it can accommodate two cards (one photo/ID and one card that has tap functionality like my commuter card or a PayPass credit card or a hotel card)

Process:

To test my concepts with target users, I created an online survey which yielded 21 responses. I'm super thankful for all the responses, which were full of insights to further my concept!

Of the 64% of respondents who are commuters and currently use a reusable commuter card (vs a disposable single-ride ticket), 86% are mostly or completely satisfied with their current method of carrying their commuter card (mostly in their purse). This leaves little room for a new product - so my thinking here is that the product needs to really have some shock and awe to sell well, otherwise potential consumers have no reason to buy it and try it.

Of the 3 concepts that I prototyped (mobile sleeve, mobile wallet, and magnetic clip), the mobile sleeve and mobile wallet came out ahead with 38% of the vote each and the mobile wallet slightly edged out the mobile sleeve for the win with more second place votes. The mobile wallet also had 50% of respondents say that they were likely to buy the product.

However, when I looked at the results based on the number of respondents who are actually commuters (52%), the product that came out on top was the magnetic clip with 46% of the vote. Unfortunately only one person who voted for the magnetic clip said that they were likely to buy it, and most (43%) were undecided. My takeaway here is that this product was a bit too new and untested, so I'd need more evidence of this clip being easy to use and not interfering with the user's phone or credit cards with the magnetic edge.

Of the users who said they were unlikely to buy their selected choice (of the 3 prototypes), most said the primary reason was that they do not have an iPhone. So I'd need to design a product that could work with other phone models, without increasing the cost of production (ideally the same product). In addition, since half of the respondents are not commuters but responded that this prototype could have a lot of other uses (e.g., work badge, ID or driver's license, hotel card), this led me to think that the magnetic clip, with some slight tweaking, could be a compelling product to suit a variety of user needs.

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Survey!

Would love your feedback on my current design concepts!

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8elPWPomv8Mzmlf

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4.2 Prototyping

My Gap: In what way might I make access to my commuter card more convenient?

Based on the Concept Selection matrix, the 3 concepts I'd like to prototype are the A. Mobile case sleeve, B. Mobile wallet, and G. Mobile magnetic card clip. Click here to see all the concepts from Week 3.

Prototype A: Mobile case sleeve

Prototype B: Mobile wallet

Prototype G: Mobile magnetic card clip

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4.1 Concept Selection

I split my matrix into two for easier reading. If you'd like to see my full matrix with comments and pictures, you can check it out in Google Docs. You can also check out each of the concepts in detail here.

I really wanted to try the 'Square'-esque mobile dongle but it really didn't fare well in the matrix. Oh well. Based on the results, the 3 concepts I'll explore further are:

A. Mobile case sleeve

B. Mobile wallet

G. Magnetic card clip

I may keep the C. Mobile slim profile strap and E. Mobile key clip on the roster as well, since they're currently on the cuff.

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The original sketch for Twitter by Jack Dorsey from July 2006.

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3.2 Visual Expression (Perspective)

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3.1 Exploration

Problem Statement: In what way might I make access to my commuter card more convenient?

Primary Needs:

The card can be kept in something I already carry or wear

The card is easy to use

The card is easy to add value

The card is secure

The card is durable

The card looks good

Latent Needs:

! The card can be kept with my (smart)phone

! The card can be scanned from my (smart)phone

! The card can have value added to it with a (smart)phone

! The card alerts me when I need to add value (near minimum balance)

! The card can require authentication to use a linked payment method

! The card can require fingerprint scan to use

! The card does not overcharge me for my ride or charges can be easily contested

! The card can be washed in a washing machine and still function

! The card does not have an expiration date or the value can easily be transferred when it expires

! The card (or carrier) is easy to customize (looks)

Decomposition:

Get Card (1):

Get Card (2) & Check Balance (1):

10 Concepts:

I focused primarily on the mobile aspect since most users almost always have their phone on them, and it showed up the most in the latent needs. The limitation was how much I could make it mobile without the support of transit authorities since I couldn't easily change some variables such as the cart type or shape.

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The Invisible Bicycle Helmet

One of my favorite inventions is the invisible bike helmet by design students Anna and Terese. 7 years of research produced a helmet that fits around your neck like a scarf, but deploys like an air bag on impact. Love it!

The Invisible Bicycle Helmet | Fredrik Gertten from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo.

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AR Wear

I just stumbled onto this Indiegogo campaign for AR Wear, or "Anti Rape Wear." What's that, you ask? Well this company has come up with a couple of cool prototypes using a special material that is resistant to rapists - it cannot be cut apart, tugged off, etc. by anyone other than the wearer. It was designed around the research that creating a small amount of resistance is enough to ward off most rapists.

I found the design sketches and processes in the background of the Vimeo pretty relevant to this class. Enjoy!

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Attack of the Yeti

I recently read this article in BusinessWeek and I couldn't resist blogging about it here because of what an awesome product it is.

The product is called the Yeti. It's a $1,300 cooler that was invented by a couple of fishermen who needed a durable cooler to store their drinks and their fish. It evolved into a top-of-the-line cooler that can withstand grizzly bear attacks. Needless to say, it now enjoys a cult-like following and retailers can't keep them on the shelves. It's also become a prime target for thieves who can easily make a quick buck off a pinched Yeti due to the high demand on the black market.

Awesome product. Wonder if they used the Kano model to come up with the product attributes?

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2.3 Visual Expression (2D Sketches)

GRANÅS chair from IKEA:

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2.2 User Needs

To come up with the below list of user needs, I interviewed 5 individuals including coworkers, strangers waiting for their train, and one of the station managers. I also stood at the turnstiles for a half hour just to observe people coming and going. It was very informational and I hope I didn't come across as a creeper as I watched people!

Problem Statement: In what way might I make access to my commuter card more convenient?

The card can be kept in something I already carry or wear

The card can be kept in my wallet

The card can be kept in my purse

The card can be kept in my laptop bag

The card can be kept in my backpack

The card can be kept in my pants pocket

The card can be kept in my jacket pocket

! The card can be kept with my (smart)phone

The card can be kept with my work badge

The card is easy to use

The card is quick to read

The card can be swiped at the turnstiles

The card can be tapped at the turnstiles

! The card can be scanned from my (smart)phone

The card does not need to be used multiple times to be successfully read

The card does not need to be taken out of its carrier at the turnstiles

The card is easy to retrieve from my bag or pocket

The card is easy to put back in my bag or pocket

The card can be used for multiple forms of transportation

The card is easy to add value

The card can have value added to it with cash

The card can have value added to it with credit card

The card can have value added to it with tax-free transit vouchers

The card can have value added to it at the station

The card can have value added to it online

! The card can have value added to it with a (smart)phone

The card can be linked to a payment method

The card can be set to auto-refill at specific frequencies

The card can be set to auto-refill on specific dates

The card can be set to auto-refill at specific account balances

! The card alerts me when I need to add value (near minimum balance)

The card is secure

The card is not slippery to hold in hand

The card does not slide out of its carrier or holder

The card cannot snap off its carrier or holder

The card is difficult to lose

The card is difficult to steal

The card can be de-activated when reported lost and the remaining balance rolled over to a new card

! The card can require authentication to use a linked payment method

! The card can require fingerprint scan to use

The card activity can be tracked for accuracy

! The card does not overcharge me for my ride or charges can be easily contested

The card is durable

The card cannot be bent  or cracked in my pocket

The card is waterproof or water resistant for rainy days

The card can be dropped without breaking

! The card can be washed in a washing machine and still function

! The card does not have an expiration date or the value can easily be transferred when it expires

The card looks good

The card (or carrier) does not clash with my clothes or accessories

The card (or carrier) is made of high quality materials

! The card (or carrier) is easy to customize (looks)

The card (or carrier) is not embarrassing to take out

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2.1 Design Problem Definition

In what way might I...

Enforce more structure in my life

Stick to a more orderly work schedule

Plan in advance for my commute so that I’m not always rushing to catch the train

Avoid missing my train to/from work

Reduce the risk of forgetting or losing my commuter card

Create a better carrier for my commuter card

***Make access to my commuter card more convenient***

Attach my commuter card to something I carry everyday (like purse, laptop bag, or phone)

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Kano Model

I'm currently in Week 2 and one of the principles that really stood out to me from "Lecture 2d: Types of User Needs" is the Kano model.

According to Wikipedia: In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Noriaki Kano and his colleagues laid the foundation for a new approach to modeling customer satisfaction. Kano challenged the conventional beliefs that improving each attribute of a company's product or service will lead to increased customer satisfaction. Kano believed that not all attributes of product or service performance are equal in the eyes of the customer, and that some attributes create higher levels of customer loyalty than others.

The Kano model is a theory for product development that consists of a horizontal x-axis that describes the extent to which you addressed a user need and a vertical y-axis describes the resultant level of customer satisfaction.

There are 4 types of user needs that Kano outlined: 1. Don't care: something not relevant to user 2. Linear: more is better (e.g., affordability) 3. Must haves: intense dissatisfaction if missing, but not noticeable if done extremely well 4. Latent needs: not noticeable if unaddressed, but extreme delight if done well

I think that 3 and 4 are both very interesting ways to think about design, particularly 4 which is difficult to coax out of interviews or surveys because the end user themselves may not be aware of it yet. And thus, the challenge as a designer is to have extreme foresight into what features fall into types 1-3 and what features MIGHT the user want in type 4.

Very thought provoking!

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My Gap

CARRIER FOR COMMUTER CARD

I use my commuter card twice a day to take public transportation to and from work. I don’t like to keep it in my wallet with my credit cards because I don’t like to take my wallet out each time I’m heading through the turnstiles, but at the same time, I need it somewhere accessible because I have to tap on and tap off. I’m also worried about losing it because I could have a lot of credit stored on the card. I wish I had a carrier for the card that I could clip to my purse(s) in some secure way that’s easy to retrieve and put back multiple times a day.

Because this is a gap I experience 4x/day and because I see others struggle with this gap daily too (from the guy with the bulky wallet who has to tap multiple times because his wallet is too thick to the lady who’s digging around in her purse for her card while she misses her train), I have chosen it for my project in this Coursera class. I also believe it could be useful to a broader population than commuters (e.g., hotel room keycards or student IDs).

Follow my progress on this blog!

  Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8