RESEARCH + STRATEGY
PRODUCT LAUNCH WEBSITE
or how I uncovered the right mental model upon which to anchor the user experience
Client
Life Insurance
Duration
12 weeks
Role
UX lead
ABOUT THE PROJECT
A successful Kickstarter campaign for their new 3D printer left my client with more questions than answers about their target customers. For example, who bought it and why? What convinced them to fork over $2000 on something that’s still a proof of concept? What kind of customer support will they require? My job was to find answers to these questions and translate those findings into a set of features and design concepts for the product launch site.
MY ROLE
As the lead researcher, I was responsible for conducting the interviews, analyzing the collect data, and presenting findings to the leadership team
KEY ACTIVITIES
- RESEARCH 25%
- DATA SYNTHESIS 65%
- STAKEHOLDER PRESENTATIONS 10%
MY APPROACH
I conducted of series of empathy listening session that focused less on on their recommendations for the product website. Instead, I wanted to know more about who they were as self-professed makers and how they use products like 3D printers in the past. Past experience is an excellent predictor of future behavior and through the subsequent research data analysis, I was able to identify a few of the active ingredients for a successful product launch site.
BY THE NUMBERS
Focus Group
Responsive Wireframes
Design Sprints
USER RESEARCH
EMPATHY LISTENING
I conducted a series of eight remote interviews with existing customers to understand why they purchased the 3D printer and how they plan to use it. These interviews were light on formal questions and heavy on the kind of tangential, active listening that gave me a better appreciation for the context of use. In particular, I explored examples of other sites that address the needs discussed during our time together
DESIGN
QUALITATIVE DATA CODING
I built a spreadsheet that included over 250 quotes or “data point” from the interviews. Just as you might organized post-it notes into affinity clusters to identify themes, I review and tagged the data to uncover key themes and design guidance for the team
DESIGN
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP
I met with the team twice to discuss my findings and brainstorm the implications. Specifically, I led a series of sketching exercises to generate feature ideas consistent with design guidelines. Through these sessions, I was able to help my client internalize what we learned more than they would have if I spent the time crafting them a pretty-looking key findings report
DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS
DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS
HIGHLIGHT THE ROI
Despite the four-figure price tag, participants saw incredible value in manufacturing their own projects rather than having them produced by a third party, particularly in this proof-of-concept phase. Therefore, I recommended that m client highlight the project-by-project cost savings that will more than pay for the 3D printer.
DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS
TEACH THEM HOW TO FISH
Participants considered themselves ‘makers’ who learn through gleeful trial and error, and the internet is an important part of their learning processes. Therefore, I suggested a well-moderated discussion board and video tutorials will help customers learn how to use their 3D printer while honoring their DIY approach to problem-solving.
DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS
CONVENIENCE IN CONTEXT
Convenience – as defined by participants – was a complex need to address. Hours of operation and location were the usual suspects. In addition, participants sought additional information about whether the dentist spoke their native language or performed a particular service – all of which needed to be represented and easy to find on the website.
