Product Design
What sets a Foviance consultant apart from those that focus on wither physical or cognitive ergonomics in isolation, is that we can combine the two. We have the skills to investigate a product holistically by using our large, established and extensive range of research methodologies to investigate both physical ‘hardware’ and digital ’software’ aspects of a product.
As well as being able to investigate the ‘whole’ product, we support product designers at all stages of the development cycle and not simply test a product prior to market launch.
For example:
- We investigate user reactions to new concepts at an early prototype stage.
- We look at how products are currently used in real world environments and measure users’ emotional reactions to product stimuli.
- We benchmark products to others available in the market
1. Concept testing
Concept testing attempts to predict how successful a new product idea will be before it is launched. This can be a risky business as all too often, new concepts (even valuable ones) can be ‘killed’ by people’s initial reactions to the basic idea of a product. People often experience difficulty visualising a new concept and hypothesising on its subsequent usage; people may also be hostile to new concepts and ideas when they go against their established ways of thinking and mental models.
We have tested concept by supporting the design idea using imagery and rudimentary physical prototypes /models.
2. Ethnography
People use products in many diverse contexts, often in ways that are difficult to foresee and design for. User interaction, for example, with mobile phones takes in all types of weather conditions; text messages are often written whilst walking down the street or hanging onto a rail on a busy commuter bus.
More on Ethnography.
3. Emotional measurement
Emotional responses elicited by a product are difficult to measure because their nature is subtle (low intensity) and often mixed (more than one emotional response at the same time)
Foviance’s approach, Emotional Engagement Measurement™ (EEM™) provides organisations with an assessment of their customers’ emotional response to an online experience and recommendations for how the experience can be improved from an emotional perspective.
Download our Understanding Emotional Engagement white paper
4. Usability
We have conducted numerous projects that assess and measure the usability in product design, of both product hardware as well as software.
Users are assessed and evaluated interacting with product hardware such as keyboards, keypads and touch-screens. Also, with both prototype and established Graphical User Interfaces (GUI’s); and software such as operating systems and applications.
5. Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the process of comparing qualities of different products to each-other. We help translate benchmarking performance into actionable recommendations that do not simply allow manufacturers to replicate what competitors are doing better, but attempt to go beyond this and seek competitive superiority rather than competitive parity.
For more information on Product Design, please get in touch.