Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; Details of the process and product design cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; name of the client cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; name of the client cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; Details of the process and product design cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; name of the client cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; name of the client cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; Details of the process and product design cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; name of the client cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
Project
Overview
CHALLENGE
To design a brand-new toothbrushing experience that is more sustainable and pleasant by understanding consumers’ behaviors and unmet needs.
PROJECT TYPE
Physical product design | Design research |
User experience design
Oral Care Product Innovation
*This project is under an NDA; name of the client cannot be disclosed.
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble
TIME FRAME
10 Weeks
[Sept. - Dec. 2022]
MY ROLE
User interviews | User testing | CAD modeling | Model rendering | Prototyping
TEAM MEMBERS
Amanda Acquaire | Emmie Fister
Patrick Giavelli | Kallie Mingay | Sherry Xu
The toothbrushing experience has been a mundane routine that nobody really takes a moment to think about it. Package waste, toothpaste residue, tedious steps, unpleasant experience... Procter & Gamble set out to consider these minor details of an ordinary task that asked us to reimagine the toothbrushing experience and develop a more sustainable and pleasant experience.
In 10 weeks, we were asked to pitch to the Procter & Gamble team with a final minimal viable prototype, a pitch video, design requirements, user journey map, and recommendations on next step.
The toothbrushing experience has been a mundane routine that nobody really takes a moment to think about it. Package waste, toothpaste residue, tedious steps, unpleasant experience... Procter & Gamble set out to consider these minor details of an ordinary task that asked us to reimagine the toothbrushing experience and develop a more sustainable and pleasant experience.
In 10 weeks, we were asked to pitch to the Procter & Gamble team with a final minimal viable prototype, a pitch video, design requirements, user journey map, and recommendations on next step.
3 rounds of interviews with 8 consumers including in-home visits and prototype testings
3 rounds of interviews with 8 consumers including in-home visits and prototype testings
10+ common themes, 10+ insights, countless brainstorming, and finally 6 major prototypes were generated
10+ common themes, 10+ insights, countless brainstorming, and finally 6 major prototypes were generated
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
After research and testing with consumers, we were able to synthesize 10 key design requirements for our product. Ultimately, we successfully design a product that reduces the steps involved in toothbrushing and is more sustainable with less waste created in the process.
Luckily, we were able to present at the Procter & Gamble headquarter in Cincinnati, OH. The P&G team will be incorporating the insights we got out from our research, our minimal viable prototypes, and our recommendations into future development of the product.
After research and testing with consumers, we were able to synthesize 10 key design requirements for our product. Ultimately, we successfully design a product that reduces the steps involved in toothbrushing and is more sustainable with less waste created in the process.
Luckily, we were able to present at the Procter & Gamble headquarter in Cincinnati, OH. The P&G team will be incorporating the insights we got out from our research, our minimal viable prototypes, and our recommendations into future development of the product.
MY ROLE
MY ROLE
MY ROLE
As a design researcher in this project, I have led 2 in-home interviews (1 hour each), and 3 user testing interviews (1 hour each). And I was involved in the whole research process from interviews to generating insights, tensions, and 'how might we' statements.
Design Researcher
As a design researcher in this project, I have led 2 in-home interviews (1 hour each), and 3 user testing interviews (1 hour each). And I was involved in the whole research process from interviews to generating insights, tensions, and 'how might we' statements.
Product Designer
Design Researcher
As a product designer in this project, I made several prototypes from foam core, 3 prototypes from 3D printing. I was also in charge of the final product design where I modeled our MVP in Solidworks and rendered it in Keyshot.
For the final presentation, I was able to present our MVP in high-fidelity renderings and animations which demonstrate the logistic of our design.
Product Designer
THE PROCESS
THE PROCESS
THE PROCESS
In-Home Visit
In-Home Visit
A home setting is a safe space for people, it is the place where we could observe the most natural behaviors and perceptions.
A home setting is a safe space for people, it is the place where we could observe the most natural behaviors and perceptions.
We visited 8 consumers' homes in the third week to learn about their behaviors, struggles, and perception around oral care. Our team started off by creating a discussion guide that organize our goals, focuses, and possible questions to ask in the interviews.
I led 2 interviews and took notes for 2 interviews.
We visited 8 consumers' homes in the third week to learn about their behaviors, struggles, and perception around oral care. Our team started off by creating a discussion guide that organize our goals, focuses, and possible questions to ask in the interviews.
I led 2 interviews and took notes for 2 interviews.
Synthesis
Synthesis
Extracting from in-field study to direct us in the design process.
Extracting from in-field study to direct us in the design process.
Mapping out observations from the interviews, we dived deep into consumers' behaviors to generate common themes, insights, and tensions, eventually, creating 'how might we' statements that inform our design direction.
Mapping out observations from the interviews, we dived deep into consumers' behaviors to generate common themes, insights, and tensions, eventually, creating 'how might we' statements that inform our design direction.
Research Stimuli Activity & User Testings
Research Stimuli Activity & User Testings
The best way to gain user feedback is to put things in front of them and have them interact with items.
The best way to gain user feedback is to put things in front of them and have them interact with items.
After the first round of synthesis in understanding consumers' unmet needs, we moved forward with these valuable insights and set out to design users stimuli activities where we presented consumers with a variety of research stimuli and have them complete tasks such as ranking, grouping, thinking-out-loud, and mix & match.
Moving forward, we also conducted user testing with the consumers to observe their interaction with our prototypes and refine our design requirements for our final design.
After the first round of synthesis in understanding consumers' unmet needs, we moved forward with these valuable insights and set out to design users stimuli activities where we presented consumers with a variety of research stimuli and have them complete tasks such as ranking, grouping, thinking-out-loud, and mix & match.
Moving forward, we also conducted user testing with the consumers to observe their interaction with our prototypes and refine our design requirements for our final design.
Brainstorm & Ideate
Brainstorm & Ideate
Back with rich consumer research, valuable insights from the observations, and design requirements we synthesized into, we started to reimagined a better solution
Back with rich consumer research, valuable insights from the observations, and design requirements we synthesized into, we started to reimagined a better solution
The observations and insights from the activity informed our design direction. We then developed 5 functional design requirements and 5 emotional design requirements. These design requirements allowed us to brainstorm and ideate a solution for the challenge. Our brainstorming session was quick and dirty, the goal was to get as many ideas in a short amount of time as possible. We ended with 20+ ideas, bundled them into 5 groups based on similarity.
The observations and insights from the activity informed our design direction. We then developed 5 functional design requirements and 5 emotional design requirements. These design requirements allowed us to brainstorm and ideate a solution for the challenge. Our brainstorming session was quick and dirty, the goal was to get as many ideas in a short amount of time as possible. We ended with 20+ ideas, bundled them into 5 groups based on similarity.
Prototyping
Prototyping
Making ideas tangible is the best way to iterate. Tangibility reveals opportunities and complexities that we have never discussed.
Making ideas tangible is the best way to iterate. Tangibility reveals opportunities and complexities that we have never discussed.
As we approach the end of the project, we narrowed down our ideas into 5 major design directions. We made 6 prototypes for the users to interact with by using 3D printing, cardboard, foam core, paper, and foil papers. We landed on our final design by synthesizing insights from the user testing.
As we approach the end of the project, we narrowed down our ideas into 5 major design directions. We made 6 prototypes for the users to interact with by using 3D printing, cardboard, foam core, paper, and foil papers. We landed on our final design by synthesizing insights from the user testing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The major takeaway from this project is that what people SAY does not reflect what people DO. Sometimes, you will find out that things people say they care, never shows in their behavior. And their behaviors could overturn your perception entirely. As a human-centered designer, we have to put users into context and observe their behaviors. Ethnocentric research is the primary way of informing design direction, a product cannot be designed without involving consumers.
As an industrial designer, I was not involved in such extensive user research before. Stepping into people's homes and observing them doing their daily routines are indeed out of my comfort zone. Moving on from the project, I am now more confident to conduct design research and utilize human-centered product design process.
The major takeaway from this project is that what people SAY does not reflect what people DO. Sometimes, you will find out that things people say they care, never shows in their behavior. And their behaviors could overturn your perception entirely. As a human-centered designer, we have to put users into context and observe their behaviors. Ethnocentric research is the primary way of informing design direction, a product cannot be designed without involving consumers.
As an industrial designer, I was not involved in such extensive user research before. Stepping into people's homes and observing them doing their daily routines are indeed out of my comfort zone. Moving on from the project, I am now more confident to conduct design research and utilize human-centered product design process.