empathic experience design · rei camp dome tent! nemo inﬂatable tent! lin, j. and c. c....

Empathic Experience Design (Seepersad) | 1!

EMPATHIC EXPERIENCE DESIGN!The Effect of Extraordinary User Experiences on Customer Needs Analysis and Product Redesign!

Carolyn Conner Seepersad, PhD!Associate Professor!Mechanical Engineering Department!The University of Texas at Austin!

Collaborators!Danny Johnson, Matt Saunders, Joseph Lin!

Nicole Genco, Katja Holtta-Otto!

Open Innovation Conference!IC2 Institute!

November 8-9, 2012!

Funding: NSF CMMI-0825713 !


WHY INNOVATE?!

"...Innovation is the only mechanism that can actually change things in substantive ways. Innovation is where creative thinking and practical know-how meet to do new things in new ways, and old things in new ways.” Dr. Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering [2] !

Kano Diagram [1]!

[1] Kano, 1984, Journal of Japanese Society of Quality Control![2] Quoted by Friedman, NY Times, 9/7/08.!


HOW TO INNOVATE?!

•  Regarding Engineering Design!–  “Should a designer add an additional function,

reduce product size, make the product easier to use, or pursue other options? What are the engineering-level characteristics of innovative products?” [3]!

[3] Saunders M. N., Seepersad C. C., and Holtta-Otto K., 2009, “The Characterstics of Innovative, Mechanical Products,” Proceedings of the ASME 2009 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, pp. 1-10.!


WHAT IS AN INNOVATIVE MECHANICAL PRODUCT? !To investigate this question, we:!•  Analyzed 197 award-winning products. !•  Identified engineering characteristics of

innovation. !•  Investigated which characteristics were most

prevalent in award-winning products, relative to competing products [3]. !

[3] Saunders, M. N., C. C. Seepersad and K. Holtta-Otto, 2011, “The Characteristics of Innovative Mechanical Products,” ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 133, No. 2, pp. 021009.!


ENGINEERING CHARACTERISTICS OF INNOVATIVE MECHANICAL PRODUCTS!

Function! Cost!External interactions!

User interactions!Architecture!

• material flow!• energy flow!• inform. flow!• interact. w/ infrastructure!

• size!• layout!• usage environ.!

• additional function!

• purchase cost!• maintenance cost!

• physical demands!

• sensory demands!

• cognitive demands!



ANALYSIS OF AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTS BY INNOVATION CHARACTERISTICS AND CATEGORIES!



HOW TO STIMULATE INNOVATION FOR EASE OF USE? !

Empathic Experience Design!!

•  Expose designer (or customer) to challenging usage contexts!–  challenging usage environments

(e.g., moisture, noise, darkness)!–  challenging means of interacting

with a product (physically, sensorially, cognitively)!

•  Help designers!–  Empathize with customers

under a variety of conditions!–  Design for the types of context-

related latent needs that often lead to innovative products!


ROOTS OF EMPATHIC EXPERIENCE DESIGN!

Lead Users [4]!•  Push a product to its

limits and experience needs prior to the general population!

•  Benefit significantly from improvements to a product!

•  Often innovate themselves!

Drum Brakes!

Aftermarket Forks!

Quick-release seats!

Motorcycle brake levers!

Reinforced Frames!

[4] Von Hippel, E., 2005, Democratizing Innovation, MIT Press.!Photo: http://www.sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/mtbwelcome.htm!



Empathic Design [5]!•  Conduct observations in the

customerʼs own environment!•  Often involves ethnographic

techniques!

[5] Leonard, D., and Rayport, J. F., 1997, Harvard Business Review.!Photos: boston.com and rit.edu!

Patricia Moore (at age 26)!Spent 3 years as elderly person!



Photos: nytimes.com (MIT AGELAB) and www.design.ncsu.edu (Ford Motor Company)!


EMPATHIC EXPERIENCE DESIGN!

!•  Allow the designer (or

customer) to empathize with lead users via simulated lead user-type experiences!

•  Expose designer (or customer) to challenging usage contexts!–  challenging usage environments

(e.g., moisture, noise, darkness)!–  challenging means of interacting

with a product (physically, sensorially, cognitively)!

•  Help designers!–  Empathize with customers

under a variety of conditions!–  Design for the types of context-

related latent needs that often lead to innovative products!


EMPATHIC EXPERIENCE DESIGN FOR CUSTOMER NEEDS ANALYSIS AND PRODUCT REDESIGN!

Begin with Prototype!

1. Define Design

Problem!

2. Define Typical and Lead Users!

3. Design Empathic

Experiences!

4. Implement Empathic

Experiences!

5. Perform Customer Interviews!

5. Perform Idea Generation!

With Customers for Customer Needs

Analysis!

With Designers for Idea

Generation!


LIMITATION LEVEL OF LIMITATION EXPERIMENTAL CONDITION

Sens

ory

Sight

Reduce lab goggles with fine grid on transparency paper (*allows for variability of levels) low quality welding goggles

Reduce scope blinders on side of glasses, holes in restrictive sheet

Blind Completely dark room Blindfold enclose product in dark container with hand holes

Hearing Deaf ear plugs ear protection headphones used during gun shooting headphones with sound louder than ambient noise

Touch Reduce add layer between user and prototype (gloves)

Taste Ability to distinguish tastes consume more of a certain flavor prior to consumption (bitter, salty, sour, sweet, savory) Reduce reduce or eliminate sense of smell

Smell Eliminate close nose (clip)

isolate nose (snorkel goggles) Reduce smell stronger smell prior Heighten breathe strips to open nostrils

Phys

ical

Dexterity

Hand oven mittens, gloves, mittens tape fingers together with medical tape

Arm one hand behind back carrying weight or bulk with one hand

Body jumpsuit adding bulk, weight, joint padding wear protective equipment (hockey/football pads)

Cognitive Distract

recite information (phone number, alphabet backwards) Recite nonsenense syllables (ʻthe-the-the,ʼ ʻza-za-zaʼ) read off prompter, talk on phone/carrying conversation

Task Switching answer questions/simple math problems every 15-30 seconds play a game while interacting could add incentive/reward to encourage performance

Environment

Night dark room with light source (flashlight reflecting off wall, projector with dark screen/tape on lens) Rain mounted sprinkler under canopy Temperature change room temperature

Location add rocks/sticks on floor confine space in small or low ceiling room


EMPATHIC EXPERIENCE DESIGN FOR CUSTOMER NEEDS ANALYSIS AND PRODUCT REDESIGN!


1. Define Design

Problem!


3. Design Empathic

Experiences!


Experiences!




Analysis!


Generation!


CAN EMPATHIC EXPERIENCES HELP CUSTOMERS BECOME INNOVATORS?!


1. Define Design

Problem!


3. Design Empathic

Experiences!


Experiences!



Analysis!


Direct Needs! Latent Needs!Typical Customer Needs Analysis!

Empathic Experience Design?!

Obvious! Non-obvious!Incremental!

Product Variants!Innovative!

Breakthrough Products!

www.rei.com! www.popsci.com!

CAN EMPATHIC EXPERIENCES HELP CUSTOMERS BECOME INNOVATORS? !


HYPOTHESIS!

Customers who engage in empathic experiences during customer needs interviews will supply a greater variety of customer needs and a larger number of latent needs than those supplied by customers who do not engage in the empathic experiences.!


A CUSTOMER NEEDS ANALYSIS (CNA) EXPERIMENT!

1.  Selected Product: Familiar dome tent (with new, innovative product available, but unknown to participants)!

2.  Define Typical vs. Lead User!–  Typical: Young, healthy weekend camper in good weather!–  Lead: Camper assembling tent in cold and dark conditions,

possibly with heavy gloves!3.  Design Empathic Experiences!

–  Oven mitts to simulate cold and/or limited dexterity!–  Dark room to simulate late evening/night assembly!

4.  Implement Empathic Experiences (with Customers)!–  Control Condition: Articulated Use with No Empathic

Experiences!–  Experimental Condition: Articulated Use with Empathic

Experiences!–  Interviewing Technique: Free Speech followed by Categorical

Questioning (Categories: Size, Shape, Weight, Safety, Aesthetics, Setup, Transport …)!

–  40 undergraduate students (engineers and non-engineers)!5.  Analyze results for breadth of feedback and # of suggestions for

design changes!–  Breadth measured by # of categories mentioned!–  Latent needs defined as suggestions for design changes!

REI Camp Dome Tent!

Nemo Inflatable Tent!

Lin, J. and C. C. Seepersad, 2007,ASME DETC Design Theory and Methodology Conference. Paper Number: DETC2007-35302.!


RESULTS!

0.0!

1.0!

2.0!

3.0!

4.0!

5.0!

6.0!

7.0!

Control! Experimental!

Average # of Categories Breached!

Engineer! Non-Engineer!

0.0!

1.0!

2.0!

3.0!

4.0!

5.0!

6.0!

7.0!

8.0!


Average # of Latent CN!

Engineer! Non-Engineer!


INSIGHTS FROM CNA EXPERIMENT!

•  Statistically significant increase in redesign (latent) needs discovery with empathic experience techniques!–  2.5x versus typical interview(p-statistic < 1E-2)!–  up to 20x versus verbal interviews w/o prototype (p-

statistic < 1E-4)!•  Useful redesign (latent) needs uncovered!

–  Tied to nature of extraordinary experiences!•  Inflatable, Tensegrity deployment (analogy to auto

sunshades), Glow-in-dark fabrics, Ergonomic zipper handles!–  Non-obvious to customers in typical interviews!–  Tied to enhanced usability in ordinary and

extraordinary conditions!


CAN EMPATHIC EXPERIENCES HELP DESIGNERS BECOME BETTER INNOVATORS?!

•  What? Use and manipulation of external conditions to simulate challenging usage conditions!

•  When? Immediately before idea generation!•  Why? Focuses designers on a productʼs interactions with user and

environment!

AGNES!MIT Media Lab!nytimes.com!

UT Austin!NASA Senior!Design Project!


CAN EMPATHIC EXPERIENCES HELP DESIGNERS BECOME BETTER INNOVATORS?!


1. Define Design

Problem!


3. Design Empathic

Experiences!


Experiences!



Generation!


Empathic Experience!

Product interaction!

AN IDEA GENERATION EXPERIMENT!

Idea generation with and without preceding empathic experiences!

Sensory !

Physical !

Problem statement!


CONCEPT GENERATION TECHNIQUE!•  Idea Generation Technique is 6-3-5!

–  6 participants, each sketching 3 ideas, and then rotating them clockwise 5 times for input from co-participants!

–  Primarily sketching, with limited words as labels. No talking!


METRICS!

•  Originality!–  Creativity, newness!

•  Feasibility!–  Quality, can this

actually be made?!•  EED Categories!

–  In which ways is the product innovative?!

–  How innovative?!

Description Originality Common 0

Somewhat Interesting 2.5 Interesting 5

Very Interesting 7.5 Innovative 10

Is the design possible?

Is the design technically difficult for the context?

Is there an existing solution?

Sfeas=0

Sfeas=4

Sfeas=10

Sfeas=7 No No

No

Yes Yes

Yes

Charyton, C., R. J. Jagacinski and J. A. Merrill, 2008, Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 2, pp. 147-154.!Linsey, J. S., 2007, Ph.D. Dissertation, UT Austin.!!


HYPOTHESIS!

Design engineers who engage in empathic experiences immediately prior to a concept generation activity will generate concepts with higher levels of originality than those produced by designers who do not engage in the empathic experiences. Empathic experiences are also hypothesized to have a measurable effect on the type and focus of innovation characteristics present in the resulting concepts .!


RESULTS!

Control (without empathic experiences)

Subject (with empathic experiences)

# Mean Standard Error # Mean

Standard Error P-‐Value

Sensory & Environmental

Originality 174

3.61 0.23 172

4.56 0.24 0.002 Feasibility 8.61 0.18 8.27 0.21 0.112

# ICM Categories 1.46 0.08 1.75 0.08 0.006

Physical Originality

128 3.87 0.16

101 5.22 0.19 0.000

Feasibility 8.55 0.17 8.39 0.21 0.295

# ICM Categories 1.72 0.10 2.33 0.10 0.000


ORIGINALITY SCORES!

28%! 26%! 26%!

13%!

6%!

17%!

24%! 26%!22%!

10%!

0%!

5%!

10%!

15%!

20%!

25%!

30%!

35%!

40%!

0! 2.5! 5! 7.5! 10!

% o

f Des

igns

Rec

ievi

ng S

core

s!

Maximum Originality Score!Control! Subject!

3%!

48%!40%!

8%!1%!2%!

15%!

58%!

22%!

3%!

-10%!

0%!

10%!

20%!

30%!

40%!

50%!

60%!

0! 2.5! 5! 7.5! 10!

% o

f Des

igns

Rec

ievi

ng S

core

s!

Maximum Originality Score!

Control! Subject!

Sensory/Environmental!

Physical!


Sensory FuncConality Architecture

Environmental InteracCons

User InteracCons Cost

Control 17.2% 27.0% 59.8% 40.8% 0%

Subject 16.3% 36.6% 63.4% 58.7% 0%

p-‐value 0.396 0.030 0.268 0.000 N/A

Physical FuncConality Architecture

Environmental InteracCons

User InteracCons Cost

Control 10.9% 51.6% 39.1% 53.1% 0%

Subject 4.0% 73.3% 51.5% 84.2% 0%

p-‐value 0.0195 0.0005 0.0361 0.0000 N/A

INNOVATION METRICS!


CATEGORIES OF INNOVATION!

0.0%!

10.0%!

20.0%!

30.0%!

40.0%!

50.0%!

60.0%!

70.0%!

Functionality! Architecture! Environmental Interactions!

User Interactions!

Sensory!

Control! Subject!


0.0%!

10.0%!

20.0%!

30.0%!

40.0%!

50.0%!

60.0%!

70.0%!

80.0%!

90.0%!

Functionality! Architecture! Environmental Interactions!

User Interactions!

Physical!

Control! Subject!

CATEGORIES OF INNOVATION!


SAMPLE CONCEPT: SENSORY EXPERIENCE!


SAMPLE CONCEPT: PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE!


CLOSURE!

•  Characteristics of Innovative, Mechanical Products!– Prevalence of product interactions!– Relative scarcity of new functionality!

•  Empathic Experience Design (EED) Method!– Remarkable increase in latent needs discovery

when applied to customers!– Significant increase in originality and ease of use

of concepts (with no decrease in feasibility) when applied to designers!


MOVING FORWARD!

•  How well does EED work generally?!–  Professional engineers versus novices!–  Different engineering fields!

•  How does a customerʼs or designerʼs familiarity with a product influence the effectiveness of EED? !–  Original design versus redesign!–  Unfamiliar contexts!

•  Can EED replace lead users? !•  Does EED require physical simulations? Or could

mental exercises work as well? !•  More generally, what is the role of priming in idea

generation? !


CNA RESULTS!

0.00!

1.00!

2.00!

3.00!

4.00!

5.00!

6.00!

Avg. # of categories in free speech!

Avg. # of Latent Customer Needs!

Overall Results!


0.00!

1.00!

2.00!

3.00!

4.00!

5.00!

6.00!


Latent Needs by discovery period!

Free Speech! Categorical!


Results: Empathic Experiences Increase Originality of Ideas w/o

Decreasing Feasibility!•  Empathic experiences led to:!–  Significant increase in the originality of ideas!–  NO significant change in the feasibility

(realizability) of ideas)!–  Significant increase in innovative features

aimed at improving user interactions (and changing product architectures to enable those improvements)!

Reference: Genco et al., 2011!


NEEDS GATHERING!


QFD!Focus groups, benchmarking, the House of Quality!


Downhill Longboarders as Lead Users!Extremely knowledgeable within their hobby.!


Patricia Moore (at age 26)!Leader in universal design; posed as an 80 year old woman for THREE YEARS.!


Bodystorming!Act it out.!


IDEATION!


Brainstorming!Ubiquitous, but often misunderstood.!


Design by Analogy!


EMPATHIC DESIGN!


EED Methodology!


1. Define Design

Problem!


3. Design Empathic

Experiences!


Experiences!5. Generate Concepts!

Select Innovative Concepts!


THE EED PROCESS!

•  Use and manipulation of external conditions to simulate lead user activities and enable innovations in product designs and redesigns!

•  Focuses designers on a productʼs interactions with user and environment!

empathic experience design · rei camp dome tent! nemo inﬂatable tent! lin, j. and c. c....

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