ChargeHub
Background
The ChargeHub project emerged in response to the prompt to redesign a welcome gift for fullstack students at Prime Academy. We initiated this task by starting an immersive fly-on-the-wall observation, delving into the natural habitat of fullstack students within their classrooms. An AEIOU worksheet aided in processing observations, followed by a heuristic analysis of the existing welcome gift, a water bottle. This analysis laid the foundation for identifying usability issues and exploring avenues for improvement.
Methods
Desirability Study
Fly on The Wall Observation
AEIOU Method
Think-Out-Loud-Method
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Google Docs
Role
Product Designer
UX Researcher
Slippery Metal Material
Due to the metal material, the water bottle is slippery and lacks grip during unscrewing process.
Problem
The problem at hand was twofold: the existing welcome gift, a water bottle, posed usability challenges, and the need for a more pertinent and appreciated gift for fullstack students at Prime Academy.
Usability Challenges of The Water Bottle
Unexpected Weight
The opaque and metal bottle makes it difficult to gauge the filing process, leading to unexpected weight for its size.
Uncertain Lid Closure
One faint click and a heavy click during lid closure, leading to uncertainty on the lid fully closing.
Unclear Lid Status
The lock/unlock switch on the lid lacks clear signifiers, making it challenging to determine the lid status
Addressing these issues was imperative to enhance user satisfaction and align the gift with the intended purpose of making students feel welcomed and appreciated during their time at Prime.
Understanding Our Users
Our users, fullstack students at Prime, demonstrated a diverse set of needs. These needs were discovered through a heuristic analysis of the water bottle usage, identifying key activities and tasks such as hydration, stress relief, and portability. The usability evaluation provided insights into the challenges they faced, highlighting the importance of creating a gift that aligns seamlessly with their daily routines.
Ideation
Design Concept
The design concept, pitched on Figma, incorporated a mood board and drew inspiration from existing wire management products. Prototyping in a warehouse called Leonardo’s Basement followed, showcasing Prime's primary colors, a front plate slit for charging ends, and a cylindrical base for cord wrapping.
Affinity Diagramming
The ideation phase involved a meticulous process of grouping similar observations from the AEIOU notes, leading to the identification of a continuous issue – the presence of cables in fullstack students' classrooms. This insight sparked the concept of ChargeHub, a charger organizer designed to mitigate cable chaos during commuting.
Participant A
Initially thought it was a wireless charger for a phone.
Neutral experience during usability testing.
Unsure of everyday use but sees potential usefulness
Rated usability a 3
Evaluation
Evaluation Protocol
We conducted an evaluation protocol using desirability study, directed storytelling, and usability testing with three fullstack students.
Goals
To better understand if my product aligns with the user values of organization, portability, efficiency, and convenience.
Gain insights around how users interact with the product.
Identify any pain points from users as well as areas for opportunity.
Evaluate if the product will help them feel at ease in a stressful environment.
Key Findings
Participant B
Appreciated the slits on the corner.
Immediately understood how to use the ChargeHub during usability testing
Found the product helpful for cable management.
Would like a slimmer profile
Rated usability a 5
Participant C
Neutral experience, slit didn't feel intuitive at first.
An organized person - would use it every day.
Liked the Prime colors and stability of the product.
Rated usability a 5.
Result
ChargeHub's evaluation protocol with three students yielded predominantly positive insights. The design effectively aligns with user values, demonstrates user-friendly interaction, and contributes to a sense of organization in stressful environments. While the feedback from Participant A highlighted potential areas for refinement, the overall synthesis suggests that ChargeHub meets its intended goals and provides a valuable solution for fullstack students at Prime Academy.
- Participant B
Ethos
Highlighted expertise as a product designer and UX researcher, reinforcing credibility in understanding user needs and translating them into a thoughtful design solution.
Client Pitch
In presenting ChargeHub to Prime Academy, a five minute comprehensive pitch was crafted using a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos to provide context and rationale for the design decisions. It aimed to instill confidence in ChargeHub as a thoughtful and practical solution for fullstack students.
Pathos
Leveraged storytelling techniques, such as recounting observations and feedback from participants, to evoke empathy and understanding of the users' perspective.
Logos
Presented a logical progression from problem identification through ideation to the final solution, illustrating a systematic and strategic design process.
Final Solution
ChargeHub, as the final solution, represents a user-centric, organization-focused approach to cable management. The design incorporates Prime's primary colors, a front plate slits for charging ends, and a cylindrical base for cord wrapping, and a smaller plate to hold the wire all together. The choice of materials and form factor aligns with the desired user values of organization, portability, efficiency, and convenience. This solution addresses the identified problems, creating a thoughtful and practical welcome gift for fullstack students at Prime.
Next Steps and Learnings
Iterative thinking is inherent in the ChargeHub project. The evaluation plan and with the fullstack students provided invaluable insights. The feedback gathered, especially from Participant A's reservations about the necessity of ChargeHub, underscores the need for further refinement.
Next Steps:
incorporate user feedback to enhance product messaging
slim down the front face plate
ensure ChargeHub's relevance for users with varying charging habits like wireless chargers
This iterative approach aims to continually improve ChargeHub and tailor it to the evolving needs of fullstack students at Prime Academy.