Reflection	
  –	
  Learning	
  Launch	
   	
   Challenge	
   	
   I	
  work	
  in	
  a	
  big	
  R&D	
  project	
  within	
  home	
  appliances	
  (ovens),	
  the	
  goal	
  is	
  to	
  generate	
  a	
   new	
   product	
   platform	
   based	
   on	
   an	
   existing	
   product	
   line	
   on	
   the	
   market.	
   	
   The	
   key	
   consumer	
  needs	
  have	
  been	
  recognized	
  and	
  documented	
  at	
  the	
  beginning	
  of	
  the	
  project	
   on	
  known	
  customer	
  needs	
  based	
  on	
  information	
  gained	
  from	
  prior	
  product	
  lines	
  on	
  the	
   market	
  and	
  customer	
  feedback	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  benchmarking.	
  	
   Main	
  interaction	
  point	
  of	
  the	
  product	
  is	
  the	
  user	
  interface	
  and	
  this	
  needs	
  to	
  fit	
  customer	
   expectation	
   and	
   need.	
   One	
   of	
   the	
   customer	
   groups	
   recognized	
   were	
   elderly	
   people,	
   because	
   this	
   group	
   was	
   defined	
   as	
   a	
   secondary	
   persona,	
   very	
   little	
   information	
   was	
   gathered	
   or	
   internally	
   available	
   to	
   break	
   down	
   the	
   needs	
   or	
   pains	
   when	
   starting	
   the	
   R&D	
  project.	
  R&D	
  process	
  is	
  already	
  well	
  advance	
  and	
  this	
  customer	
  need	
  has	
  not	
  yet	
   been	
  addressed	
  or	
  validated.	
   	
   Selection	
   I	
  chose	
  the	
  learning	
  launch	
  technique	
  to	
  validate	
  the	
  current	
  status	
  of	
  the	
  R&D	
  project	
   regarding	
   this	
   customer	
   need,	
   as	
   well	
   as	
   to	
   validate	
   the	
   options	
   generated	
   to	
   test	
   possible	
  alternative	
  solutions.	
  	
   Being	
  fully	
  aware	
  that	
  this	
  is	
  only	
  a	
  small	
  part	
  of	
  the	
  complete	
  product	
  the	
  team	
  felt	
  that	
   a	
   validation	
   based	
   to	
   customer	
   insights	
   and	
   actual	
   interaction	
   was	
   needed	
   to	
   make	
   a	
   sustainable	
  decision	
  how	
  to	
  fulfill	
  the	
  targeted	
  consumer	
  groups	
  need.	
   	
   Application	
   The	
  process	
  was	
  started	
  by	
  gathering	
  insights	
  and	
  information	
  from	
  research	
  data	
  done	
   by	
  universities/studies	
  regarding	
  elderly	
  needs	
  when	
  operating	
  or	
  using	
  products.	
  The	
   main	
  topics	
  were	
  within	
  haptic	
  (the	
  strength	
  needed	
  to	
  operate),	
  visual	
  sight	
  (eye	
  sight,	
   =	
  font	
  size	
  of	
  text	
  and	
  symbols),	
  simplicity	
  in	
  usage	
  (=logic)	
  and	
  sound	
  level	
  (=hearing).	
   Out	
   of	
   these	
   four	
   topics,	
   three	
   were	
   recognized	
   valuable	
   for	
   our	
   product.	
   The	
   topic	
   sound	
  was	
  left	
  out	
  of	
  this	
  testing	
  phase	
  since	
  the	
  product	
  will	
  allow	
  an	
  adjustment	
  on	
  a	
   wide	
  range	
  according	
  to	
  all	
  customer	
  needs.	
   The	
  next	
  step	
  was	
  to	
  generate	
  three	
  design	
  options	
  based	
  on	
  overall	
  design	
  guidelines	
  of	
   the	
  product.	
  One	
  being	
  the	
  standard	
  option	
  (if	
  this	
  would	
  be	
  accepted	
  it	
  would	
  be	
  the	
   most	
  cost	
  efficient	
  solution	
  for	
  the	
  company)	
  and	
  two	
  other	
  options	
  to	
  match	
  the	
  better	
   need	
  of	
  the	
  target	
  group	
  elderly	
  people.	
   After	
  this	
  the	
  target	
  persona	
  was	
  defined	
  as	
  a	
  female	
  or	
  male	
  person	
  over	
  65-­‐80	
  years	
   old,	
  living	
  still	
  alone	
  and	
  used	
  to	
  cooking.	
  15	
  people	
  matching	
  this	
  group	
  were	
  found	
  out	
   of	
   existing	
   consumer	
   panel	
   database.	
   	
   All	
   15	
   were	
   invited	
   on	
   a	
   one-­‐by-­‐one	
   basis	
   to	
   evaluate	
  products	
  based	
  on	
  a	
  prepared	
  questionnaire.	
  	
   The	
  procedure	
  of	
  testing	
  on	
  prototype	
  base	
  was	
  done	
  following	
  way:	
  Participants	
  were	
   given	
  a	
  short	
  time	
  to	
  experience	
  the	
  product	
  themselves,	
  just	
  to	
  give	
  a	
  chance	
  to	
  listen	
  to	
   their	
   feeling	
   and	
   reaction	
   without	
   any	
   outside	
   influencing.	
   After	
   this	
   the	
   participants	
   were	
  given	
  tasks	
  to	
  execute	
  on	
  the	
  user	
  interface	
  based	
  on	
  a	
  shadowing	
  principle.	
  	
  And	
   related	
  to	
  this	
  experience	
  the	
  haptic,	
  shape	
  and	
  font	
  sizes	
  of	
  symbols	
  were	
  rated.	
  Notes	
   were	
  taken	
  so	
  participants	
  only	
  needed	
  to	
  perform	
  given	
  tasks.	
  	
   After	
  the	
  individual	
  for	
  each	
  participant	
  filled	
  in	
  a	
  background	
  form	
  about	
  their	
  name,	
   age,	
   cooking	
   habit,	
   and	
   evaluation	
   if	
   they	
   would	
   think	
   their	
   friends	
   in	
   a	
   similar	
   age	
   would	
   cope	
   with	
   the	
   user	
   interface	
   given	
   (this	
   was	
   done	
   to	
   get	
   insight	
   on	
   a	
   neutral

evaluation,	
  since	
  studies	
  show	
  elderly	
  people	
  do	
  not	
  like	
  to	
  give	
  personal	
  feedback	
  on	
   not	
  coping	
  with	
  given	
  tasks).	
  	
   All	
  results	
  were	
  digitalized	
  and	
  summarized	
  to	
  evaluate	
  the	
  results.	
  	
   Based	
  on	
  the	
  results	
  of	
  the	
  test	
  it	
  was	
  recognized	
  that	
  haptic	
  and	
  logic	
  was	
  perceived	
  as	
   good,	
  but	
  on	
  the	
  other	
  points	
  size	
  of	
  symbols	
  and	
  font	
  size	
  the	
  current	
  solution	
  does	
  not	
   fulfill	
  the	
  need	
  of	
  elderly	
  people.	
  	
   After	
  evaluating	
  the	
  results	
  the	
  team	
  decided	
  to	
  resize	
  the	
  symbols	
  sizes	
  to	
  a	
  maximum	
   size	
  and	
  in	
  addition	
  to	
  generate	
  a	
  separate	
  printing	
  foil	
  to	
  match	
  extreme	
  need.	
   	
   	
   Insight	
  and	
  Approach	
   Realizing	
  the	
  approach	
  was	
  done	
  only	
  on	
  a	
  group	
  of	
  15	
  people	
  it	
  literally	
  can	
  only	
  give	
   feedback	
   on	
   a	
   qualitative	
   level,	
   but	
   given	
   the	
   result	
   needed,	
   this	
   was	
   evaluated	
   as	
   enough	
  valid	
  and	
  useful.	
  	
   	
   I	
  learned	
  from	
  this	
  Learning	
  Launch	
  aspect	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  important	
  to	
  go	
  out	
  and	
  meet	
  the	
   target	
  group,	
  talk	
  to	
  them	
  and	
  learn	
  from	
  their	
  pains	
  to	
  really	
  achieve	
  a	
  gain.	
  An	
  iteration	
   in	
  concept	
  before	
  product	
  launch	
  is	
  always	
  a	
  better	
  and	
  cheaper	
  solution	
  than	
  realizing	
  a	
   product	
  not	
  matching	
  any	
  need.	
  The	
  boldness	
  to	
  revise	
  ideas	
  is	
  needed	
  at	
  any	
  stage	
  of	
   projects,	
  if	
  any	
  uncertainty	
  is	
  persisting.	
  	
   To	
   improve	
   future	
   projects	
   it	
   is	
   surely	
   needed	
   to	
   prototype	
   at	
   earlier	
   stage	
   based	
   to	
   rapid	
  prototyping	
  etc,	
  to	
  not	
  encounter	
  decisions	
  too	
  late	
  in	
  process,	
  when	
  stakeholders	
   are	
  maybe	
  not	
  so	
  willing	
  to	
  invest	
  anymore	
  as	
  freely	
  as	
  in	
  the	
  product	
  R&D	
  beginning	
   phase.	
   Also	
   valuable	
   is	
   to	
   document	
   these	
   findings	
   for	
   future	
   product	
   specification	
   needs.	
   	
   I	
   do	
   also	
   think	
   that	
   within	
   organizations	
   small	
   steps	
   to	
   implement	
   Design	
   Thinking	
   approaches	
  are	
  valuable	
  to	
  launch	
  new	
  ways	
  of	
  working	
  and	
  thinking.


Reflection – Learning Launch Challenge I work in a big R&D project within home appliances ( ovens ) , the goal is to generate a new product platform based on an existing product line on the market . The key consumer needs have been recognized and documented at the beginning of the project on known customer needs based on information gained from prior product lines on the market and customer feedback as well as benchmarking . Main interaction point of the product is the user interface and this needs to fit customer expectation and need . One of the customer groups recognized were elderly people , because this group was defined as a secondary persona , very little information was gathered or internally available to break down the needs or pains when starting the R&D project . R&D process is already well advance and this customer need has not yet been addressed or validated . Selection I chose the learning launch technique to validate the current status of the R&D project regarding this customer need , as well as to validate the options generated to test possible alternative solutions . Being fully aware that this is only a small part of the complete product the team felt that a validation based to customer insights and actual interaction was needed to make a sustainable decision how to fulfill the targeted consumer groups need . Application The process was started by gathering insights and information from research data done by universities / studies regarding elderly needs when operating or using products . The main topics were within haptic ( the strength needed to operate ) , visual sight ( eye sight , = font size of text and symbols ) , simplicity in usage (= logic ) and sound level (= hearing ) . Out of these four topics , three were recognized valuable for our product . The topic sound was left out of this testing phase since the product will allow an adjustment on a wide range according to all customer needs . The next step was to generate three design options based on overall design guidelines of the product . One being the standard option ( if this would be accepted it would be the most cost efficient solution for the company ) and two other options to match the better need of the target group elderly people . After this the target persona was defined as a female or male person over 65-­‐80 years old , living still alone and used to cooking . 15 people matching this group were found out of existing consumer panel database . All 15 were invited on a one-­‐by-­‐one basis to evaluate products based on a prepared questionnaire . The procedure of testing on prototype base was done following way : Participants were given a short time to experience the product themselves , just to give a chance to listen to their feeling and reaction without any outside influencing . After this the participants were given tasks to execute on the user interface based on a shadowing principle . And related to this experience the haptic , shape and font sizes of symbols were rated . Notes were taken so participants only needed to perform given tasks . After the individual for each participant filled in a background form about their name , age , cooking habit , and evaluation if they would think their friends in a similar age would cope with the user interface given ( this was done to get insight on a neutral evaluation , since studies show elderly people do not like to give personal feedback on not coping with given tasks ) . All results were digitalized and summarized to evaluate the results . Based on the results of the test it was recognized that haptic and logic was perceived as good , but on the other points size of symbols and font size the current solution does not fulfill the need of elderly people . After evaluating the results the team decided to resize the symbols sizes to a maximum size and in addition to generate a separate printing foil to match extreme need . Insight and Approach Realizing the approach was done only on a group of 15 people it literally can only give feedback on a qualitative level , but given the result needed , this was evaluated as enough valid and useful . I learned from this Learning Launch aspect that it is important to go out and meet the target group , talk to them and learn from their pains to really achieve a gain . An iteration in concept before product launch is always a better and cheaper solution than realizing a product not matching any need . The boldness to revise ideas is needed at any stage of projects , if any uncertainty is persisting . To improve future projects it is surely needed to prototype at earlier stage based to rapid prototyping etc , to not encounter decisions too late in process , when stakeholders are maybe not so willing to invest anymore as freely as in the product R&D beginning phase . Also valuable is to document these findings for future product specification needs . I do also think that within organizations small steps to implement Design Thinking approaches are valuable to launch new ways of working and thinking .