P&G Research Project
As a part of our user research studio experience, our class partnered with Procter & Gamble to investigate the future of household cleaning products. Our project involves the functional and emotional redesign of a household product to enhance usability, durability, and sustainability.
What I Learned
Through this project, I gained valuable insights into the importance of deeply understanding consumer needs to design innovative and practical solutions. I learned how to approach product development by balancing functionality, ergonomics, and sustainability, ensuring that the final design seamlessly integrates into users’ daily lives while addressing pain points like convenience and waste reduction. The process emphasized the value of iterative design, consumer testing, and identifying key barriers to adoption, such as usability and emotional connection with a product. This experience reinforced the critical role of empathy and research-driven strategies in creating impactful designs that not only meet functional demands but also enhance the overall user experience.
Methods & Process
User Interview
Upon familiarizing ourselves with the project, we conducted seven rounds of in-home interviews with selected P&G product users. Our tailored interview questions aimed to gain deeper insights into users' experiences with the product and identify opportunities for enhancement.
Following these sessions, we performed a thematic analysis of the gathered data, which informed the development of our initial user journey map and persona. This analysis further guided us in formulating targeted "How might we" questions that focus our solution on addressing key user needs.
Following the initial in-home interviews and thematic analysis, we conducted Central Site Visits (CSVs) to gather more structured and comparative insights into users' interactions with household cleaning products.
The CSV sessions included three main activities: sorting products, understanding storage practices, and prototype testing. These activities allowed us to explore how users categorize products in the market, organize items in their kitchens, and evaluate new prototypes. By observing and recording user feedback in these areas, we were able to develop a more refined understanding of user preferences and pain points, which will directly inform our next steps in product development and user experience enhancement.
Data Synthesis
Based on the data gathered from two rounds of user interviews, we developed design requirements to address both the functional and emotional needs of P&G’s users. This process guided the refinement of our user journey map and prototypes, allowing us to converge our ideas into a cohesive final design.
We consolidated all our findings to date into two comprehensive boards, distilling key insights, user needs, and design directions. These boards provided a clear and structured overview of our progress and allowed us to effectively communicate our work to our P&G client during the mid-semester review. This presentation facilitated valuable feedback, helping to ensure that our design approach aligns with the client's expectations and user requirements as we move forward.
Prototype Refinement
Following the mid-semester review, we had the opportunity to further refine our prototypes based on the feedback received. These refinements allowed us to address specific functional and emotional needs identified during earlier stages of the project. Before conducting another round of Central Site Visit (CSV) testing sessions with P&G consumers, we also revised the activities in the user sessions to gather deeper insights and new perspectives about the product we were improving. By tailoring the activities to explore additional aspects of user behaviour and preferences, we ensured that the testing sessions provided actionable data to guide the continued development of our final design.
From these testing sessions, we meticulously organized and synthesized the data collected from our users to gain deeper insights into their experiences and preferences. This analysis allowed us to perform a more comprehensive review of our designs, evaluating their effectiveness in addressing user needs and identifying areas for improvement. By integrating this feedback, we were able to refine our design solutions further and ensure they were both user-centred and aligned with the project’s goals. This iterative process was crucial in driving the development of a more thoughtful and impactful final product.
Final Validation and Presentation
For our final presentation, we traveled to Cincinnati to present our work to the P&G stakeholders. The trip provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the culmination of our research, insights, and design solutions in a professional setting. During the presentation, we highlighted key findings, design iterations, and the final proposed solution, emphasizing how it addresses the functional and emotional needs of P&G’s users. The stakeholders’ engagement and feedback were invaluable, further validating our approach and efforts. Overall, the experience was not only rewarding but also an excellent opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with the client and gain professional presentation experience.
