Customiced
Product design and research for mass customization computer mouse system
-
Overview
I worked with two fellow graduate students to design Customiced as a course project for IPD 515: Product Design at the University of Pennsylvania. The course was taught by Product Designer Clay Burns.
-
Tools Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, EinScan-SE 3D Scanner, SolidWorks 3D CAD Design Software, Zortrax M200 3D Printer
-
Timeline
May - June 2019
-
Designers
Tierra Sharae, Chunan Liu, Leon Xu
The Problem: Lack of Personalization
Few options offering personalization exist when selecting a computer mouse.
I like to hold my mouse kind of like a stress ball, but most mice are more flat.
- Awkwardness when gripping mouse
- Mouse creates tension on wrist
- Cord is an inconvenience and trip hazard
- Mouse physically doesn’t match look and feel of laptop case
The User and the Audience
Customiced’s target demographic currently includes high school and college students. While children may enjoy customizing their own mouse, the investment is better-suited for older students, whose hands are less likely to continue to grow significantly.
Professionals who use a computer regularly in their job are also intended users, as they are unlikely to share their mouse with others often (unlike family computers or those in a shared office), making the personalization perfect for them.
My Role: Research, Testing, Marketing
Although we formed a team with a diverse set of skills (e.g. Computer-aided design, 3D printing, UX research, etc.), it was important for me to wear as many hats as possible throughout this project.
My primary responsibilities were as follow:
- Conducting preliminary research to gauge interest and user needs
- Leading user testing efforts with early prototypes
- Sanding, priming, and painting final prototypes
- Researching patentability and helping draft business plan
- Choosing product name, designing sell sheet and brand guide
Project Context and Limitations
Customiced was a semester-long project for a graduate-level product design course at the University of Pennsylvania. We had a budget of $225 for expenses, including mice we purchased to disassemble for research, clay for molds, 3D scanning and printing, and a poster for the design fair. There are currently no plans for Customiced to enter production.
The Process
Ideation
To introduce a product that would best solve a real problem, my teammates and I each brainstormed 20 ideas, discussed them, and presented the three most promising concepts to a class of roughly 35 university students.
A customized computer mouse sparked the most interest, with many noting its innovation.
Preliminary Research
I interviewed 11 people who frequently use a computer mouse to better understand their pain points with current options. I also observed their interactions with their mice. I then spoke with four people who prefer a trackpad to gain insight on their preference and thoughts on traditional mice.
In the most simple terms, users want more comfort and the ability to express themselves through their mouse.
This led to several considerations for personalization we wanted to offer, including varying-sized buttons, different materials (e.g. soft sides to resemble a stress ball), silent clicking, assorted coatings, colors, and engravings, vertical, flat, and ball mice.
Competitive Market Analysis
When examining the current market, I saw computer mice with varying degrees of ergonomics and aesthetics. Devices that ranked high one area were often lacking in the other, and there were few options for personalization beyond uploading a photo to be printed on the mouse.
This, along with user needs, presented an opportunity: creating a mouse with both high ergonomics and an emphasis on personal style.
Product Strategy
Devising a business plan that focuses on mass personalization while remmaining cost-effective and sustainable was an interesting feat! As mentioned above, there were several areas to offer customization (e.g. silent clicking, a vertical mouse), but it was important to narrow down what would be most realistic while serving the widest array of needs.
After researching patentability and considering finances, design for the environment and for manufacturing, we developed the following plan for Customiced.
- Upon placing an order online, users receive hand impression kits with detailed instructions to construct a mouse shape that is most comfortable and send it back to Customiced.
- The impression is 3D scanned into a model, digitally processed, and refined with feedback from the user. This arose from user concerns that when making a clay mold, it is hard to differentiate dents and markings that should be smoothed out or kept.
- The customized top cover is 3D printed and assembled onto a universal chassis. Using a standardized base for the mouse keeps costs down, but there is a tradeoff: offering assortments such as a vertical or trackball mouse are out of scope for the first phase of Customiced.
As we finalized our strategy, we shifted less from the idea that a customized mouse would solve health-related problems like wrist pain and more to offering a unique, personalized item, increasing comfort, and inviting the user into the creation process.
Prototyping and User Testing
After deconscructing several existing mice to better understand the mechanics, we invited three participants to create molds, which we 3D scanned and printed. Not only did the participants offer feedback on aspects like comfort and ease of clicking, they also offered valuable insight on the entire process, including creating the molds and refining their imperfections. We went through three rounds of testing with our beta group before finalizing the prototypes.
Branding and Presentation
My teammates and I explored ten names for our product, largely using the Igor Naming Guide. Ultimately, we decided on Customiced, which I suggested as a play on the word “customized” and the fact that we make custom mice.
Considering our product's innovative nature and relatively young target audience, we wanted very futuristic branding and landed on the slogan "The future is Customiced." The goal was to promote a forward-thinking aesthetic and generate excitement.
I designed our logo and poster using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, respectively, with the latter focusing on educating readers about the product and its model.
Outcomes and Lessons Learned
In July 2019, my teammates and I presented Customiced at Penn's Summer 2019 Product Design Fair.
Product Design was my favorite class I took while at Penn! As someone whose areas of focus in design are primarily mobile apps and websites, designing a tangible product from the ground up was an amazing learning experience. Through this project, I got the opportunity to analyze customer needs, conduct valuable user research, create prototypes for testing, examine ergonomics and design for manufacturing as well as finances, sustainability, design for the environment, patentability, naming, and marketing.
As a next step, I would love to conduct more research and create high-fidelity mockups for the process of ordering a Customiced mouse.
