Contexte
In a market where innovation and ergonomy are often used as commercial arguments, how are the users being taken in account? We have been asking ourselves this question during these two studies by observing again the foundations of desk tools using. Go see the users, understand their use of the object , analyse their needs regarding to a daily use of the object : nothing new? It is indeed the first feedback we can expect. And yet, from multi-jobs meetings, questions from the designers and analysis of real situations, it quickly becomes possible to go beyond the beaten path and to reconsider the conception of a series and its coherence, utilizing the observed use of the products.
Méthodologie
We had to study and compare different products. We analyse them in terms of handling. How are they settled ? how are the handled ? taken ? In which case are they used ? What situation do they fit for ? We had some working sessions with staff, designers and product managers. We had to take time to compare solutions, and see for each of them, its proper richness, and how to make them coherent together. Those tests made possible to compare many uses of many products, and much brands were examined. This way, we can examine the imaginary use the designer staff had, with the way users really had of the products. Users were chosen with different degrees of skills and experience, and different needs. We base our study on concrete and real cases. It makes possible to give back creative possibilities to the designers, when real uses of the products are displayed. Mixing many users and many skills in the observation makes possible to have a new point of view on the line of products, its usability, its advantages, its novelties.
Bilan
The two products lines have been reorganized and modified on several aspects : line homogeneity regarding the use, the skill, the age of users. After pitfalls may be observed regarding the uses, use- segments have been identified, and evolutions for each segments have been suggested.
