In the past, we’ve offered summaries of our product design process, for example in a TED talk (960K views) and our “Better by Design” paper in the Innovations Journal. Today, we’re happy to share a new edition of our Firefly Case Study. Written by Firefly product manager Elizabeth Johansen and funded by the Lemelson Foundation, this case study goes long on the product development process, including HOWTO interpret user feedback, manage partner relationships, work with manufacturers, negotiate design trade-offs. Read the study, become a better designer
We start with how DtM finds a point of view to guide the design process and creates agreement between partners:
The need - To achieve positive social impact, always start with a need (not just a desire).
The users - Who are the end users? What other stakeholders must be satisfied?
The context - Where and when will your design be used? What else must it interface with?
It also talks about how DtM used rapid prototyping and HCD research techniques to refine the design:
Avoiding Overheating in the Pursuit of Cozy Babies
Getting the size just right
Avoiding Bumps and Bruises
Bringing Mom and Baby Together
Finding Firefly’s Home
Many Settings, or No Settings?
As well as some of the regulation and electrical engineering considerations:
A More Sustainable Cooling Solution - Firefly uses a unique fully-sealed design with no moving parts to keep cool and use less energy in hot climates.
A More Robust Electrical System - Firefly uses an external power supply so it can continue functioning during wide power fluctuations.
You can download the case study here, thank you for your interest!