Product & Experience Design for Consumer Audio Brand

Product & Experience Design for Consumer Audio Brand

Bang & Olufsen Innovates A Concept for Socially Distanced Music Sharing to Connect People Amidst Pandemic

Client

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is a high-end luxury consumer electronics company that designs and manufactures various products. Inspired by COVID, they have an idea to make a product that brings people together while considering their environment and social distancing restrictions. B&O wants the product to allow users to share their music and its audio experience.

Problem

With the assumption that music consumption would increase during the pandemic, Bang & Olufsen aimed to turn a seemingly unfortunate situation into an opportunity to reduce the feeling of isolation caused by the pandemic. In doing so, they hoped to expand their brand and product line.

User & Audience

This product aimed to attract new customers to Bang & Olufsen while enticing existing customers. User personas were created to understand Bang & Olufsen's existing audience so that the product could be tailored to them, with the hope of attracting new like-minded customers.

Scope & Constraints

The project's scope entailed designing and introducing a new product that could be incorporated into the client's product line and mobile app. The product needed to meet functional requirements and be suitable for various environments and social settings, while also considering and adapting to limitations during and after Covid.

Role & Responsibilities

As the only designer on the project, I was responsible for every aspect of the design process. Alongside collaborating with the stakeholders to form the product, my responsibilities included conducting research, iterative ideation, creating wireframes and sketches, and developing prototypes.

Integrating Social Enterprise Thinking to Drive Clever Solution for Bang & Olufsen

Social enterprise thinking involves balancing financial benefits with social goals and prioritizing people's interests. This methodology was employed to develop a solution for Bang & Olufsen, as it is inherently human-focused and the project had a significant social component. Given the substantial requirement for functionality, the human-centered design approach was used as a framework for each step of the design thinking process, effectively completing the project using social enterprise thinking.

Problem Statement
Was created using the Point of View framework to define actionable solutions

With a better understanding of the user and target audience, a problem statement was created to define the design problem. A point of view (POV) framework was used to make an actionable problem statement, ensuring a solution that met the needs of the user groups and the expectations of the client.

To address the user's problem statement, we leveraged the commonalities of their demographics for the user portion of the POV framework. Next, we identified the primary needs of each persona for the user's needs section. Finally, we used the central motivation of each persona to develop the insights portion of the POV framework. This process resulted in a problem statement that serves as a source of truth and helps gauge the relevance of the ideas generated.

For the client's problem statement, a POV framework was created by switching the perspective from the user to the client. After gathering the information needed from the project brief, the problem statement was created using the client version of the POV framework. This resulted in confidence in being able to find a solution that met the client's expectations and product requirements.

To address the user's problem statement, we leveraged the commonalities of their demographics for the user portion of the POV framework. Next, we identified the primary needs of each persona for the user's needs section. Finally, we used the central motivation of each persona to develop the insights portion of the POV framework. This process resulted in a problem statement that serves as a source of truth and helps gauge the relevance of the ideas generated.

For the client's problem statement, a POV framework was created by switching the perspective from the user to the client. After gathering the information needed from the project brief, the problem statement was created using the client version of the POV framework. This resulted in confidence in being able to find a solution that met the client's expectations and product requirements.

Brainstorming Exercise
Yields Innovative Solutions for Complex Problem Statement

A brainstorming exercise was conducted to inspire possible solutions. The exercise began by making the problem statement into a "how might" question. Due to the nature of the ideas that were generated, a second round of brainstorming was done to figure out how to turn those ideas into various solutions. This was done to avoid bias and remain focused on the problem.

The initial brainstorm resulted in a lot of ideas for features of the product. While most would solve aspects of the problem, none would solve the entirety of the client's and the users' needs.

During the second round of brainstorming, we came up with several solutions that combined different features. The main focus was on grouping functional and complementary ideas from the first round to address both the client's and users' needs. After that, we noted the idea for the solution and labeled the group.

The initial brainstorm resulted in a lot of ideas for features of the product. While most would solve aspects of the problem, none would solve the entirety of the client's and the users' needs.

During the second round of brainstorming, we came up with several solutions that combined different features. The main focus was on grouping functional and complementary ideas from the first round to address both the client's and users' needs. After that, we noted the idea for the solution and labeled the group.

Prioritization Grid
Helps Identify Most Viable Solutions

The purpose of the prioritization exercise was to narrow down our options and identify the most viable solutions. We rated each solution, collected the results, and plotted them on a prioritization grid. This allowed us to visualize the results and determine which solutions to consider implementing.

There were more than 5 solutions from the brainstorming exercise. We rated each solution based on risk and value on a scale from 1 to 5 with a half-point system. 5 represented the highest rating for risk or value.

With each solution rated, they were plotted on the grid in their respective places. Two solutions were in the challenge zone, meaning they had high value and risk. One was in the reconsider zone, making it low-value and high-risk. Another two were in the possible zone, being low value and low risk. Leaving three in the implement zone, which was high value and low risk.

We established an implementation zone to determine which solutions to pursue. The implementation zone was designed by considering the level of risk the client should be willing to take and the amount of value the client should provide. We chose a value range between 4 and 5 because Bang and Olufsen is a luxury brand, while a risk range between 1 and 3 was selected because the product is partially connected to the pandemic. As a result, three solutions remained in the implementation zone.

There were more than 5 solutions from the brainstorming exercise. We rated each solution based on risk and value on a scale from 1 to 5 with a half-point system. 5 represented the highest rating for risk or value.

With each solution rated, they were plotted on the grid in their respective places. Two solutions were in the challenge zone, meaning they had high value and risk. One was in the reconsider zone, making it low-value and high-risk. Another two were in the possible zone, being low value and low risk. Leaving three in the implement zone, which was high value and low risk.

We established an implementation zone to determine which solutions to pursue. The implementation zone was designed by considering the level of risk the client should be willing to take and the amount of value the client should provide. We chose a value range between 4 and 5 because Bang and Olufsen is a luxury brand, while a risk range between 1 and 3 was selected because the product is partially connected to the pandemic. As a result, three solutions remained in the implementation zone.

Solution Meets Client Expectations, Receives Positive Feedback, and is deemed viable for Launch

In the end, the project successfully met the client's expectations, who were pleased with the solution and provided positive feedback. Although they had some technical concerns about the features, they were confident in their ability to resolve them. Overall, the client felt that the solution had strong potential as a viable product for launch.

This project deepened my appreciation for the time and effort involved in creating high-end products. It proved to be a valuable addition to the Bang & Olufsen product line, with strong potential for market success.