Product Design
Entrepreneurial Study
My Role
Product Designer & Manager
What I did
User Interviews, Strategy, Product Design, CAD, 3D Printing, Prototyping & Testing, Business Case, Marketing
Duration
10 months
As smartphones become increasingly more powerful, so has the draw to use them, a challenge Engage is determined to solve.
How can we create a balance between personal device usage and real-life presence through Engage, an entrepreneurial venture that explores behavior change in smartphone usage?
My team through CMCI Studio focused our master’s capstone on developing a product to encourage better relationships between people and their screens.
People depend on their smartphones now more than ever, which can be distracting.
In response to these growing concerns, our team explored how someone could incorporate small changes into their lives to increase their well-being.
How might we envision a world without device distractions, where people are happy with how they spend their time?
Key Use Cases
Social Gatherings
People want their friends and family to use their phone less often when they are together.
Focus Time
People want to use their phone less often when they are focusing on a task.
User Interviews
We first went through several rounds of user interviews to identify participants’ current pain points with smartphone usage, and what would further motivate them to put their phones down.
People are more motivated to put their devices down if they are going to be charging.
People want to know that they will put their devices down when in focus and social settings.
Product Design
Phone Charger
Product doubles as an induction phone charger, so when you need your device later, it’s ready to go.
Native App
Native app connects to the induction phone charger, links via open-source API to become a smart home hub, and allows for users to create personalized presets.
Smart Home Hub
Phone placed on charger activates open-source API linked home devices to turn on, based on the user’s personalized app presets.
By putting their phone down to charge, users are rewarded with their curated experience being activated, from mood lighting to their favorite music playlist.
Product Iterations
Paper
I tested several designs before settling on a simple cube that could blend into a home, and be further customized to the user's preferences.
CAD
I used Solidworks, a solid modeling computer-aided design, to create the parts and assemblies for 3D printing.
Hardware
I used a Raspberry Pi connected to an 8-channel analog-to-digital converter, creating a digital trigger signal when phones are placed on the induction boards.
Mockups
Before 3D printing and hardware installation, I created CAD mockups and animations to bring Engage to life.
Software
An engineer was brought in to build the threaded server using Python 3, which reads the state of the induction board via an analog-to-digital converter.
Functioning
The final stage was to 3D print the .stl file and assemble the hardware inside of its casing so that our prototype could be fully operational.
Product Market Fit
Prototype 1 - Commercial
My first prototype functioned as a photobooth in a public space. While compelling, this prototype failed to create lasting behavior change.
Prototype 2 - Appliance
My second prototype explored linking the user’s phone in charging mode with home appliances. While useful, this prototype failed to be compelling for users.
Final - Personal
The final prototype allowed users to choose playlists, connect mood lighting, and link speakers, in order to curate a unique, personal experience in their home.
App Development & Branding
Check out the clickable prototype here.
Native App
Our team's UI Designer developed our app prototype, which includes onboarding, new and repeat user flows, brand voice, and the ability for further personalization.
Check out the full brand book here.
Brand Book
Our team's Brand Designer developed our brand book, which includes a standards document, responsive logo, fonts & colors, motion graphics, illustration style/product focus, voice, and UI style block.
Marketing Videos
Social Gathering Demo
Focus Time Demo
Impact
If we were to pursue funding, our startup budget would be $50,230 in order to get off the ground and supply products for the 1000 customers.
Check out Engage’s live e-commerce site.
At $60 per bloc, the pricing structure is competitive, as each bloc includes two induction chargers and a micro-controller with open-source API linking.