RADIO FLYER
Observing users interact with prototypes at the Play Lab
Intern team generating insights from interview notes
PROJECT
Design Research within New Product Development Team:
Research on parent-child interaction and ergonomics of little red wagons, buggies and scooters.
Cross-Functional Intern Team Project:
Families are increasingly adopting digital home assistance technology such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home in their homes. Is there an opportunity for Radio Flyer to incorporate this technology with our products? What would that look like? What are competitor toy companies doing with this new technology? How could we use voice controls in our products to make them more fun for kids?
MY ROLE
Within New PD Team:
Coordinating and moderating on-site testing requests from engineers, quality assurance and marketing teams.
Moderating phone interviews with test groups for soon-to-be-released products, and sharing design suggestions for improvement in upcoming iterations.
Testing products, specifically scooters, with children at Concordia University’s Early Childhood Education Center.
Conducting user experience research at leading retail stores and providing recommendations to sales and marketing teams.
Leading Intern Project:
Scheduling and moderating user interviews with 8 parents and their children aged 2 to 17 years old.
Writing discussion guide for ethnographic research, and creating workshop materials to assist team in identifying actionable insights and generating ideas.
Managing project schedule and communicating team progress to lead design researcher.
Organizing final presentation to CEO and senior management team.
Observing a toddler’s ability to play with a prototype
Interviewing parents about their children’s ideal play and learning habits
Testing prototypes with target users
DESIGN METHODS
User observation conducted in context in the home or at daycare, on the phone, at the Radio Flyer Play Lab and Test Track.
Utilizing the AEIOU framework to teach interns who are new to the process about what to look out for during home visits.
Ideation workshop with prompts such as “Child operated”, “Indoor”, and “Service oriented” to generate creative, research based concepts.
Rapid prototyping and testing of new concepts with target user.
Leading team in ideation session
Parents and children on Test Track
Final prototype for Intern Project
INSIGHTS
Children are more difficult to design for than adults!
Smart speakers and other connected home technology provide an aspirational and emotional fulfilment, as opposed to a practical and physical need.
There is a stigma attached to large doses of technology, so the solution for most parents is outdoor play.
Even while parents are busy, they want to manage their kids play without directly engaging with them at all times.
For kids aged 3 to 6, play is engaging when the activity is spontaneous and requires little parental setup.
Attributes of Radio Flyer and attributes of Amazon Alexa are at opposing ends - ‘play’ vs. ‘functional’; ‘outdoor’ vs. ‘indoor’; and ‘kids vs. adults’. Successful products are a mix of these.
OUTCOME
Within New PD Team:
Recommendations based on user feedback and observation provided to industrial designers and engineers for iterations of 3 new wagons.
Created materials for a design research teaching session for new employees and interns.
Written notes, video, and audio recordings on various prototypes and completed products.
Intern Project:
8 user interviews
25 concept sketches
1 looks-like prototype and 1 works-like prototype
1 mock up of packaging concept
A final prototype that meets both Radio Flyer and Alexa attributes, was a hit with children aged 3 to 6, and their parents.