UX FOR NBU | CASE STUDY
Tizen - Smartphone for the NBU
⚠️ This project was conducted under a strict NDA while at Samsung R&D, thus only high-level information and a few examples of
commercialized work has been shared in this case study
ROLE: Lead Designer
YEAR: 2017-2019
RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Conduct research in Tier 2-3 cities
DURATION:
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21 months, done along with other projects
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Extract insights for opportunities
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Collaborate with cross functional teams for vision and strategy
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Communicate key updates and get stakeholder buy-in
CORE TEAM:
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3 UX designers, 1 Visual designer & 1 Design manager
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Mentor junior team members and interns
CONTEXT OF THE CASE STUDY
This case study is centered around creating a strategy for designing a new smartphone and its applications, aimed at untapped smartphone user segments in emerging markets.
The urgency of the initiative stemmed from a sudden surge in competition, particularly from brands such as Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. These brands were rapidly capturing a substantial market share from Samsung by offering low-cost, premium-looking smartphones.
PHASE 1
Immerse in the problem space
The first phase of the project involves immersing ourselves in the problem space to gain a deeper understanding of the users - their needs, goals, aspirations, and current trends. Additionally, we aim to analyze the success factors of competitors.
#1
Primary research
Research Objective
To understand our users deeply, allowing us to uncover valuable insights about the target audience's preferences, challenges, and expectations in emerging markets.
Research Method
We conducted comprehensive research, which included field studies, user interviews, and contextual inquiries with nearly 30 potential users from tier 2-3 cities in India.
Key Insights
'Users are aspirational, they want to keep up with the latest trends and emulate the lifestyle and choices of affluent segments of the society.'
The smartphone serves as a powerful medium for users to articulate their inner selves and project the image they desire to be seen by the external world.
'Users want the bang for their buck, they want capabilities of a high-performing device at an affordable price point.'
The standout features that users were most concerned about were the battery life, storage capacity, a powerful camera with effective filters, and an aesthetically pleasing design.
'Users see the smartphone as an investment, for their personal growth and their family's success.'
Even purchasing an entry-level smartphone is a significant investment for users, as they anticipate it not only to enhance their own earning potential but also to support their children in achieving greater success.
PHASE 2
Defining the approach & strategy
We regrouped as a team with key stakeholders to discuss how we would tackle each of these key insight areas. This was followed by multiple brainstorming sessions and design sprints to address the 'How might we' questions.
Challenge
We needed guardrails to guide our approach as we were not converging towards a single direction
#1
Do we understand our users well enough?
When considering users in emerging markets who are utilizing smartphones for the first time, various personas emerged based on parameters such as age, economic status, experience with gadgets, physical abilities, and their willingness to adapt to new technology.
The stakeholders had diverse understandings of each of these aspects. While the overarching theme of understanding was similar, gaps emerged during deeper brainstorming discussions, posing a challenge in reaching a consensus. Consequently, I took the lead in framing our potential archetypes.
The Novice User
The Social Connector
The Aspiring Entrepreneur
The Budget-Conscious
Individuals who have minimal to no prior experience with smartphones, these users are predominantly feature phone users. They are characterized by limited digital literacy and unfamiliarity with smartphone features and functionalities.
Users who primarily use smartphones to connect with family, friends, and social communities. They prioritize messaging apps, camera quality, social media apps, and voice/video call features.
Individuals who are price-sensitive and looking for affordable smartphone options, they prioritize cost-effectiveness, basic features and value for money.
Individuals aspiring to use smartphones for business ventures or accessing work-related apps. They prioritize productivity apps and communication tools.
The Information Seeker
The Entertainment Enthusiast
The Student or Learner
The Accessible Technology User
Users who rely on smartphones to access information, news, and educational content. They prioritize browsing capabilities, educational apps, and news platforms.
Individuals who primarily use smartphones for entertainment purposes like watching videos, music, and gaming. They prioritize multimedia features, gaming apps, and camera.
Students or learners using smartphones for educational purposes, pre-dominantly use smartphones to click images of educational content for later consumption or sharing with others.
Individuals with disabilities who use smartphones for accessibility and assistive technologies. Users who wanted a cost-effective way to stay in touch with their closed ones and reach out during an emergency fell under this archetype.
Once we gained a fair understanding of the primary potential user archetypes, we analyzed these user groups using multiple parameters to obtain a deeper understanding of them. Some of the key questions we sought to answer through this analysis were: what are the most used and relevant apps for our users, how is their technical expertise distributed by age, and at what price point should we position the smartphone?
The mapping of user data involved multiple stakeholders, and we didn't always have concrete numbers to support all our analyses. In such circumstances, we made informed decisions using hypotheses framed based on reliable trend analysis data.
#2
What is our design brief?
We framed a design brief emphasizing the fundamental aspects that our UX design team needed to consider as key outcomes for this project.
#3
What are our design principles?
As a team, we formulated key design principles to serve as guiding philosophies that steer the design and development process. These were foundational beliefs and values that were used to inform decisions, interactions, and aesthetics throughout the project.
#1 Keep it simple and intuitive
The majority of the target users will be new to smartphone technology, and the interaction paradigm of a smartphone may be unfamiliar to them. Therefore, it's critical to ensure that the learning curve required to adapt to this new technology is as simple and intuitive as possible.
#2 Address affordability and resource efficiency
The price of the smartphone will be a major factor influencing our users' decision to buy a Samsung smartphone. The features offered should make users feel that they are getting their money's worth.
#3 Empathize with local contexts
It's crucial to consider the cultural contexts of the next billion users when offering features that are relevant and appealing to their core needs and aspirations. The better we understand this aspect, the more accurately we can cater to their needs and address their pain points.
PHASE 3
Ideate & Conceptualize
The next phase of the project involved brainstorming for ideas without any constraints. This idea generation was conducted in short individual sprints and then reviewed as a team. During the review, we asked certain fundamental questions, as illustrated in the image below, to assess the feasibility of the ideas, considering practicality and viability.
After the filtering was completed by answering the questions, the ideas were selected. Here are a couple of sample ideas that were taken forward by the team.
Feature 1
Dynamic Wallpapers : Unveiling Delight
One of the key insights revealed that our users take pleasure in having trendy wallpapers and frequently changing them. To enhance this experience, we designed a delightful feature that unveils a new wallpaper every third time the power button is pressed, providing users with a rejuvenating and thrilling visual experience.
This feature was crafted to captivate users with a beautiful array of wallpapers, heightening anticipation and excitement with each new design unveiling.
This idea leveraged upon the preference of our users for a visually stimulating experience and an appreciation for variety and change, making them more likely to appreciate and engage with the feature that offers a regular refresh of wallpapers.
Opportunity
To engage with partners and advocate for what's in the best interest of our users and our business.
Feature 2
Seamlessly Switch Cameras
Our users adore taking photos, especially selfies. The idea originated from considering how we could enhance and streamline the camera's opening and capturing actions.
Photo credits: www.npr.org
Following a similar pattern of generating feature ideas driven by a core insight, we analyzed the current implementation of an insight and found ways to enhance it further without imposing a significant cognitive load or steep learning curve for the user.
Final interaction flow
Impact
A subtle change in the interaction resulted in an improved user experience for a widely-used app.
PHASE 4
Collaborate & Refine
Once the ideas were generated and tested for feasibility, leveraging our understanding of user needs and research insights, the subsequent phase was focused on securing buy-in from stakeholders. This proved to be a critical and time-consuming aspect of the project. Effectively conveying the importance of specific features to stakeholders with varying priorities was a significant learning curve.
The additional challenge stemmed from the fact that many stakeholders were based outside of India, in a developed country, reviewing design solutions intended for a developing country.
Distilling the essence of Indian culture succinctly and ensuring its representation in the designs posed a unique challenge.
Let's take an example...
The torch in a mobile phone is a crucial component of the device. In the Indian context, numerous prevalent use cases were not immediately obvious or evident to the stakeholders. During discussions on cost-cutting measures for the mobile phone, the torch was considered a candidate for removal.
As a UX designer, demonstrating the torch's significance to the team was critical, given its importance as a feature to our users.
To efficiently convey the key message, I conducted a quick dipstick research with 8 participants matching our target archetypes nearby. The results strongly emphasized the importance of the mobile torch feature. I then collated and presented these findings to the stakeholders, all of this was done within a day due to time constraints.
Impact
The user's need for the torch feature was validated with data, ensuring its inclusion in the final product
PHASE 5
Launch, measure & improve
Tizen OS-powered smartphones were launched as four upgraded models over five years, I contributed to the UX design of the Z3 and Z4 models. My responsibilities included UX design for key apps such as Messages, Lockscreen, Radio, and Homescreen, in addition to initial research and opportunity finding.
Key metrics
When creating applications for low-cost smartphones, measuring the right UX metrics is crucial to ensure optimal user experience within the constraints of the device. Here are some of the key UX metrics that were measured post-launch:
1. App Usability Metrics:
- Error Rates
- Task Success Rate
- Navigation Efficiency
2. Engagement Metrics
- Session Duration
- Feature Usage
3. User Satisfaction Metrics
- User Surveys and Feedback
- Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Reception and feedback
Tizen smartphones garnered praise for their affordability and impressive performance, often rivaling more expensive Android counterparts. The user experience and innovative features were highly appreciated. However, Tizen suffered significantly due to its limited app ecosystem in the Tizen app store and the challenge in rapidly expanding the available apps, impacting its overall reception.
When it came to smartphone purchases in Tier 2 and 3 cities, users exhibited a preference for buying from offline stores over online platforms. The trust placed in human shopkeepers outweighed the allure of cheaper prices online. However, this presented a challenge as shopkeepers discouraged customers from purchasing Tizen smartphones due to their lack of essential productivity apps and popular games.
The trust and accountability of a human shopkeeper surpassed that in online e-commerce websites offering lower-priced mobiles.
Key learnings
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Ability to clarify amidst ambiguity within the team.
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Recognizing the importance of prioritizing user-centric communication with business partners and internal leaders.
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Mentoring juniors and managing project verticals independently.
Recognition and Awards
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Won 1st place amongst 30 shortlisted employees, for being a 'Value creator' with the service monetization feature of the Tizen smartphone.
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Was awarded the 'Samsung Citizen Award' for the commitment shown in executing the project.
Fin.
Key Insights
'Users are aspirational, they want to keep up with the latest trends and emulate the lifestyle and choices of affluent segments of the society.'
Key Insights
The smartphone serves as a powerful medium for users to articulate their inner selves and project the image they desire to be seen by the external world.
'Users are aspirational, they want to keep up with the latest trends and emulate the lifestyle and choices of affluent segments of the society.'
The smartphone serves as a powerful medium for users to articulate their inner selves and project the image they desire to be seen by the external world.