To recap:
Problem statement (my gap): In what way might I keep the ends of cables and power cords on smooth desk and table surfaces when they are disconnected from a laptop?
List of primary user needs (for secondary user needs, please see week 2 assignments):
The solution is convenient
The solution is versatile
The solution is trustworthy
The solution is easy to implement/remove
The solution is aesthetically pleasing
The solution is inexpensive
The solution is environmentally and socially responsible
Problem statement (my gap): In what way might I keep the ends of cables and power cords on smooth desk and table surfaces when they are disconnected from a laptop?
List of primary user needs (for secondary user needs, please see week 2 assignments):
The solution is convenient
The solution is versatile
The solution is trustworthy
The solution is easy to implement/remove
The solution is aesthetically pleasing
The solution is inexpensive
The solution is environmentally and socially responsible
After building rough prototypes last week to narrow the selection, I chose to put five concepts forward to do some user testing. The five concepts were:
- clamp
- velcro
- magnetic
- weight, and
- suction cup
In my own focused (on functionality) testing I found that the magnetic mat does not work. The magnetic force of the mats that I tested was not strong enough to hold the cables in place. Possible reasons include that the cable insulation is too thick, or that the actual cable contains only non-ferrous (e.g. copper) materials that are not (sufficiently) magnetic.
Next, I took the remaining four prototypes to a couple of potential customers to get their feedback. Pretty unanimously, they disliked the velcro solution. They did not like sticking an adhesive sticker on their desk, and they did not appreciate its aesthetic quality.
Among the remaining three options, the clamp received a good response in the aesthetics department. It was not so much the current design, but several respondents saw the potential to turn this design into something 'cool.'
The suction cup was liked for its simplicity. I would like to check how small they can be to still provide the functionality of holding the cable on the table.
Finally, the 'weight' got mixed responses, primarily because the test users did not trust that it could work. I think I need another prototype with higher fidelity to get better responses.
I will continue to work on theses three alternatives: clamp, suction cup, and weight.
Below I post images of the prototypes of the three concepts:
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