Rarely do you have the opportunity to create a new consumer category and reinvent how people preserve their memories and print photos at home. My team did just that with the launch of the HP Photosmart A826 Home Photo center. As Gina Hughes and Zara Rabinowicz highlight it in their reviews, this egg-shaped printer is a real photo studio, featuring a large 7.0-inch color touchscreen, an industry first. Using a stylus, the A826 allows users to edit, design and personalize photos with borders, text and creative graphics. In addition, the A826 allows for true image customization with over 200 creative options to choose from and prints 4 x 6-inch and 5 x 7-inch. The HP Photosmart A826 Home Photo Center will be priced at $249.
The product development process started in July 2005. We looked at other products that reinvented their categories through design and innovation (Think Swatch watches, George Foreman grills or Apple’s Ipod). We looked at the growing adoption of touchscreens in consumer electronics from the iPhone, to HP’s touchsmart PC, to Microsoft’s interactive coffee table and Electrolux’s touchscreen “Cyber fridge” to provide a simplified user experience.
The Approach
We focused on our target customer and the core experiences we needed to deliver. We really delved in and explored a day in the life of this customer, what goes on inside their head, what energizes them and what zaps their energy. We fleshed out and prioritized the core/essential experiences.
Once we had a good idea of what experiences we needed to deliver, we then looked at the “how” part. It was very challenging to avoid the temptation to add features only because we think they are cool or that they are possible. We had to come to grips with more is not always better! And most importantly, remember that every “piece” of technology has its purpose and is measured against its ability to deliver a core experience.
Our customer
The busy mom who owns the burden and joy of photo distribution, sharing, preserving for self, kids, and extended family. She has no more than a few spare minutes at a time. Multitasking between work, kids’ naps, kids’ activities, housework, cooking. She needs to be able to start and stop activities to accommodate higher priority interruptions (kids/work). There is no time for extended projects or learning new processes.
Family is her top priority. Being a “Good Mother” means providing a rich environment for the family. Children’s education and activities are top priority, followed closely by well-decorated home, creative meals, and quality family time (these may be more aspirations than actually achieved) and managing photos is a key aspect of this rich environment and being a good mother.
The Design
A lot of mom’s life revolves around the kitchen, the kitchen being the ‘heart’ of the home where she cooks for her family, eats with her family, possibly help with kids’ homework at the kitchen table. So, how does HP enable easy photo printing for mom in the kitchen? The new direction would be to design a product that would fit in the kitchen with an easy two-minute or less experience while she is making lunches for the kids and talking on the phone. Priority #1: Simple unattended directed printing. Context: Mom has 30 new photos on camera. She uses easy touch screen in 2 min to set up unattended printing, then walks away until prints are done.
Key Enablers:
•Large touch screen
•Intuitive, guided UI
•Very few choices
•Simple supplies
•Quality prints
•Dry neat photo stack
So the product design should be kitchen-inspired… In fact, the original inspiration was an every day bowl with friendly curves providing approachability and protection of its contents. Deeming the necessity of one-ness and encompassing a large touchscreen, the design evolved into the egg shape you see in today’s HP Photosmart A826 Home Photo Center.
So, if first impressions are important, I think the new HP Photosmart A826 Home Photo Center will have a great first impression because it’s stylish, eye-catching, and friendly. And as you get to know it, you’ll find that it’ll have a lasting impression and you’ll want to introduce it to all your friends because of the convenience, creativity and control it provides for easy photo printing at home. Let me know what you think! |
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