Simple TV Remote

This project originated out of an analysis of current system usage broken down by age - I found that the oldest quintile of customers used their DISH TV service for more hours total per day; but were less likely to use advanced features (scheduled recording timers; access streaming apps on satellite TV, using DISH remote as a universal remote, custom shortcut buttons, etc).

To learn more, I ran a series of in-home observational interviews, letting us see how customers used their TV with their regular set-up, in their real living room, instead of a contrived testing environment. The outcome was clear: customers wanted to use those advanced features, but had trouble discovering them the first time or remembering how to access them. At the very end of each interview (to avoid influencing the results), we offered to walk the customer through any features they had expressed in but weren't sure how to use -- some customers were so excited about what they learned about that they refused the gift cards we offered as compensation, insisting they felt like they'd been "paid" by learning about the new features!

We also observed customers struggling with multiple accessibility issues - everything from needing to switch to reading glasses to read the buttons, to resorting to a steak knife to pry open the battery compartment, to being unable to see the remote when it fell on dark couch cushions.

At the same time,  

Working closely with the lead industrial designer and pulling in other stakeholders as needed, we worked through the details of the new remote. During this phase, I designed several rapid experiments to inform specific design decisions - which buttons should make the final cut; what icons to use; exact shape & height parameters, etc. Taking a "sprint" approach, we aimed to make any critical decisions within 1 week each, pulling insight from a variety of sources, including quantitative analysis for usage logs, surveys of existing customers, bribing employees into testing early prototypes, visiting assisted living centers with our prototypes, and, one memorable day, setting up a table outside the senior center's folk dance class to ask people which model was most comfortable to hold. 

One critical decision that needed to be nailed down was the tactile profile of the remote buttons - comfortable to hold and press, while easily distinguishable by touch alone. After talking with the manufacturer about limiting constraints, I 3d printed several options with different total heights and different levels of variance between buttons. We tested these in a "behind the curtains" setup, where I asked potential customers to do some typical tasks with the prints without looking at the remote (the 3D prints became a working remote "magically", via another person simply pressing the same buttons as the tester but on a real remote). In addition to their qualitative feedback, the testers arranged the remotes by both overall ease of use and  physical comfort. 

Throughout the project, I  arranged similar rapid experiments  with other variations of  specific design elements:  for example, I used a similar process for choosing between different grip patterns, for establishing the  weight focal point on the remote, and for testing multiple  mechanisms designed to open the battery door and pop up the batteries with limited dexterity. 

After the design was settled, my testing shifted towards 3 priorities:

• Final readiness questions : for example, qualifying specific accelerometers in "real world conditions" as requests for adaptations from the manufacturing team; and bug testing

• Laying the groundwork  to quantify overall business impact -  overall, was the product a  success ?  Does it solve the original problems it set out to solve - for example, are customers choosing it preferentially over more expensive remotes, are they getting to the content they want to watch faster, are they finding their TV service more valuable overall? 

• Prototyping and testing  launch logistics: For example, I  arranged ride-alongs  with installation  technicians, where  we did  dry runs of the full experience - testing everything from  how best to explain the differences in the two remotes to customers, to deciding where in the delivery van they should be stored.