Radical Innovation and End-User Involvement: The Ambilight Case

Abstract

To make technology research more effective and to deal with fierce cost competition, technology research should be more focused on radical innovation and needs to adopt a more end-user-focused approach. Product improvement is already quite often building on knowledge collected around consumers' experiences with these products to come with a next, improved generation of products. However, in case of creating novel products from "scratch," this will be more difficult. The user-centered research approach including insights, scenarios, and experience prototypes provides a good method to incorporate the consumer perspective in the earliest stages of the product creation process. The development of the Ambilight TV will be used as a case to illustrate this approach.

Engaging users in the early phases of the design process

“…Probe studies focus on user's personal context and perceptions. Mattelmaki [7] indicates that they are good at exploring new design opportunities and mentions four reasons for applying probes; namely, (1) to enrich the inspiration of the design team, (2) to get information about the users, (3) to enable a ground for users to participate in the design process, and (4) to support the dialogue between the designer and the user within the design process.…”

Setting the stage for developing innovative product concepts: people and climate

“…The scenarios were discussed with potential end-users as well as technical and business experts. These evaluations provided valuable data, and the sessions resulted in specific feedback on the different ideas (see Diederiks and Hoonhout 2007, for more details).…”

“…However, in cases where completely new product concepts are conceived, or in which directions in product innovation are pursued that do not directly originate from an analysis of current product usage, meaningful ways to involve consumers at the earliest possible stage have to be worked out. Of course, the needs and longings of the consumer should now too be the driving force, but it might not be practical or even necessary to actually involve them 'in person' at this stage (Diederiks and Hoonhout 2007). In the case of creating novel products from 'scratch', needs and wishes of consumers will not be so readily available and getting consumers to articulate such needs for products and services that do not have a current manifestation, will be extremely hard.…”

“…Many new products, such as the Philips Senseo TM coffeemaker (box 1), and Philips's AmbiLight TM TV (figure 1), refer to 'soft' or 'emotional' user benefits, as opposed to purely functional benefits (Diederiks and Hoonhout 2007). This demonstrates a shift from selling functionality to selling experiences (Pine andGilmore 1999, Norman 2004).…”

ExperienceLabs

“…In each of these labs, the focus is on specific target groups, applications, and settings: for HomeLab that means applications that will support users (families) in their daily activities, ranging from content enjoyment applications (e.g. AmbiLight TV, see Diederiks & Hoonhout, 2007) to lighting applications. For ShopLab, applications such as lighting systems and intelligent shop windows, aim to provide an enhanced shopping experience to the shopper, while supporting shop owners with means to easily and quickly change the atmosphere in their store according to the latest fashion or seasonal festivities.…”