Observe and listen real users voices to catch “Real Problems and Needs”

At the beginning of the project, Oster said the biggest problem that user wanted to improve for the professional clipper was a speed. Oster said that professional pet groomers are wanting to have higher speed clipper which can improve their productivity. From this reason, they wanted to develop high speed clipper with performance focused design. I was seriously curious if it was true or not since online research showed that multi speed option clippers are not ranked high in the market. To clarify this curiosity, I have visited over 10 pet grooming shops around the Massachusetts and interviewed with more than 20 professional pet groomers.

Interview results were completely different than what Oster said: More than 80% professional pet groomers said speed isn’t important. Comfort is the most important value for their productivity.

Observation research results were same: Professional pet groomers are using clippers regularly 5-6 hours per day. They get lots of stress on their hands and wrist from vibration and weight from clippers. This is obviously degrading productivity. Also, most of pet groomers were not using speed options either faster or slower although all their clippers are having speed options. Most of them were using only “Medium-high” speed.

Comfort is priority.

Oster was agreed with user interview and observation research results that comfort is more important than speed. Based on client’s agreement, I was setted up design priority as comfort. One other interesting fact was that pet groomers are using clippers with variety hand positions per different size of pet or different grooming area. The design challenge was how to deliver ideal comfort that satisfies variety hand positions.

Overall design development was proceed based on this challenge.

Fabricating Zcorp 3D model to evaluate ideal form through user tests.

Team developed variety concepts focused on comfortability and down selected couple of leading concepts based on internal preference research. Next step was fabricating prototypes to test with real users who were professional pet groomers. Team fabricated actual weighted Zcorp 3D models and tested with about 20 professional pet groomers. Each pet groomers were played with each concept models with variety hand positions that how they are usually using clippers. Test result showed obvious leading concept and team did minor design refinement based on feedback from user tests.

Sticks to your hand like ribbon is wrapping on your hand.

The Ribbon (A6) was designed with slightly hourglass shaped body. This body shape is providing intuitive grip area when you hold clipper with thumb and index finger for specific grooming work that is one of the common professional pet groomers hand position.

Slightly oval shaped body cross section is designed based on natural hand shape when you hold an object. This body shape is naturally sticking to your hand comfortably. Also, over-molded elastomeric body surface is reducing motor vibration and providing softer feeling when you hold it. This surface finish is reducing stress in your hand from motor vibration and providing more comfortness while you are operating the device.

48 degree angled blade is providing less stress on your hand while operating with variety hand positions as well as providing the easiest cutting experience for any grooming area. 48 degree was confirmed as ideal blade angle through user tests.

Ribbon shaped accent color part is emphasizing main interaction points which are the hood and the button to provide intuitive usability.

The Ribbon (A6) will be sticking to your hand like ribbon is wrapping on your hand to provide ideal comfort that can improve your productivity. You will now have ideal pet grooming experience with The Ribbon (A6).

Ideal comfortability that was created based on a deep empathy.

The Ribbon (A6) was designed based on real users voices. This design approach was created deep empathy with actual users and Ribbon (A6) was placed in all time best selling product in Oster clippers. Based on the success of The Ribbon (A6), Oster decided to keep on developing their own products although they are distributing OEM products. Furthermore, they decided to keep on operating their U.S factory that would produce their own developed products.

The Ribbon (A6)’s success story is showing that how deep empathy through product itself creates stunning results as well as making success of business.