Product Design & Research
Naked Labs
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Design Thinking & Ethnographic Research
Prototyping
Visual, Interaction, Systems Design
Design Thinking & Ethnographic Research
Objective
To inform the design process of the Naked Labs app from the perspective of the user, determine product-market fit, and learn about the needs, goals, and mental models of the Naked user.
To lead an 18-month longitudinal ethnographic research study with 20 participants.
Responsibilities
To inform the design process of the Naked Labs app from the perspective of the user, determine product-market fit, and learn about the needs, goals, and mental models of the Naked user.
To lead an 18-month longitudinal ethnographic research study with 20 participants.
Responsibilities
- Create moderator’s guides, design artifacts
- Facilitate and/or record sessions
- Synthesize data and present findings
- Ideate and test design concepts
What did each session look like?
Participants visited the office every two weeks for up to two hours per session. Early on in the program our research methods were mostly exploratory, while as the product developed, our research efforts shifted to inform and optimize the designs (both hardware and software).
Each session started with a 3D scan. At the beginning of the program we scanned using one of the first working hardware prototypes, on what sometimes felt like a wing and a prayer, but by the end of the program, each participant was able to download our app from the official App Store and scan on a stable device originating from our production line in China. Having a natural scanning environment yielded valuable contextual observations and interviews throughout the study.
Participants visited the office every two weeks for up to two hours per session. Early on in the program our research methods were mostly exploratory, while as the product developed, our research efforts shifted to inform and optimize the designs (both hardware and software).
Each session started with a 3D scan. At the beginning of the program we scanned using one of the first working hardware prototypes, on what sometimes felt like a wing and a prayer, but by the end of the program, each participant was able to download our app from the official App Store and scan on a stable device originating from our production line in China. Having a natural scanning environment yielded valuable contextual observations and interviews throughout the study.
Hundreds of applicants were screened from all over the San Francisco Bay Area. We chose a cohort of 20 representing a wide range of fitness levels and demographics. I designed participant profiles to serve as a reminder that the product will be able to solve the needs of real people, and to foster empathy for those people throughout the development process.
Similar to a persona, these profiles include fundamental user information such as goals (needs), motivations, and challenges (pain points). Beyond that, I visualized each participant’s fitness journey and assessed potential product market fit.
Here’s one example, meet Patti, one of the twenty participant profiles I created and designed, shared with her permission:
What did the testing look like?
A variety of different tests, interviews, and design activities helped us learn from our users and quickly ideate and test new concepts and ideas.
I conducted long form interviews on sensitive subjects relating to one’s body to empathize and understand how our product may or may nto fit into otheir daily routine.
I created participatory design exercises to force participants into priotizing features and express their wants and needs as we honed in on the MVP feature set.
Other sessions involved working with computer vision and hardware engineering teams to perform tests scanning on different carpet samples, speeds, and angles.
An example synthesis
We created physical representations of each participant, distilling important elements of their interviews and displaying the results of their design activities.
Synthesizing the data from our interviews into these physical representations solidified their stories, needs, and goals into our minds, fostering a sense of empathy early on in the development process. I created the personas above using this synthesis as a reference. We gained valuable information about how Naked may fit into one’s routine, and in what ways it may help people accomplish their goals.
This data not only helped shape the direction of our product, but the direction of future research.
A variety of different tests, interviews, and design activities helped us learn from our users and quickly ideate and test new concepts and ideas.
I conducted long form interviews on sensitive subjects relating to one’s body to empathize and understand how our product may or may nto fit into otheir daily routine.
I created participatory design exercises to force participants into priotizing features and express their wants and needs as we honed in on the MVP feature set.
Other sessions involved working with computer vision and hardware engineering teams to perform tests scanning on different carpet samples, speeds, and angles.
An example synthesis
We created physical representations of each participant, distilling important elements of their interviews and displaying the results of their design activities.
Synthesizing the data from our interviews into these physical representations solidified their stories, needs, and goals into our minds, fostering a sense of empathy early on in the development process. I created the personas above using this synthesis as a reference. We gained valuable information about how Naked may fit into one’s routine, and in what ways it may help people accomplish their goals.
This data not only helped shape the direction of our product, but the direction of future research.
An example synthesis after a session with a beta participant
Prototyping
To conduct a remote eight-month-long beta study with 25 participants across the United States. As part of the study, to design and test the first-time user experience of a Naked 3D scanner.
Responsibilities
- Create and iterate upon prototypes
- Design, implement, and synthesize remote testing using a qualitative remote testing service
- Receive and respond to diary study feedback
- Synthesize and present findings to leadership and cross-functional teams
Overview
The Naked Labs 3D scanner is a novel and complicated device for which a user has no schema: mirrors don’t have high-powered sensors; scales don’t rotate; neither is typically controlled by one’s phone. Testing our designs and assumptions within users’ natural contexts — dorm rooms, CrossFit gyms, NYC apartments, ranches in Texas — allowed for us to gain a much richer and broader understanding of the experience of setting up and using the device.
Throughout the duration of the eight-month study, the participants continued to use the device naturally while keeping a digital diary of their experience on an integrated research platform, d-scout. Along with monitoring their activity and facilitating the diary study, I designed and implemented surveys and “missions,” in which they were instructed to use the device in particular ways.
What did prototyping look like?
Initially, a stack of paper with hand drawings and instructions. Eventually, fully interactive InVision prototypes with hundreds of screens. We learned something new with each home visit. Depending on the feedback I altered aspects of the prototype: tweaking copy for clarity, changing navigational elements, or experimenting with ways to provide guidance to the user.
Although my main role was creating and iterating upon the prototype, I also conducting testing with a group of early adopters as well as Naked Labs’ investors.
Below is one of the many iterations of the interactive prototype which was used in testing. Click the screen to get started setting up your scanner:
After the initial setup, the participants used their devices naturally while keeping a diary study that I facilitated. I monitored and responded to feedback in four major categories: scan quality, bugs, pain points, and feature suggestions. We gained valuable insights across all four categories. The computer vision team benefited from the scan quality data, quality assurance from the bug reporting, and the product team benefited from just about everything. Major insights included unexpected user charging behavior, and critical bug reporting.
Furthermore, I designed and deployed ongoing usability tests in which each participant was tasked with scanning under certain conditions (for example, in different lighting or using non-standard poses) or answering surveys or questionnaires regarding particular design features or experiences.
Visual, Interaction, Systems Design
Objective
To create an intuitive, efficient, and engaging on-boarding experience; to guide the user through their first 3D scan. Full design files available upon request.
Responsibilities
To create an intuitive, efficient, and engaging on-boarding experience; to guide the user through their first 3D scan. Full design files available upon request.
Responsibilities
- UX/UI & Interaction design of first-scan experience
- Collaborate on the development of the design system and visual fidelity of the app
The mobile app visualizes and organizes the user’s 3D scan & biommetric data, and controls the hardware. That’s me in the scans below testing the product during development.
I had the privilege of being involved in the design of almost every aspect of the app — frequently this meant providing feedback in design critiques, helping develop and maintain a design library, but also owning the design of a particular experience or screen, such as the first time scan experience.
I performed a heuristic analysis of the first time user experience of other mobile applications. I sketched initial concepts (user flows, interfaces, navigational elements) to pitch during design critiques, and iterated based on feedback.
The designs I created are grounded in data from user research that I conducted: observations of users scanning for the first time with interviews afterwards, wire-frame and prototype usability testing. I learned and witnessed the moments the users needed certain information, and tested different ways through which to communicate it.
What did the design look like?
Using a Naked scanner is a novel experience for most users, yet they want to jump right in - and so providing guided interaction as opposed to a passive experience was of the utmost importance. The device comes with no instructions. Rather than telling the user how to operate it, I lead them through a series of interstitial screens woven into the typical ‘scan flow’ that they will experience for all successive scans.
The interstitial screens have a white background, a stark contrast from the screens in the typical ‘scan flow,’ in order to emphasize the distinction. I designed the background as a subtle take on the half-tone used throughout Naked’s branding.
I was particularly mindful of typography and legibility across many different phone types.
After the scan is complete, I designed a series of informative screens to keep users engaged while continuing to teach them about the product. Here are some representative mock-ups, full design files available upon request of the full app.