During my bachelor, I learned to conduct research on existing products as a foundational step in new design projects. This approach helped me generate inspiration and eliminate ideas that were too similar to already existing products. I refined this skill further during my master by conducting more focused product research tailored to defining and narrowing my design space. For example, I identified competing products that utilized different technologies in my research project, analysing their strengths and weaknesses to inform and support my choice in technology.
When developing Slumber, I extended this method by basing my product research on insights gained from a sleep expert on insomnia treatments. By integrating this information, I identified unoccupied market segments and design opportunities that aligned with the needs of my target group. This process taught me the importance of product research in identifying opportunities to create meaningful designs that are viable due to absence of competitors.
Because I believe the future of design lies in creating meaningful products rather than feeding consumerism, I have consistently prioritized involving users as key stakeholders in the design process. However, working on Slumber presented unique challenges, as my target group—individuals with insomnia—was difficult to reach. To address this, I enlisted the help of a sleep expert, engaging them as a stakeholder throughout the project. They gave their insights both during my exploration of insomnia and when I evaluated my ideas.
The experience of working closer with an expert than with users taught me how to effectively incorporate expert knowledge into the design process. The feedback they provided was distinct from user evaluations, offering a broader perspective on the challenges relevant to insomnia. By combining their expertise with my user study results, I was able to create a product that not only reflected user values but would also be desirable from a professional standpoint. This taught me the value of including different stakeholders in a project to enhance the quality and meaningfulness of a design.
Relevance to Identity and Vision
To be able to create meaningful products, designers need to create new and innovative solutions. By doing extensive research into existing products and solutions enables me to understand the context I work in and the things that others have already tried. Furthermore, working with an expert was a very valuable experience in how I can design for a difficult to reach target group. Through this collaboration I learned that incorporating more stakeholders in a project is also part of understanding the user context, and I will due so in the future as well.
