page 2, airpod

AirPod Max

The new and improved Apple Airpods

Project Overview

After Apple released its new noise-cancelling headphones, Air Pod Max, they received backlash online for its design.

The work here focuses around improving the design and functionality by implementing the classic, sturdy case.

My Contributions

Through the design thinking process, I raise questions and challenge assumptions about the AirPod Max case.

With Autodesk's Fusion 360, I create a 3D CAD model of a redesigned AirPod Max case to solve the problems at hand.

I. Empathize

How do the customers feel about the AirPod Max?

I've always been a prominent Apple user. Their products have a nice blend of crisp, lightning fast, and aesthetic. But when I saw the AirPods Max, I immediately thought of the bra.

My immediate knee-jerk reaction was astounding. Perhaps it was a marketing ploy, or some way of cutting costs. One thing's for sure, it was a laughing stock on the Internet.

"I'm speechless. Who thought this was a good idea?" - Peyton

II. Define

What's the problem and what do customers want?

The AirPod Max is designed to be a high-quality immersive audio experience. Apple products and their users alike, demand a luxury-style experience from opening the box to using the product in day-to-day life. However, the business incentive to cut down costs as low as possible has created a public embarrassment.

How might we create a case that is representative of its immersive audio, while keeping the costs relatively low?

Research & User Insights

Through our user interviews and surveys, I determined that a majority of the users disliked the case design. The population group consisted of a diverse group of Apple and Android users.

Methods

User Interviews

Surveys

Tools

Qualtrics

Questioning Assumptions

One of the important steps in quality research is questioning face-value assumptions. Is there actually a design problem? Does it impact sales? What other factors aren't being considered? When businesses invest their time, money, and energy into a product we need to be sure that there is a problem, and that our solution can solve it.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: 50% of the participants mentioned that the case resembled a bra

DESIGN RATING: The average rating of the case design is 3.6/10

SALES BARRIER: 40% of customers mentioned that they would purchase the product if it had a better-designed case

AFFORDABILITY: 35% of users could not afford the product

Generating Conclusions

So after gathering this data, what does that tell us? Well first, we've validated our hypothesis that there is an issue around the design. Then, we had to question whether this would be an actual problem in terms of sales revenue. If the "problem" isn't impacting the business, then it's not really a problem (though there's always room for improvement). The importance here is determining whether it's a big enough of a problem for a business try solving.

III. Ideate

What can I do to solve those problems?

I began to explore a variety of solutions by drawing out low-fidelity mockups and concept designs. My goal was to quickly generate ideas while meeting all of the user requirements.

How might I balance the affordability with the functionality of the product?

Concept Design

I drew out a variety of designs for possible cases. Most fellow competitors utilized cheap rubber, fabric, or foam. However, the designs did not come across to fit the luxurious, high-quality nature of Apple.

As gathered from the research data, product design is an important factor on business revenue. However, affordability is also an increasingly important factor to consider in order to reach a wide audience. In order to balance this, I designed concepts that were cheap, functional, yet luxurious in design.

By using similar materials as the other AirPods, we can create an aesthetic matching product line. Polyurethane plastic is relatively cheap and would contribute to the sleek and modern design. The insides could be padded with felt fabric, and be closed with magnets.

IV. Prototype

The building process.

To implement the change, I prototyped based on the concept designs that I previously created. For this process I utilized Fusion 360, a cloud based CAD software.

First Iteration

I. Framing

Through the first iteration, I sketched two 9x9 boxes and vertically extruded them by 1 1/2 inches. I chose these dimensions so that the AirPod Max would snuggly fit inside of the case, while providing enough protection material if it was dropped. Using a joint-connector, I connected the two pieces to create a opening and closing case.

II. Max Modeling

Since Apple hasn't made publicly available .dxf files for the AirPod Max, I manually sketched out key plot points using fit-point splines to create a 2D-model. This allowed me to extrude a cut into the box to create the basic outline for the case.

III. Assembly Line

I made a minor correction on the fit-point spline in order to create a smoother model of the headphone. After removing the extra detail on the model, assembly lines are able to more quickly manufacture the products since there is less precision in detail. This translates into cheaper costs, and cheaper prices.

IV. Rounded Corners

After some consumer feedback, I added rounded corners to the case to create a more elegant Apple-like design. This would also add to cutting down costs, since less material would be used. While it may be a miniscule amount, this adds up over the millions of AirPods that are sold each year.

V. Branding

Using an official Apple .dxf logo, I engraved the Apple logo onto the front of the case.

V. Testing

Does what we built actually work?

In order to test our changes, I conducted more user research to determine whether the changes were successful. I focused on design, functionality, and conversion rate.

60% of users described the new design as very good

83% of users chose the new design over the old design

3/4 users who previously responded no, mentioned that they would purchase the AirPods with a new design.

Conclusion

Over the course of this case study, I learned to use Fusion 360, a CAD modeling software. While this is only a rough study, technological innovation is incredibly important to the future of society. But as a society, we should maintain the structural integrity of the products that we produce. Profitability is important to business, but its public opinion—which ultimately translates to sales—is vital to uphold as well.

What does the future hold?

Success

Increasing Sales Revenue

One success from this case study was increasing sales revenue. While different companies have different business models, the end goal is profitability. Through user research, we determined that the AirPod Max struggled in the competitive headphone market. These were for a variety of reasons, including affordability and case design.

Being a Multidisciplinary Researcher

In order to gain a strong understanding of how the business approaches profitability, we need multidisciplinary researchers to integrate a variety of skillsets into the process. Some researchers can utilize their fellow engineering and design teams, but it's important for them to understand the limitations of their work. Designers might focus too much on the aesthetics, while engineers may focus too much on efficiency. Researchers should take both perspectives into mind, and bring them together to create innovative and creative solutions.

Limitations

Limited Demographic and Small-scaled Research

Because the research was done with a limited pool of demographics, we aren't able to consider factors such as age, ethnic groups, and career. Do older users prefer lighter cases? Are some ethnic groups more vulnerable to social stigma? What is the targeted consumer base?

In addition, the project is open to bias and room for error because the study was done at a small-scale. In order to minimize this error, we would need to conduct the research study on a large-scale, with thousands of people coming from different demographics.

Profitability

Because the original model is incredibly minimalistic, profit margins can be assumed to be very high. Without information on exact material costs, we can't generate a specific conclusion on how impactful the solution would be. While it's easy to assume that this change would create a net-benefit, this may often not be the case. How financially feasible is this change? Would we lose profitability if we made a better case? Should we sell this case as an external add-on?

Future

New Technology

As technology rapidly develops, expectations for a case will evolve. In the near future, we can expect a smart case to be designed with wireless charging, battery packs, and other new innovations. These new features can fill in the dead space throughout the case, albeit heavier.

Bulk vs Light: It's a Culture

One consideration for the future is the state of society. People may become more adoptive of lighter, yet less protective cases. Having a bulky case is not the most convenient so some users might prefer having a sleek, flexible design. As habits develop and mature, it will be in the company's favor to follow suit.