Ideal Purchase Experience of Smart Home Technology:
Older adults of age 55+
Methods of Contextual Research Project ObjectiveConduct generative research to understand the current experience of purchasing smart home technology for adults, over 55 years old, and generate a framework for the ideal purchase experience.
The Team
Ojas Gupta, Vaidehi Thakkar, Ericka Mardis, Jeremy Takyi, Liyuan Cai
Project Duration
January 2021 - March 2021
Project Result
We synthesized data from 26 surveys, 13 in-depth interviews and 2 sensory cue workshops and uncovered the ideal purchase journey for adults through emotions, benefits, features and sensory cues. The journey was divided into three phases: before the purchase, they want to be informed, during the journey they want to feel confident and after the purchase, they want to feel satisfied..
We at SCAD went through a Lextants Certified Training Program, Methods of Contextual Research, where we learnt techniques to collect human and user-centred data and translate it into insights. We understood how to communicate research-based insights to clients and translate these to design opportunities.
We uncovered the ideal purchase journey for adults through emotions, benefits, features and sensory cues.
We uncovered the ideal purchase journey for adults through emotions, benefits, features and sensory cues.
The smart home market is bound to grow with time. By 2022, North America will account for 40% of global spending on smart homes and related services. It is predicted that the ecosystem adoption of the smart home will exceed 300,000,000 by 2023.
Moving forward, using the method of popular media scan, Key Facts and Keyword Bibliometrics and Trends Matrix, we gained in-depth knowledge of the industry and users adoption trends and pain points. Based on this secondary research we generated key findings directing us towards our opportunity area.
Moving forward, using the method of popular media scan, Key Facts and Keyword Bibliometrics and Trends Matrix, we gained in-depth knowledge of the industry and users adoption trends and pain points. Based on this secondary research we generated key findings directing us towards our opportunity area.
“There is a misconception that older adults are tech-adverse. In fact, technology is already a central part of life for older Americans, and the connection with their devices is only expected to grow.”
- Rodney Harrell, AARP
Opportunity to Dig Deeper
In addition to the well-generated findings from the secondary research, we identified an opportunity to dive deeper. The current smart home tech does not market to a specific demographic or generation. However, the rise in the senior population is predicted to outnumber children by 2030 and are adopting smart home technology at a faster rate than younger generations. This provides us with a unique opportunity to research smart home tech innovation and its adoption within this particular group to reduce the learning curve and increase awareness of benefits.
Our overall approach was based on the Lextant’s Research Guide. We incorporated a Screener survey for recruiting participants, Cultural Probe surveys, in-depth interviews and a Sensory Cue workshop in our research process. We generated 2453 data points from 26 surveys, 13 in-depth interviews and 2 Sensory Cue workshops that were afinitised to 18 insights and our framework.
Below is the first phase of our research for recruiting the participants for interviews. The Screener survey was a good start, however, recruiting participants in our target age group proved to be especially challenging.
Below is the first phase of our research for recruiting the participants for interviews. The Screener survey was a good start, however, recruiting participants in our target age group proved to be especially challenging.
Cultural Probe Survey and Sensory Cue Workshop
We conducted a Cultural probe survey to understand the benefits and emotions of the users before, during and after the purchase, that would best define their definitive moments of purchasing. We dove deep into the features and the attributes that users associate with. Next, we designed and conducted 2 Sensory Cue workshops to generate findings based on multi-sensorial stimuli, putting the user in the ideal space.
Please click here for the Cultural Probe Survey︎
“How do you pick the streaming video that you’re going to see? It’s when you’re out for dinner with your friends, what they watch and what they say. That’s probably our number one source of insight or might be a review in the newspaper that we read.”
- Interviewee
From the insights generated, we synthesized the data into a framework that reflects the older adults’ ideal purchase experience of smart home products. The journey was divided into three phases: before the purchase, they want to be informed, during the journey they want to feel confident and after the purchase, they want to feel satisfied.
I would like to thank Lextant for providing us with the materials and techniques which lead to a successful process. The Methods of Contextual Research that I learnt boosted my confidence and empowered me to continue with my journey.
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View Design Research and Insight Translation Certificate by Lextant︎
Made by Ojas Gupta, 2024