One of the biggest challenges in designing a new product is anticipating how users will respond to functions or features they have never seen or used before. When O2 were developing their first mobile phone with a built in music player, they asked ergonomists at System Concepts to help them predict how users would interact with the product.

The ergonomists observed current mobile phone users and interviewed them about possible scenarios using a music player mobile phone.  They then constructed a number of user personas to evaluate how people might use their mobile phones in the situations they had identified. This evaluation included link and layout analyses of the interface, which helped the ergonomists simplify the design of the product.

The ergonomists made a number of recommendations, from the functionality of the interface (offering added value without overcomplicating it) to the size and shape of the box (so that it could be posted through letterboxes). These helped the designers make the entire product experience as seamless and pleasurable as possible.

The recommendations were evaluated in various stages throughout the design development, using paper based prototypes, physical and functional models, as well as the final product.

Designer: Syntes Design

Manufacturer: Telefonica 02 UK

Ergonomists: System Concepts