Triton Trinkets Kiosk
Unlocking Identity: Crafting Personalized Connections with Every Touch! Revolutionizing kiosk experiences, where individuality meets innovation to create meaningful mementos that reflect the essence of each user.
Overview
Info
Our project delves into the development of a groundbreaking customizable kiosk, poised to transform the retail landscape at UCSD. Focused on catering to the diverse student body and visitors, our goal is to fill a crucial gap in the market by offering personalized memorabilia that celebrates individual identity. Particularly addressing the needs of international students, who often struggle to find souvenirs bearing their names in American institutions, our kiosk promises to be a beacon of inclusivity and innovation on campus. With a mission to create lasting memories without breaking the bank, we embark on a journey to revolutionize the retail experience at UCSD.
Project Type
Physical and Digital Kiosk
Project Duration
January 2024 - March 2024
Team
Sam Olsen, Melissa Phan, Ashley Nguyen
Tools
Figma, Inkscape
Solution
To tackle the challenge of limited personalized merchandise options on campus, our solution revolves around the creation of a user-friendly kiosk equipped with customization technology. By integrating a diverse range of customizable features from names to figurines, students and visitors alike will have the freedom to express their unique identities through bespoke memorabilia. Our kiosk will enable users to input their names in various languages, ensuring inclusivity for international students. Furthermore, our commitment to affordability means that personalized memories will be accessible to all, enriching the UCSD experience with meaningful keepsakes that transcend cultural boundaries. Through this innovative solution, we aim to redefine campus retail while fostering a sense of belonging and individuality within the UCSD community.
Design Process
User Research
Challenge
To create an experience where users can express their identity in a personalized memento.
We initiated the project by undertaking preliminary research, delving into similar kiosks and blind box machines through comprehensive competitive analysis. Subsequently, we explored the realms of marketing psychology and personalized merchandise, conducting fieldwork studies to find the best location and primary research. This involved engaging in interviews with key stakeholders, including students and visitors at UCSD, to gain valuable insights into their preferences and expectations regarding our potential product.
Competitive Analysis
We conducted competitive audits on similar customizable kiosks and blind vending machines.
Online Research & Field Observations
Geisel Library (Second Floor)
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Students are talking and working within groups or listening to music by themselves.
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Individuals rarely engage with the services provided (bookshelves, instillations/artwork, signs)
Price Center (First Floor)
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Predominantly people eating and chatting with others or waiting in line to purchase food.
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1/3 of the students are working on their laptops.
Primary Research: Interviews
Following our secondary market research, it became imperative to identify the primary users of our product and comprehensively understand their needs and pain points. To achieve this, I conducted interviews with individuals we identified as potential stakeholders. Each interview was recorded to capture nuanced insights, including notable quotes and recurring patterns among participants. Detailed responses from these interviews are conveyed below on Dovetail to synthesize and analyze results. Interview results can be found here.
Key Findings
Students want personalized, convenient merchandise that can capture their memorable experiences.
We decided to locate our kiosk at Price Center due to its high traffic flow from students and visitors who are more willing to spend.
Personalized communications significantly influence brand consideration and repurchase intentions. These findings below emphasize the pivotal role of personalization in fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty.
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“Seventy-two percent said they expect the businesses they buy from to recognize them as individuals and know their interests. When asked to define personalization, consumers associate it with positive experiences of being made to feel special.” (1)
“Over three-quarters of consumers (76 percent) said that receiving personalized communications was a key factor in prompting their consideration of a brand, and 78 percent said such content made them more likely to repurchase.”(1)
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(1) "The Value of Getting Personalization Right-or Wrong-Is Multiplying." McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 12 Nov. 2021, www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-value-of-getting-personalization-right-or-wrong-is-multiplying#/.
Personalized and customizable souvenirs allow for more inclusivity and aesthetic power than regular products marketed at UCSD. These aspects are equally important to stakeholders purchasing this product, especially due to the high percentage of international students at the school and the lack of purchases by stakeholders for current UCSD memorabilia.
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All of our interviewees have purchased merchandise under 5 times.
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6/7 are interested in merchandise they can personalize to include their unique interests and native language.
User Persona
Following our secondary market research, it became imperative to identify the primary users of our product and comprehensively understand their needs and pain points. To achieve this, I conducted interviews with individuals we identified as potential stakeholders. Each interview was recorded to capture nuanced insights, including notable quotes and recurring patterns among participants. Detailed responses from these interviews are conveyed below on Dovetail to synthesize and analyze results. Interview results can be found here.
Storyboards
Low Fidelity Kiosk Designs & Prototyping
We developed several wireframe designs illustrating potential solutions tailored to address the specific needs of our stakeholders. Through collaborative brainstorming sessions, we focused on refining visual aesthetics while optimizing functionality to enhance user experience and streamline the flow of interaction.
Paper Wireframes (Digital)
Paper Wireframes (Physical Kiosk)
We explored a variety of different kiosk designs and ultimately decided a kiosk with rounded features, dual screens, and lockers, as pictured below (in the bottom right picture).
Lo-Fi Digital Design
Inkscape Design
The cardboard prototype allowed our measurements to be translated into inkscape accurately.
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The most we had to alter and test on was the bending pattern and iPad measurements.
Cardboard Prototypes
Color Testing
We conducted extensive color testing on various hues, shades, and combinations to ascertain optimal visual appeal, readability, and user engagement. We wished to ensure that every aspect of the physical kiosk harmoniously resonates with our brand identity and the digital aspect of the kiosk.
High-Fidelity Testing & Prototyping
After finalizing our low-fidelity designs, we transitioned to high-fidelity prototyping and testing. Our process began with the development of a mood board and the creation of a comprehensive style guide, providing a cohesive visual direction for both the physical and digital aspects of the kiosk. Subsequently, we constructed the physical kiosk and refined the digital interface to reinforce our branding identity and ensure consistency throughout the user experience.
Initial Moodboard & Style Guide
Our initial moodboard brought in a bunch of fun elements yet lacked cohesion and an accurate color palette to pull from. This resulted in our initial style guide. The initial style guide helped us get closer to finding fonts and the colors we wanted while also helped draft our initial logo.
Final Branding & Design System
Our final moodboard really came together as we built the final kiosk and deciding to incorporate more shapes rather than paint splatters for a more modern and playful feel.
Usability Testing
By iterating on our moodboard and finding a more dynamic color palette, we put together our final style guide complete with a new logo, and added graphic elements to our Figma prototype.
Building Kiosk
High-Fidelity Design
Digital Features
Usability Testing
Conducting usability testing on our high-fidelity prototype proved instrumental in identifying areas of refinement within our design, illuminating crucial insights that guided further enhancements to optimize user experience.
User Testing Tasks & Interview Questions
User Testing Insights
Usability Study Findings
Changes after Feedback
Some users were confused by the tasks of adding letters. We plan to give users a full range to add text at any size and location to the figurine.
The usability study revealed frustrations with selecting characters using the arrows on the bottom. We modified this so that users can directly click on the fluffy icon and have it change color as feedback so that there is a more direct path for selecting characters.
Final Prototype
Accessibility Considerations
Takeaways
Lessons Learned
In the future, we will focus on conducting more usability studies before high-fidelity prototyping because we underestimated their importance, which can result in a product with unresolved usability issues if we were given a more strict deadline. By prioritizing usability testing at multiple stages of the design process, we can identify and address usability issues early on, ultimately improving the overall user experience for Triton Trinkets and making the digital experience more streamlined and intuitive.
Next Steps: Design Deliberations for Future Iterations
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Some users found the purpose of the dowel unclear; it was intended to hold an Apple pencil for screen interactions, but it did not integrate well with Figma. In future iterations, we will ensure compatibility with the Apple pencil.
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We intend to incorporate our main design (Fluffy) as stickers and small figurines, replacing the current placeholders (Sonny Angels).
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The acrylic screen housing the iPad with rotating display of past designs was not securely attached to the kiosk. To address this issue, we plan to enhance attachment using additional magnets or by securing the acrylic screen to the surrounding frame.