Innovation Sector: Consumer Goods

Client

Global Grill & Smoker Brand

Overview/Need

An internationally recognized durable goods company wanted to launch a smart grill product line. They had keen understanding of the demographics of their customers but lacked understanding of how and why they might want to use their phone to control a grill.

Responsibilities/Approach

One of our design principles was to use the same design language for the mobile app as the grill’s human-machine interface, which strengthened the perceived relationship between the two interfaces and boosted user confidence from the outset. We chose a skeuomorphic design for the mobile app. As nearly all of our interview subjects reported safety concerns with grills generally, which could be exacerbated by unreliable Internet connectivity, our design recommended using audio and visual cues to signify connectivity, which will build additional confidence in the product.

Results

In this user experience research and design engagement, Rivers Agile first interviewed grillers to understand their motivations, goals, and desires. We found that most consumers no longer perceive IoT devices as novel, and those who do would unlikely use the connected features anyway. Still, technically literate users believe that a connected grill could help them overcome challenges they face with everyday grilling. Our competitive research found that connected features in existing products has bolstered brand loyalty for advanced grillers, but novice to intermediate grillers were nonplussed, which aligns with the market segment our client wanted to reach.