COT
Product Design and Marketing
“Improving the working from home experience during the COVID-19 pandemic”
Timeline: 3 months
Role: Product Designer, UI Designer, Product Marketing, Videographer/Editor & Marketing Researcher
Team: Olivia Morley/Emma Tafft/Julia Boylan/Gabriella Chubb
COT promises to deliver high-quality functional furniture that caters for busy people working from home. The COT table aims to deliver an ergonomic and practical solution for at-home working in small spaces. With the large increase in users wishing and needing to work from home, COT taps into a relatively new market where innovative technology is promising. The COT product is synonymous with the brand ‘COT’, allowing for both easy brand and product recognition.
VIDEO CONCEPT
INNOVATION CHARTER
Our Company & Mission:
“COT” is a start-up company competing in the Australian outdoor furniture industry that aims to reduce the barriers of working from home through innovative products and experiences. COT was established by a team of four female university students.
Background (Problem):
Since the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home became a must for the large majority of Australians. But for some, the transition was hard and working inside became a long and unwanted activity. The Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne discovered that “almost 70% of Australians who have been working from home post-COVID-19 would like to continue doing so” (Institue of Melbourne, 2021). These changes to the traditional workplace created an opportunity for our company, COT, to make a product that fits the criteria below: 1. People are working from home 2. People will most likely work from home beyond ‘lockdowns’ 3. Some people don’t like sitting in the same spot for a long period of time 4. Due to being indoors for long periods of time, an increasingly number of people have been trying to spend more time outdoors (in fresh air) 5. Computers/laptops/work devices may be difficult to move around as their setup is not optimal in every setting 6. There is a growing number of people what enjoy working outdoors, e.g. taking a device onto the balcony, backyard, a park etc. 7. People may currently find it difficult to work outdoors (e.g. sun glare etc) We are targeting problems millions of Australians are experiencing whilst working from home during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Workers are struggling to transition from a strict and confined office atmosphere to one of leisure and relaxation. Moreover, companies are hesitant to let their employees work from home due to distractions and lack of resources that the home office may not offer. Due to lack of motivation, uncertainty and knowledge of how to work from home efficiently (Kappel et. al, 2021), COT has been requested to develop a product that tackles these problems within Australian homes.
Focus:
The focus of our product is to motivate and encourage office workers to work efficiently from home. COT is focused on creating products for consumers aged between 18-50 whose workplaces are flexible and often conducted remotely. This wide age range was chosen based on research from Roy Morgan stating the two age groups most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic were 25-34 and 35-49 year-olds, of whom 36% and 38% are now working from home respectively (Morgan, 2020). The outdoor equipment and furniture markets already have products that offer at-home assistance with working, however, COT has designed an original idea to explore. The product chosen is made up of reusable and sustainable materials. From a business perspective, COT is meeting the needs of targeted market segments by addressing the pain points of those working from home during and post COVID-19. The market share within the industry is fairly spread between the players (Section 5.1 in the report) meaning there are reduced barriers to entry for COT and greater opportunities to gain market dominance.
Goals:
COT plans to launch its first product in the space of four months. As a start-up company versus an existing company, this longer time frame allows for adequate planning and development. According to Kelly (2020), the average time for startup businesses to move from initial idea to product launch and their first paying customers, is six months. COT determined a more prompt four-month goal based on the planning already conducted in this report and the standardised and scalable nature of the product. The four months will be used to perfect the functionality of the product and build supply chains and distribution methods. To evaluate the product’s success, COT aims for a 15% increase in sales within two months after launch, based on the conclusion made by Borysko (2020) that startups typically grow quickly in the early stages reaching annual sales growth of 144% in the first year. COT also aims to steal market share from stronger players in the furniture industry such as Amazon and eBay and establish a convenience-based brand positioning that is valued by its target audience.
Guidelines:
COT was requested by the University of Sydney to create a product that responds to the current challenges Australians working remotely are facing. Adhering to small business averages, COT must adhere to budget restrictions of $40,000 for its first full year of business to cover the costs of the entire launch process (Shopify, 2021). COT must also follow self-set regulations such as the four-month timeframe to ideate, design, market and launch into the marketplace. The expansiveness of the design team’s ideas will be controlled using methods such as an evaluation of ideas template to determine the best product in terms of feasibility and company vision. In addition, the guidelines for the product to respond to new trends in consumer work patterns mean that the product’s design, marketing strategy and cost need to be extensively researched and based on the demand and supply numbers of the target audience. Finally, this report must be produced in line with university guidelines such as Academic Honesty principles, source acknowledgement, Turnitin software and Student Discipline rules.
OPPORTUNITY TOURNAMENT
Multiple Idea Generation:
To respond to trends provided in the brief, an innovation tournament was conducted and briefly iterated upon. Two techniques were used to ensure all trends and aspects were considered. Brainstorming was the first ideation technique the group used in order to identify and rule out possible opportunities. Although a fundamentally basic concept, brainstorming in a group allows for a rapid generation of ideas in response to the given brief. Brainstorming was chosen as it allows the group to step away from biases, consider other perspectives and contribute without offering any upfront criticism (Atlassian, 2021).
Additionally, affinity mapping (Tomitsch, 2020) was chosen as an ideation technique, allowing the group to present and organise the data from our brainstorming session. Affinity diagramming allowed for a closer analysis of these ideas by categorising the data based on groups and themes. Findings from this process identified four key opportunity areas that seemed both feasible and appropriate; 1. Adapted desk 2. Adapted seating 3. Anti-glare 4. Laptop accessories Another significant finding from affinity mapping was consumers’ general desire for a “physical” product rather than an application or digital idea (Atlassian, 2021) . Although an application would allow for greater freedoms in terms of feasibility, the group generally voted against this area due to inappropriateness in this situation and the tendency for them to often be ‘gimmicky’
CONCEPT EVALUATION
“Clip-on Table” (COT) The Clip-on table is designed specifically for those consumers living in apartments that are not completely satisfied with their current outdoor work environment. To present an image, the COT clips to the balcony rail in apartments, allowing the user to work comfortably outdoors, and when not in use, the table can easily fold down. There are similar COT-type products in the outdoor furniture industry, however, our product differentiates itself through its positioning as an office asset, designed for ergonomic excellence, opposed to a recreational table that is aesthetic and used for social purposes. An added feature to the COT is the glare-reducing plastic that can be slid up and down with the table, allowing the target audience to fulfil their need to work outside regardless of sun exposure and rain and other conditions. Therefore, the COT is a customer-centric product designed to reduce problems faced by remote workers living in apartments that do not have the means currently to work comfortably outside.
VS
“Life-Proof Case for Laptop” (LPC) The LPC responds to the defined area of opportunity by focusing on working comfortably in high sun-exposure places. It is a laptop case that incorporates three main features, an anti-glare screen, a cooling pad and a keyboard cover, and is available in 3 sizes in different colours and patterns. Designed to reduce the effect of high temperatures on laptops and enhance screen vision when not in the shade, it in effect removes environmental limitations by allowing laptops to be taken safely to the beach or the park or any particular place. To solve the same issue of using laptops outside, consumers have resorted to placing a cardboard box over their laptops (see image below). This is arguably not the most aesthetic or practical long-term solution and thus if the LPC is marketed effectively, it could be an attractive alternative for consumers facing this problem.
