Motorola - Mods Expectations Study
Background
Motorola developed a modular phone platform (Moto Mods) in which secondary devices, like a battery, speaker, and projector could be physically attached to the phone and enhance the phone’s functionality.
Study Goals
Understand initial perceptions of the first Moto Mods to market and understand interaction expectations.
Moto Mods Tested
Style Only
Battery
Battery + Wireless Charging
Speaker (small and large)
Projector
HDR Camera
Research Methods
90-minute in-person, branded focus groups (Motorola was named)
Work Partners
UX research partner
UX designers
Industrial designers
Hardware engineers
Marketing partners
Product managers
My Role
Selected method
Worked with UX research teammate to identify recruiting methods
Drafted screener
Used internal database of current Motorola users to schedule participants
Worked with team to identify research questions
Worked with industrial designers and fabrication engineers to produce prototypes
Drafted discussion guide
Moderated focus group sessions
Synthesized and wrote findings report
Participants
Because of the novelty of these products, we recruited one participant and asked them to bring 2 friends or family members so the group would feel comfortable speaking frankly about this new concept.
4 participants, one in each group, currently owned Bluetooth speakers or a stand-along digital camera.
4 groups of 3 participants each = 12 total participants
Key Research Questions
What are the initial impressions of these designs?
In what situations might these Moto Mods be used?
What are concerns regarding these Moto Mod designs?
What, if anything, would participants change about these designs to make them more desirable?
How would participants expect to charge these Moto Mods?
Key Findings
It should just work
Attaching the mod should be seamless- users don’t want to have to set things up or go through a lot of steps to make this mod work. Attaching and using a mod should be easier than it is to connect to separate product.
My phone is still a phone….and it’s a phone first
Users want their phone to still look and act like a phone, even if a mod is on. They shouldn’t have to carry it differently or worry about it more because of a mod. This was especially true for Maxx (a thicker phone design)- users thought the battery life was good enough to not need a Battery Mod, and the other mods were not compelling enough to overcome thickness and size concerns.
All in one, not one too many
Having a mod already means users have to carry an extra piece. Mods should be an all in one experience and should not require the user to bring extra pieces to make them work optimally.
Don’t kill my battery
Users are very concerned that most experiences will rapidly drain the battery and make the phone useless. Users expect to be able to use the mod without an excessive battery cost.
Just tell me what I need to know
Users don’t want to be disrupted or given more information to have to monitor. Don’t give me pop ups, unnecessary notifications, or clutter my phone with things I don’t really need.
Impact
Continued physical design iterations focused on the phone + mod feeling like one, continuous device.
To allow Moto Mod usage to not impact the phone’s battery, designers implemented individual batteries in all Moto Mods.
Software / UX design prioritized the need to “just work”, making connecting and using a mod as seamless as possible.
Software / UX design kept new digital interactions to a minimum when a mod was attached,keeping in mind that their phone is still a phone first.
