Group Design Project – B202

Product feasibility study

lolpad ltd.

A brief explanation of our product and what it does

The lolpad is a humerous novelty present in the form of a concept keyboard for use with MSN messenger, Yahoo, Facebook and other online chat services.
The keyboard is designed with keys for those situations where you might use slang or colloquiums. Such as a "lol" or "rofl".

Design Requirements

• Got to be cheap/affordable as a joke present (discuessed further later on)
• Works on all operating system platforms
• Works on all chat system platforms (facebook, msn, yahoo messenger, mIRC, etc)
• USB keyboard
• Simple Layout
• Manageable size

Design Requirements Explained in Brief:
As our product is namely a humorous “joke” present it needs to be affordable and therefore cheap to produce. As we are targeting this product at children and young adults between the age of 11 – 20 it needs to be simple to install and operate without much technical background knowledge. The most simple approach to this is to use USB. However we will discuss later in the report which is the best/most cost effective way of installing drivers. To narrow down costs the keyboard needs to be as basic as possible but at the same time without sacrificing quality. Designing the lolpad based on a conversional keyboard means that 99% of users would have used a computer before so will know how to operate one.

As well as being functional and easy to use, the lolpad must have aesthetically pleasing features. Our aim is to make this product a fun and enjoyable item to have around a desk therefore it must look accordingly.

We have discussed what kind of age group this product will be aimed at- kids and 11-20 year olds. These age groups will be people that care about how a product looks, it will catch there eye in a shop and will generally improve their experience using it. Therefore, designing this product to fit inline with some of the fashion trends around will advance the lolpads saleability.

Another factor that must be considered is how the pad will fit in a desk environment. Some desks have limited space, due to clutter from other hardware devices or just clutter. Our aim is to make a small concise product that could easily sit next to a computer, not taking up too much room.

Use Case Scenario's

The sales pitch for our product is to sell the lolpad as a “cheap/affordable” present for a friend or relative. Concentrating on the humorous aspect of design and implementation to give the best “LOL”. (Designer Humour)

Application of the lolpad:
[What situations would you use the LOLPad for]

Facebook

- You and your mates are having a laugh on the PC, and you login to your Facebook, somebody has typed on there status "I got a monkey drunk today", at that moment, your friend looks at you with a look of approval as you hit the "LOL" button. [With mates]

MSN

- Your having a chat conversation with one of your course mates, you tell him that there's an exam tomorrow, he reply's frantically panicking because he hasn't revised, at that moment you know its time for the "MEGA" - " LOL" combo. [By yourself]

The benefit of using the lolpad over a conversional keyboard is speed, as its quicker to press one button with a word on it than typing the whole word. Also you get the added giggle as well! (LOL!)
As designers we focus more on the latter as this is the bigger selling point. We can focus on this a bit more by perhaps designing regional lolpads which has slang relevant to the area/culture.
For example, scotish, irish, northern pads.

E.G Scotish-Pad

MSN

- Your Scotish mate tells you that hes eaten some haggis after a good night out on the juice, you realise that's a bad idea, so you press the "och-Nooo" button in an attempt to humour him in some of his own lingo. (meaning 'Oh no').

Design Analysis

This is where the initial idea for the 'lolpad' comes from:

Reservoir Dogs: In Your Pocket - £5.99

http://tinyurl.com/cykxqr

This is because it is a simple, but effective idea. They are cheap amusing and are ideal gifts for friends and family. It is a simple light speaker effectivly with a few buttons for the outputs of the speaker. In this design they use cheap/expendable chips that can be programmed once and forgotten about; which would be similar to what we shall use, but not the same bcause we may need the extra memory space. The main difference between this product and ours is the fact that this one has a built in speaker to play what ever is desiered. Whereas ours will push the information down through a USB or wireless conection (such as WiFi or Bluetooth) to be used whenever and wherever you desire. This means we can have a more slimline design and larger facia, for the larger buttons.


Here are some ideas which are almost exactly the same yet are just numbers rather than our hilarious euphemisms:

Advent - £13.99

http://tinyurl.com/c8yur8

Our design is a combination of these products, We want a similar keypad however instead of having the numbers we have phrases to amuse the user and reciever of the message. Also if the number pad costs £13.99, this is an ideal price for a gift as the software and hardware we would need to implement the design would be similar to the price of the number pad. This is an ideal price as it means the pad is not so expensive that it would put people off purchasing it. Also the size makes it desirable because it is portable. This is a desirable feature because then it can be used almost anywhere. This also makes the product more desirable because its not large like a standard keyboard so it could be carried around to amuse friends and family almost anywhere. The main difference between the expensive Wifi numpad, and the cheaper cable numbad is actually the design, the £35 look Alot nicer, aimed at the person who is willing to spend £35 on a numpad. Its design also mimics that of a mobile phones, with its beveled edges, this may be because a WiFi numpad would be used by a person who needs it when traveling with their laptop

Logitech - £34.24

http://tinyurl.com/dbf8cr


This Logitech G15 keyboard is a proper keyboard where as we will be going for the small keyboard, about 20 keys, but this keyboard has the 'G' keys which are a similar idea to what we are planning, although they are fully programmable and interchangeable where as ours will be fixed:
http://tinyurl.com/4p28b3

This is also an option for our design. It is wireless and has programmable keys which makes it desirable. However the costs that occur through the technology would make our design impractical. This is because people won't want to pay exubarent amounts of money on a product that will be used for a joke. Making our design wireless and programmable is an option however it isn't really a feasible. The size of this keyboard is also an issue as it can't be carried from place to place easily. The size and price make the design un-feasible because people won't want to buy a large expensive product as a small gift for a friend or family member.


These ideas can all give a footing to developing our idea; as they all have similar ideas to our product. The number pads from the Currys website provide the closest overview on look and functionality, but are maybe a little to pricey and plain. Whereas the 'In your pockets' from Play have the 'LOL' idea but lack the compatibility with the computer which we are aiming for.
Even though there are similar products, there is nothing the same as our design idea, this makes the idea very feasible there is nothing for it to compete with.

With this solid foundation it makes the design very feasible as there is no real competion in the market and with the design concepts, it will be cheap enough to be an ideal gift. Also it is an innovative yet fun idea.

Concept Diagrams

Some rough sketches for logo designs.








Rough sketches for board shape and layout.

Key Cost Drivers

In this section we will be looking at 4 key elements that will determine how much the product will cost to produce and how much we should sell it for. Those 4 elements are as follows:

1. Cost of similar products already on the market.
2. The views of potential customers.
3. The materials used to make the product.
4. Production costs.

Similar Products

It is important to know the other products in the same market as the one you are planning to build. In this section, costs of similar products will be analysed to gain an idea of the price range in which we can sell our creation.

The idea of the product is revolutionary and so creates a problem in that there are no products similar to its design. What we can do is research prices of technology based novelties in retailers that sell gadgets and novelties. ‘The Gadget Shop’ for example, sells modern USB based novelty items.


Stores selling these products generally have a section dedicated to USB products and browsing these gives an idea that a product like ours would look at home selling at around ten pounds. This sum would make the product accessible to consumers buying for a less serious present whilst allowing for a trendy look maybe involving some expensive raw materials.

Potential Customer Views: A Survey

We decided that a good way to come up with a selling price, (and therefore a manufacturing price), would be to ask our target group how much they would be willing to pay for the product.
We carried out a survey on 50 students at the University of Portsmouth, studying a wide range of subjects and from a wide range of backgrounds.
After a quick explanation of what the ‘LOLPad’ would do we simply asked;
‘How much would you be willing to pay for this product as either a useful tool, a novelty item or even a "joke" present?’

The results of the survey can be clearly seen in the graph below:



Our initial ideas indicated that the product should be sold for around £5. Our survey confirms this!
We can see that the vast majority of people questioned would be willing to pay between £2 and £8, a small majority of those wanting the product for between £2 and £5. This is strong indication that the product should have a recommended retail price of £5. Any more and those 23 people, or 46%, may no longer be interested in purchasing the product.
The loss of the 16% of people who would only be willing to pay less than £2 is acceptable as any losses from their purchases would be easily made up for by the higher selling price.

The disadvantage of this survey is that only 50 people were asked, all of whom were students. For a more accurate result a wider range of people should be asked, perhaps even extending to possible customers outside of our target group.
It may also be a good idea to speak to retail outlets that sell similar products.

Materials

The selection of the material takes into account the following factors that concern us:

1. Ability to withstand adverse service conditions - E.g. being dropped, having tea poured on it etc.
2. Economic factors - Keeping within the desired cost.
3. The methods the product is produced - The ability for a material to be injection moulded.

Considering these factors gives us a list of specifications that the build material will have to comply with, in order for us to provide the most successful product possible.

Firstly, the shell and keys will be made from a polymer (plastic) as they are cheap, easy to mould and shape, do not absorb liquid and can resist wear and tear. These qualities should be present in the finished product to provide the longest service life. Polymers come in many types each with different attributes so it is important to select the correct one.

For example;

Polystyrene – This plastic is dense, tough and rigid. Does not absorb water and resistant to bending and crushing. This plastic has been used for toys, boxes, refrigerator trays and many other types of household hollowware due to its ability to be injected easily into a mould with a glossy finish.
However, this material is relatively expensive and quite brittle so can shatter when exposed to a sudden impact similar to being dropped. These negative attributes mean it is less suited for our product.

Polythene – One of the most widely used plastics due to its ability to stay tough and flexible over a wide temperature range, does not absorb liquid and resistant to sudden impacts. This plastic is cheap and can be moulded easily and so can be used on virtually any design we choose for the product.


The attributes of Polythene make it almost perfect for our product as it has good impact resistance, easy to shape and will not be affected by an exposure to liquid, whilst still remaining cheap and easy to acquire.


Production Costs
The production costs play a major role in determining the final price of the product. Obviously we want to make a profit! If the production costs are high then the products selling price will be high. We can see from the survey that this would mean few products being sold. This would result in a net loss.

Business Costs
The production of a product has a very wide range of costings. It’s not just the production method that needs to be taken into account but other costs such as labour, admin, expenses etc… The costs can be split into 3 main sections.


Depending on the demand for the ‘LOLPad’, it may not be worth setting up a factory. The initial costs would be very high. If only a few thousand products will be made it would be cheaper to contract the production out to a manufacturing company. This would greatly reduce overhead costs, however the direct and indirect costs listed above would still need to be paid.

Process Costs
It is already clear that the product should be made from plastic. However, there are many different ways in which a plastic product can be manufactured. Whether contracting the production out or producing it ourselves, the manufacturing process will play a major role in the total production costs.
Some of the more important thermoplastic forming techniques are listed below:


Screw extrusion is normally used to produce products such as wire insulation and is not worth pursuing. I also think that injection moulding would be an over complicated and expensive technique for the cost and shape of the product we are trying to produce.
I therefore think vacuum moulding is the best idea. The calendaring process would be unnecessary as plastic is readily available in sheets.
Vacuum moulding does not give the most accurate results but for the uncomplicated shape we are producing it is ideal. It is also relatively cheap to set up (one machine) if we decided to produce the product ourselves.