Concept development for Damixa

The challenge

What do the users focus on in regards to faucet design?
Damixa is a Danish innovative manufacturing company, which has product-developed and produced faucets in their factory in Odense, Funen since 1932. In cooperation with Analyse Danmark, Damixa held a focus group in 2014 in which they pre-tested four design concepts in order to generate input for the further design-process. These inputs include but are not limited to:

• Spontaneous reactions to the concepts
• Experienced advantages and disadvantages
• Which design was the preferred design

Besides generating new inputs the purpose of the focus group was also to uncover opinions and buying behaviour regarding this product-group, including but not limited to:

• Retrieval of information
• On and opt-out criteria
• Discussion of different features – which are preferential?

Methodology

Focus groups with a physical faucet prototype – ”dummy testing”
Before the focus group the participants had taken pictures of their existing faucet(s), as well as the brands/types they considered if they were to change their faucet. These pictures were mailed electronically to Analyse Danmark. The discussion in the group thus stemmed from the faucets the participants had at home and their experiences – good as well as bad i.e. regarding children’s use of the faucets, maintenance (do they get chalky etc.) and so on. The four new design concepts from Damixa were presented as ‘dummies’ to give the participants a better understanding of e.g. size and shape, ‘touch and feel’ of the individual design-concepts.

Results

From dummy to launch
Two of the four concepts presented in the groups were later promoted to projects, and one of them was launched in September 2015.

From pre-test to launch:

The design was changed based on comments and feedback from the group, e.g. the nose was too long, but the flat design was beautiful and innovative. Damixa themselves also had suggestions for new features i.e. built-in water saving functions, which were included in the final line based on the participants’ reactions.

The concept ended in an environmentally-friendly product line called Pine, which contains two kitchen faucets, two bath fittings and the sink fitting that was presented to the focus group, which formed the basis of the design direction in the series.

Søren Braae has made sure to integrate the comments from the focus group in the newly-launched products. The other concept, which design-wise ranked high in the focus group and thus was also promoted to a project, is expected to launch in the second half of 2016. Read more about the Pine-series here (in Danish)