Design Goals and Target Audience

My target audience is women ages 16-25 who wish to style their hair quickly with a versatile tool that has swappable parts. It typically takes these girls 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete their hairstyles. Wavia is a beach wave product with switchable plates for different wave patterns. It makes styling simple and effortless, and is lightweight with quick-heating technology. With the Wavia 2-in-1 tool, you can create new hairstyles quickly and with ease and minimal hassle. Switching out the plates is simple to make the product as efficient as possible. This hair tool benefits customers by providing them with a versatile waver that is easy to hold and fast to heat, resulting in quick styling. 

User Research

Key Insights

  • Temperature settings: typically uses 350 degrees Fahrenheit for heat settings because her hair is thick

  • Key features for good tools: cost-effective, user-friendly, lightweight, effortless, quick styling, swivel cord

  • Favorite tool to use: straightening iron from Kipoza

  • Usage: she uses a straightening iron or a curling iron for special occasions, and she blow-dries her hair most days

  • Time spent styling: 20 mins to straighten, 30+ mins to curl, 15-20 minutes to blow dry

  • Typically is in a rush when she uses styling tools, desires something fast that can be taken on the go

Current Hair Tools Owned

  • Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron: uses a ceramic plate with 30 different heat settings. The cord can swivel making it easier to perform curling motion. Starting at the bottom, clamp the ends of the hair and curl the iron upto the top of the hair. Hold for 5-8 seconds then release the clamp and pull the iron out.

  • Kipozi KP-V5 Flat Iron Hair Straightener: set the desired heat using buttons, clamp the iron close to the root of the hair, and slide the iron down slowly until it has gone over the full length of the hair. Go back over if pieces are still wavy.

User Bio

Mary is a 20-year-old college student who is majoring in Early Childhood Education. She does not have much time to style her hair before classes, and she values a tool that is quick and effortless.

Task Analysis

Mental

Physical

Pain Points

Set tool to Desired Heat

Evaluate hair type and thickness to determine heat setting

Use top button to turn up temperature and bottom button to lower temperature

Some tools have heat settings above the maximum safe temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, can take a long time to heat

Brush out hair

Choose a hairbrush based on hair type, remember not to brush forcefully

Start from roots and brush downwards towards ends until hair is detangled

Spray Heat Protectant

Evaluate best heat protectant spray for hair type, spray enough for full coverage

Spray heat protectant on each layer of hair from top to bottom

Section Hair

Decide how many sections to work in depending on amount of hair

Use top button to turn up temperature and bottom button to lower temperature

Crimp Hair

Choose how long to leave tool on hair based on hair thickness

Crimp sections of hair from top to bottom, start tool at bottom of previous wave, work from front to back

Tool can be awkward to hold, it is confusing to know how far down to start the next wave

State-of-the-Art Analysis

Product Teardown

Took a waver apart to analyze internals. Learned how to put each part back together and discovered the function each element serves.

Aesthetics Inspiration

Exploratory Sketches

Concept 1

Concept 2

Concept 3

Concept Sketches

Sketch Renders

Renders made in Procreate. Called out key features of all 3 concepts and began to experiment with color palettes.

3D Model Ideation

Modeled in Fusion 360. Experimented with outer casing concepts and plate depths.

Final 3D Model

Modeled in Fusion 360. Designed and modeled the font and top plate design. Interchangeable plates are S-shaped and M-shaped for versatile styling.

Exploded View

Physical Models

3D printed models using PLA. Experimented with scale and ergonomics.

Final Sketch Render

Drawn and rendered on Procreate. Kept original concept color palette.

Final Renders

Applied final materials and colors and rendered using Keyshot. Edited in Photoshop.

Interface Design

Utilized Illustrator and Photoshop to design a graphic for the screen.