ModeMapping
Encyclopedia
ModeMapping is a proprietary research technique developed by Stuart Karten Design (SKD)
, a Los Angeles based industrial design
firm. It is a method of interpreting standard consumer research to uncover areas of unmet needs, leading to the creation of products that respond to a wider scope of user wants.
It can best be understood as a visualization tool that tracks the state of mind of various consumers over time. Designers can then look for patterns by using a colorcoding system of categorizing these states of mind, or “modes,” that describe activity (“work mode” or “play mode”). The color-coded patterns of consumer behavior allow designers to look for shared experiences and then use these observations to suggest innovative new solutions that will appeal to customers. This also creates a topography of sorts of consumer activities as well as how they are thinking and feeling during those activities.
SKD has used ModeMapping to drive groundbreaking product lines for companies including Johnson Controls
and Avery Dennison
. For example, for Johnson Controls, SKD found that the drivers they observed all made quick, frequent transitions from role to role (parent at school, friend meeting peers at a restaurant) throughout the day. Seeing this pattern led the designers to suggest products such as a modular storage system that can easily be loaded into a vehicle and a reminder system (using RFID tags) that would alert drivers when important items (say, kids' sports equipment before a game) wasn’t brought into the car.
ModeMapping has been recognized for excellence in research innovation on the international stage, winning a Silver International Design Excellence Award in 2006.
BusinessWeek
also featured ModeMapping as an “innovation tool worth trying now.”
Stuart Karten Design
Karten Design is a Los Angeles-based industrial design consultancy that assists companies in multiple stages of product development, from customer research and concept generation through product engineering and production...
, a Los Angeles based industrial design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
firm. It is a method of interpreting standard consumer research to uncover areas of unmet needs, leading to the creation of products that respond to a wider scope of user wants.
It can best be understood as a visualization tool that tracks the state of mind of various consumers over time. Designers can then look for patterns by using a colorcoding system of categorizing these states of mind, or “modes,” that describe activity (“work mode” or “play mode”). The color-coded patterns of consumer behavior allow designers to look for shared experiences and then use these observations to suggest innovative new solutions that will appeal to customers. This also creates a topography of sorts of consumer activities as well as how they are thinking and feeling during those activities.
SKD has used ModeMapping to drive groundbreaking product lines for companies including Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls, Inc. is a company, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It was founded in 1885 by professor Warren S. Johnson, inventor of the first electric room thermostat....
and Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison Corporation is a global manufacturer and distributor of pressure sensitive adhesive materials , office products, and various paper products....
. For example, for Johnson Controls, SKD found that the drivers they observed all made quick, frequent transitions from role to role (parent at school, friend meeting peers at a restaurant) throughout the day. Seeing this pattern led the designers to suggest products such as a modular storage system that can easily be loaded into a vehicle and a reminder system (using RFID tags) that would alert drivers when important items (say, kids' sports equipment before a game) wasn’t brought into the car.
ModeMapping has been recognized for excellence in research innovation on the international stage, winning a Silver International Design Excellence Award in 2006.
BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
also featured ModeMapping as an “innovation tool worth trying now.”