immersion presentation (revising)
I've started to make some revisions of my immersion presentation based on feedback from Lucas and April (thank you to both). I don't have time have time to work on this anymore for the moment since I'm working on my research plan, but here's what I have so far .
Product Landscape Overview
Figure: Table summarizes the categories of small refrigerators. The region outlined in red indicates where college students are shopping. An X means no models are offered in this range.
Sizes
1) Snack size models are characterized by their near cubic outer dimensions.
2) Under-counter size models are characterized by their 33" height, designed to fit under kitchen counters.
3) Apartment size models are characterized by their height of over 33".
Note: These sizes can further characterized by common features (see next section)
Note: many different "subsizes" are available within a given size
Types
(type 1) all refrigerator
(type 2) refrigerator w/ chiller compartment.
Chiller compartments are advertised as "freezers", but they don't freeze water (but they come with ice-trays!) They do maintain a lower temperature which is, for example, good for quickly chilling a can of pop.
(type 3) refrigerator w/ freezer
Freezers are offered as compartments separate from the main body.
The vast majority of college students will choose something in the red box, i.e. a low-priced compact-size refrigerator. The high end models are too expensive and the apartment size are too large for the dorm room or for transporting.
The major purchasing decisions are:
1) Size ( snack-size or under-counter-size)
2) Type (fridge w/ freezer, fridge w/ chiller or all fridge)
The decision about type is often misinformed (i.e. buyers think chiller = freezer)
Price isn't as big of a decision because for a given size and type, the prices tend to be the same across brands (until the jump into the high-price models)
Features Overview
Figure: This diagram represents common features at a given size or price.
Trends:
(2) As you go down in size, you see fewer features. These features are oriented towards "snacks" (e.g. vertical beverage storage, chillers)
(i) snack-users - Those who only need to store "snacks" (not a lot of food)
(ii) meal-users - Those who need to store "meals" (lots of different types of foods) but can't afford or can't fit a large fridge
The relatively simple needs of snack-users are well-supported by the current market: cheap snack-size fridges are ideal if you only need to store some drinks and the occasional leftover Chinese food.
However, the demands of meal-users are not well-supported by the low-price compacts being offered. Meal-users buy the biggest fridge they can fit and afford. The most important features are type (freezer, chiller or all fridge) and size . The other features don't play a big part in purchasing (this is supported by talking with meal-users as well as the fact that stores such as Best Buy and Target only sell one model for a given size and type).
Opportunity: Organizing Features
Since meal-users would like full-size fridges, but have to settle for compacts, the features of the compact fridge should help them make the most out the limited space they have. At present, their is a lack of such features at the low-end compact range (in fact, a lack of features in general).
Opportunity : "mini-kitchen"
The needs and desires of meal-users users also suggest a mini-fridge supporting a mini-kitchen. That is, a fridge which supports preparing and organizing meals rather than just preserving and organizing the contents of the fridge.
Figure: A "mini-kitchen" in a college dorm. Components include a mini-fridge, pantry, microwave, sandwich maker, toaster, and blender.
Many college students haven't the need, the time or the tools to cook all their meals. Yet, there is a niche of meal-users who prepare many meals themselves and would do so more often if they had more resources. This group can benefit from a mini-kitchen which helps them make the most out of limited resources. Moreover, the snack-user/meal-user classification is a spectrum and many college students are somewhere in the middle of it, finding themselves wanting a full-size fridge but having to settle for a compact. New organizational features can be beneficial to a wide range of users, not just the extreme class of meal-users.
Appendix: Hypotheses relating to users and the market (modeled after the hypotheses example sheet John and Lucas gave us)
+ Small fridges are for generic use; most are intended to serve a large variety of users
+ Students buy the cheapest fridge (for a given capacity and type)
Control and appearance
Internal Organization
Mini Kitchen The mini-fridge should support a mini-kitchen
Product Landscape Overview
A student is shopping for a small fridge for their college dorm.
They are concerned with:
+ Is the inside big enough? (Will it fit all my food?)
+ Is the outside small enough? (Will it fit in my room? In my car?)
+ Is it the right type? (i.e. fridge w/ freezer, fridge w/ chiller or all fridge)
+ Is the price right? (This isn't a long-term investment, I don't wanna shell out a ton of money.)
They are not concerned with:
+ Will it maximize freshness of my food?
+ Will it fit with the décor of room?
+ Is it a quality name brand?
Figure: Table summarizes the categories of small refrigerators. The region outlined in red indicates where college students are shopping. An X means no models are offered in this range.
Sizes
1) Snack size models are characterized by their near cubic outer dimensions.
2) Under-counter size models are characterized by their 33" height, designed to fit under kitchen counters.
3) Apartment size models are characterized by their height of over 33".
Note: These sizes can further characterized by common features (see next section)
Note: many different "subsizes" are available within a given size
Types
(type 1) all refrigerator
(type 2) refrigerator w/ chiller compartment.
Chiller compartments are advertised as "freezers", but they don't freeze water (but they come with ice-trays!) They do maintain a lower temperature which is, for example, good for quickly chilling a can of pop.
(type 3) refrigerator w/ freezer
Freezers are offered as compartments separate from the main body.
The vast majority of college students will choose something in the red box, i.e. a low-priced compact-size refrigerator. The high end models are too expensive and the apartment size are too large for the dorm room or for transporting.
The major purchasing decisions are:
1) Size ( snack-size or under-counter-size)
2) Type (fridge w/ freezer, fridge w/ chiller or all fridge)
The decision about type is often misinformed (i.e. buyers think chiller = freezer)
Price isn't as big of a decision because for a given size and type, the prices tend to be the same across brands (until the jump into the high-price models)
Features Overview
Figure: This diagram represents common features at a given size or price.
Trends:
1)
(1) As you go up in size, you get more features. These features are oriented towards “meals” (e.g. vegetable crispers, dairy compartments, deli drawers)
(1) As you go up in size, you get more features. These features are oriented towards “meals” (e.g. vegetable crispers, dairy compartments, deli drawers)
(2) As you go down in size, you see fewer features. These features are oriented towards "snacks" (e.g. vertical beverage storage, chillers)
2)(3) Features are usually inherited from the sizes below it; few features are unique to the compact size
(4) There are few differentiating features among the low-price compact-size models.
Organization is especially important for compact users who need to keep lots of food in a small space. However, there aren’t novel features for the compact fridge that help with organization and maximizing efficient use of internal space.
Organization is especially important for compact users who need to keep lots of food in a small space. However, there aren’t novel features for the compact fridge that help with organization and maximizing efficient use of internal space.
Opportunity: A set of differentiating features that aid in organizing lots of food in a small space.
A closer look at features
coming soon! (maybe)
Brands and Offerings
Figure: Each of the enclosed regions represent the offerings of a group of small refrigerator manufacturers. There are in total 8 groups of offerings (4 sizes and 2 price ranges) . Example: Summit offers snack, under-counter and apartment sized models (but not full-size) both at the low and high price range.
I've started to rattle off a list of 'insights' from thinking about this diagram, as Lucas suggested. I haven't gotten around to sorting it all out yet...
+ Summit offers the most comprehensive line of small refrigerators
+ Most of the competition is among lesser known brands who specialize in low-priced small-size refrigerators
+ The low-price small-size refrigerator market is dominated by models that satisfy many different user groups (e.g. dorm, office, rec room, etc.)
+ No one is making high-end apartment refrigerators
+ Few manufacturers make small AND full-size models
+ Rental companies use MicroFridge, which specializes in compact 3-in 1 fridge/freezer/microwave appliances
+ There isn't a well-defined mid-price-range. Summit is the exception, offering models at many different price ranges. Microfridge also might be in the mid-price range.
Users
There are two extreme types of users:
A closer look at features
coming soon! (maybe)
Brands and Offerings
Figure: Each of the enclosed regions represent the offerings of a group of small refrigerator manufacturers. There are in total 8 groups of offerings (4 sizes and 2 price ranges) . Example: Summit offers snack, under-counter and apartment sized models (but not full-size) both at the low and high price range.
I've started to rattle off a list of 'insights' from thinking about this diagram, as Lucas suggested. I haven't gotten around to sorting it all out yet...
+ Summit offers the most comprehensive line of small refrigerators
+ Most of the competition is among lesser known brands who specialize in low-priced small-size refrigerators
+ The low-price small-size refrigerator market is dominated by models that satisfy many different user groups (e.g. dorm, office, rec room, etc.)
+ No one is making high-end apartment refrigerators
+ Few manufacturers make small AND full-size models
+ Rental companies use MicroFridge, which specializes in compact 3-in 1 fridge/freezer/microwave appliances
+ There isn't a well-defined mid-price-range. Summit is the exception, offering models at many different price ranges. Microfridge also might be in the mid-price range.
Users
There are two extreme types of users:
(i) snack-users - Those who only need to store "snacks" (not a lot of food)
(ii) meal-users - Those who need to store "meals" (lots of different types of foods) but can't afford or can't fit a large fridge
The relatively simple needs of snack-users are well-supported by the current market: cheap snack-size fridges are ideal if you only need to store some drinks and the occasional leftover Chinese food.
However, the demands of meal-users are not well-supported by the low-price compacts being offered. Meal-users buy the biggest fridge they can fit and afford. The most important features are type (freezer, chiller or all fridge) and size . The other features don't play a big part in purchasing (this is supported by talking with meal-users as well as the fact that stores such as Best Buy and Target only sell one model for a given size and type).
Opportunity: Organizing Features
Since meal-users would like full-size fridges, but have to settle for compacts, the features of the compact fridge should help them make the most out the limited space they have. At present, their is a lack of such features at the low-end compact range (in fact, a lack of features in general).
Opportunity : "mini-kitchen"
The needs and desires of meal-users users also suggest a mini-fridge supporting a mini-kitchen. That is, a fridge which supports preparing and organizing meals rather than just preserving and organizing the contents of the fridge.
Figure: A "mini-kitchen" in a college dorm. Components include a mini-fridge, pantry, microwave, sandwich maker, toaster, and blender.
Many college students haven't the need, the time or the tools to cook all their meals. Yet, there is a niche of meal-users who prepare many meals themselves and would do so more often if they had more resources. This group can benefit from a mini-kitchen which helps them make the most out of limited resources. Moreover, the snack-user/meal-user classification is a spectrum and many college students are somewhere in the middle of it, finding themselves wanting a full-size fridge but having to settle for a compact. New organizational features can be beneficial to a wide range of users, not just the extreme class of meal-users.
Appendix: Hypotheses relating to users and the market (modeled after the hypotheses example sheet John and Lucas gave us)
Market
Lack of innovation and specialty amongst small fridges
+ Small fridges are for generic use; most are intended to serve a large variety of users
Corollary: there are no small fridges specifically designed for college students
+ Small and full-size fridges differ mainly in size and number of compartments
+ Few features are designed specifically for small fridges (Canstor, chiller and top recessed door handles are the exceptions)
+ The biggest purchase drivers are capacity (associated with size and portability), type, price and availability
Performance
People are confused, deceived or apathetic with respect to performance and reliability differences
+ Students buy the cheapest fridge (for a given capacity and type)
+ Brand name reliability isn't important; it only needs to last a couple years
+ Buyers think chillers = freezers
+ Energy efficiency isn't important to students; they don't pay utilities
Control and appearance
Advanced controls and fancy finishes are features that college students can do without
+ There are few cosmetic features, especially at the lower price range
+ Students are worried about fitting all their food in the fridge, not maximizing freshness
+ Students are worried about fitting all their food in the fridge, not maximizing freshness
Internal Organization
Small fridge users need/want more efficient, flexible and convenient organizational systems
+ Fridge contents change with time; consequently, so do optimal interior configurations
+ Reorganizing contents is a frequent chore
+ People don't reconfigure adjustable shelves (you have to remove all the items first)
+ Crispers are used for long-lifetime, infrequent-use items, rather than the short-lifetime items they were intended for
+ Single serving and other small items are common to fridges
+ People have lots of wasted vertical space in their fridge
+ Food is buried and forgotten about in deep spaces
+ Canstor is good for pop, but not for much else
+ People underestimate the fridge size they need/want
+ People try to put more in their fridge than it can comfortably hold
+ People plan meals and shopping lists according to what will fit in the fridge
Mini Kitchen
+ Students would cook more if they had more kitchen resources
+ Fridges don't help with meal planning and preparation
+ College students eat and prepare a lot of unhealthy meals
Aesthetical, Social, and Reflective Experience
Small fridges can be more than functional products
+ Fridges are utilitarian; they are not cool; they are not personal
Small fridges can be more than functional products
+ Fridges are utilitarian; they are not cool; they are not personal
+ Fridges offer a poor aesthetical experience (aesthetics are not limited to super
+ Food is an integral part of people's live: it is necessary, pleasurable and enjoyable, it brings people together
+ Students learn to plan and prepare food for themselves when away at college
posted by jamesjpierce at 1:24 AM
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