Opportunity - Opportunity: develop a line of products to help drivers keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel while listening to music players or making calls in the car.
Solution - Solution: products that keep drivers from fumbling with their devices while driving. A low-profile steering wheel mounted remote keeps hands on the wheel. A direct auxiliary port connection to the stereo system provides pure audio quality.
Auxiliary Car Kits - The right mix of features and design resonated with retail buyers and earned the product placement at key retailers (Apple in the US, and MediaMarkt/Saturn and Orange in the EU).
Auxiliary Car Kits - Refined finishes and accents and a clean low-profile remote complement car interiors while avoiding clutter.
Auxiliary Car Kits - LiquidAux for iPhone and iPod:
2008 MacWorld, iLounge.com Best of Show Award
2009 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Innovations Honoree
Auxiliary Car Kits - Evaluation of existing Bluetooth hands-free kits to identify opportunities to improve user interaction:
Many existing products provide little or no useful feedback during setup and operation. Multiple meanings are often assigned to a single indicator; mysterious LED flashes and cryptic audio tones result in greater confusion. Thus, poorly designed device interfaces, combined with each phone's individual quirks, lead to user frustration and the unfortunate need to reference user manuals.
Mapping and defining an improved user experience - Dedicated LEDs combine to tell the exact status of the phone/device connection at all times. Intuitive setup and usage result from consistent visual and audio feedback at each stage of operation.
Mockups - Extensive testing of mockups on various steering wheels led to an optimal, non-obtrusive profile and a robust attachment method
Auxiliary Car Kits - Extensive testing of mockups on various steering wheels led to an optimal, non-obtrusive profile and a robust attachment method
Auxiliary Car Kits - The family of auxiliary car kits includes LiquidAux Bluetooth, LiquidAux Deluxe, and LiquidAux for iPhone and iPod (pictured).
Demo units for the LiquidAux line - I worked the floor at MacWorld and demoed the family of products to booth visitors. This is also where I recruited research participants for a new project, Kensington Hands-free Bluetooth Car Kit.
Auxiliary Car Kits - project
LiquidAux auxiliary car kits
company
Kensington
team
product manager
project manager
*lead designer
engineering
mechanical design firm
contract manufacturer
market date
June 2008
retail price
$100 LiquidAux Bluetooth Car Kit
$80 LiquidAux for iPhone and iPod
$100 LiquidAux Deluxe for iPhone and iPod
Photography by Robert House
Demo unit fabrication by A&J Solutions
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