Strapless Strap-ons Case Study
Sex toys are smart wearables, and I've often highlighted my soft spot for these innovative products.
I'll demonstrate how product research based on product psychology can be used to enhance these products and how the research findings can be effectively communicated to management, ensuring our results have a meaningful impact.
I'll guide you step by step through the steps of building empathy, detecting a problem, and crafting solutions.
1. Empathy (Understanding the Hope)
First, we want to know what a happy ending experience with our product looks like.
I asked five female users to write me little stories packed with emotions, thoughts, and details. To give you an impression of the best-case user experience, I’ve prepared this little comic.
To get you an impression of the user experience, here is a little insight of a story how it might be used.
2. The Problem
Often, users don't achieve the experience depicted in the 6P story. Usually, the product starts failing from step 3 onward.
Medicine that is not tested on women, bras designed by men without seeking feedback, software created solely based on the CEO's opinion without stakeholder input, products released to the market bypassing the testing phase, and our strapless strap-ons all have one thing in common: they neglect the essential input and needs of their intended users, resulting in suboptimal and potentially harmful outcomes.
But what's actually the problem with most strapless strap-ons?
Why do they either not sell at all or get used just once before being forgotten? When the desired user behavior isn’t happening, it’s likely because we find the product below the Activation Threshold.
Looking back at our comic, we already know we don't have a problem with the users' motivation or the product's presence at the right moment. However, when asking users about their pains and barriers, feedback clearly indicated an ability problem.
A physical fit problem prevents users from experiencing joy with the product.
Multiple female users reported issues with the typically one-sized products:
The connecting piece tears easily.
The product constantly needs to be readjusted because it's too loose, distracting the users.
It keeps slipping out and needs to be pushed back in constantly.
It shifts around, ruining the mood due to a poor fit.
The material is too hard, and the surface too rough, causing discomfort.
As designed, it’s not usable.
Positioning the product requires a lot of effort.
It doesn’t stay in place for her.
Users needed to supplement it with a harness (which defeats the purpose).
The product requires users to fit anatomically precisely, and given the diversity of vaginas in terms of length, width, and volume, a static design – which all current models have – is far from ideal.
To further illustrate this point through visualization, a statically shaped product can never satisfy a larger user group, as most users, due to the unfavorable fit in terms of ability, make such significant compromises that the product is not further used, repurchased, or even recommended.
3. Crafting Solutions
It's time to change the world by making the complicated simple. Isn't that what we, as designers, are doing?
So here comes a little brainstorming...
Different Attachments
Idea: The part intended for insertion (bulb) comes in various shapes or sizes, either as a set with each purchase or available as a separate product that can be bought in addition to the main product. For the initial purchase, the customer receives the dildo and selects their desired size.
(+) With a broader selection of sizes, there's a higher chance of finding a suitable fit.
(-) Requiring purchase in a set isn’t sustainable, as most parts may go unused.
(-) While offering individual sizes is an option, users may still purchase multiple due to the unfamiliarity of standard vaginal sizes.
Expanding Product:
Idea: The insertable end behaves like a balloon or sponge. It narrows upon insertion and expands within the body.
(+) This approach maintains sustainability better than previous methods, as a narrow insert is introduced and expands balloon-like, ensuring an optimal fit.
(-) However, the stability of the overall structure of the strapless strap-on may be compromised.
Menstrual Cup-shaped Plug with Dildo:
Idea: The bulb is funnel-shaped. It is folded upon insertion, expands within the vagina, and creates a vacuum.
(+) Menstrual cups already have a certain range and fit regarding shape and size, allowing users to assess better if the product fits them.
(-) The created vacuum prevents the product from unintentionally slipping out.
(-) However, the vacuum could potentially cause discomfort or damage when combined with the mechanical action of using the strap-on.
Perhaps a combination of these solution approaches could lead to a resolution?
Extra Tip: Hire Me (Recommended)
Are you involved in researching and developing wellness and pleasure products to make the world a little happier? Hire me, and I'll help you conduct sensitive research, identify problems, and find solutions for your target audience. I'm looking forward to our collaboration.
Cheers, your smart future coworker,
Franzi 🥂
