User Needs Analysis — Contextual Interviews
Who: 6 teens at various locations
Where: The Waterfront Shopping Mall
Summary of Findings
Modest habits, fashionable ambition
We did not find any girls that were dressed "extravagantly" or "outlandish." But they all expressed a desire for more clothes. Interestingly, the store most often identified for a shopping spree was Marshalls.
Very very social
We didn't see any solo girls. Though shopping is a fairly social activity, so our location probably biased these results, girls were always together.
CD is king
All the girls said they mostly used CDs to listen to music. They all reported having home stereos with CD players. 5 of 6 had portable CD players. Interestingly, all 5 had the same Sony model, in different colors. They listened to the radio on weekends, and on long car rides to school events.
Color and Personalization
The girls used colors to differentiate what otherwise were identical CD players. About half of the girls also indicate that they added things like stickers, or used a sharpie to draw directly onto the player.
Aware of the mp3
All of the girls understood the term "mp3" and "mp3 player," but only one girl actually owned an mp3 player. Interestingly, even without owning a player, all the girls shared the opinion that the Apple iPod was the "holy grail," of the portable music player universe. Most mp3 players were out of their price range.
Comfortable with copying
They occasionally bought CDs, but often got copies of CDs from their classmates and friends, made using home desktop computers.
Top-down distribution
Many of the girls got interested in their music from the radio, or from several "tastemaker" girls. There were also a few independent-minded girls who liked their own music only.
Retail Outlets:
Best Buy, Claire's, The Limited
Trendy Items Research
- Bright colors -- sky blue, orange, yellow
- Zodiac
- 80's
- Charm bracelets, customized for personal interests
- Initials
|
