NöJe
Client: N/A Passion Project
Role: Design Strategist
Timeline: 5 months
Activities: User surveys, user interviews, design strategy, competitive analysis, design thinking workshops/exercises, research synthesis
The Challenge:
As part of an experience design and immersion project our team was tasked to imagine and create the future of the retail experience within the sex toy industry. Through our preliminary research we discovered that adults are seeking pleasure free from traditional sexual definitions and currently only find a segmented sex product experience where many still feel under represented.
As a result, we posed the question: How might we design an experience that transcends identity labels and equalizes access to pleasure?
Methodology + Process:
We conducted primary + secondary research about the retail space of sex shops and customer experience as it relates to tech, education, relationships, and gender identity. Some major trends related to the future of this industry include
Heterocentricity is fading, however the sex industry is not evolving at a similar pace.
Exclusionary feel of sex stores.
Sex is increasingly viewed for personal pleasure and self-care.
We prototyped concept iterations through storyboards, scale models, and VR. All of these designs aimed to evoke an experience of inclusion, comfortability, and education, using feedback and critiques to inform designs.
We then conducted a micro pilot to test the experience of several key assumptions around our core experience of custom toy design and branding in Delores Park, and noticed:
Customers preferred a vibrant color palette.
Nöje meaning pleasure was confirmed as a popular and approachable brand name.
Building a toy made the experience personal and approachable.
Playful descriptions of toys lowered barriers to start dialogue and education.
.
Outcome:
The team then designed and built a final pop-up at California College of the Arts. The concept was intended to be set in a college campus environment where the primary goal was to spread the message of empowerment and personal wellness as it relates to sexual pleasure. Community building rather than sales would be the main driver in this environment.
Through the 2 hour of experience, the team iterated the concept layout and script for the consultants based on live feedback, allowing us to test and iterate quickly. For the signature moment of the customer, we designed and prototyped several toy models that operated on a compatible electronic base. In our user feedback we gathered the following insights:
Handling the pleasure toy prototypes was the signature experience to customers, with simple choices, and unique shapes.
Branding with a colorful pallet, Swedish minimalism, and company name made the customer experience approachable.
Customers wanted a more defined extension of the experience, such as blogs or social media to the community to stay in touch with.
Focus on community aspect for self expression and personal health + wellness instead of sales experience.
Find a way for customers to design their pleasure toy product in a more customizable and modular manner.