Samsung Galaxy Pros Redesign
Empowering users to repair their earbuds for increased longevity
UX Design
Mobile
Physical Product Design
My Role
UX Designer/Researcher
Visual Designer
Team
Alfie Aguilar Vidrio
UX/UI Designer/Researcher
Timeline
April - July 2022
(3.5 months)
Tools
Figma
Miro
Sarah Yang
UX Designer/Researcher
Dylan McKone
UX Designer/Researcher
Overview
This project was a part of an HCDE design course aimed at learning how to apply sustainability design throughout the design process of a product with both physical and software design elements.
With high overturn and obsolescence, the earbud industry largely contributes to depletion of natural resources and increases in toxic e-waste. Our project focused on determining design decisions throughout the product’s life cycle that would increase sustainability of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.
Sustainability Research
Our starting point was to research the current and potential environmental impacts of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro marketplace.
Life Cycle Map
We first created a life cycle map to develop an understanding of the current environmental impact of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pros from raw material extraction to end of life. I focused on the end of life stage. We then analyzed potential intervention points throughout the life cycle and identified the use stage, including maintenance and repair, as an opportunity to encourage sustainable behavior changes and positively impact the environment.
Impact Assessment
To determine the areas of maximum impact within the use stage, we put together an assessment approximating the impact of potential use interventions through maintenance and repair. I focused on existing research and data on wireless earbud disposal emissions and e-waste as the basis of our calculated environmental impacts. I also uncovered existing research on people's perceptions of device repairability.
We found that while Samsung performs highly in repairability for other device types, the company does not support repairability or recycling for its earbuds, including the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pros. This contributes to the vast amount of e-waste created across the wireless buds industry. However, repairing and/or recycling only 25% of buds would extend their average life span from 2-3 years to 5 years and would reduce e-waste by about 349 tons.
Based on our sustainability research, we created the following design question:
Design Question
How might we redesign the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pros and Galaxy Wearable app to empower and encourage users to repair and use their earbuds longer?
User Research
To work towards our design question, we conducted user research aimed at answering the following two research questions:
Research Questions
1.
What motivates users to choose repair over replacement?
2.
What do users do when their earbuds start to fail or have problems?
We posted a survey addressing these research questions in 13 Reddit communities, all related to earbuds (e.g., r/Earbuds, r/galaxybuds, r/airpods). After analyzing the 197 valid responses we received from 203 total respondents, we distilled the following research insights:
User Research Insights
1
Users most commonly buy new earbuds when their earbuds break down or to get the latest technology.
57.7% of respondents replace their earbuds when the earbuds break down. The most common reasons reported were battery and sound issues. This indicates that parts, such as the battery, should be prioritized in being made easily accessible for repair.42.4% of respondents replace their earbuds to get new technology, most commonly for a new model coming out, followed by a desire to switch to a new brand, and curiosity about a new product and its features.
2
Repairing earbuds is currently not a common practice and few users currently feel confident in their ability to repair their own devices.
77.9% of respondents have not repaired their earbuds before. Additionally, 85.8% of participants do not feel confident in their ability to repair their devices.
3
However, users would be more motivated to choose repair over replacement of their broken buds if (1) the cost of repair is reduced, (2) the repair process is made easier, more understandable, requiring less expertise, (3) access to tools and parts needed is easier, and (4) repairability is built into the design of earbuds from the very beginning.
“Easily accessible replacement parts and repair guides, as well as easy access to interior”
4
Users would find a variety of visual, auditory, and textual methods of learning how to repair their earbuds helpful.
Respondents reported that the following would increase their confidence in their ability to repair earbuds themselves:
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Step-by-step instructions on how to repair earbuds (73.1% of respondents)
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Videos from experts explaining the repair process (68%)
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A diagnostic quiz to discover earbud problems (31.5%)
Repairable Physical Design Analysis
To understand how Samsung Galaxy Buds could be designed to be more repairable, I conducted a landscape analysis of the design of past Samsung earbuds using IFIXIT resources where experts walk viewers through the teardown process of the device and explain how each device's repairability could be improved.
I also analyzed and compared the IFIXIT teardown process of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pros with the most repairable model, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.
Both analyses identified design opportunities such as:
-
Redesigning the mechanism for opening the buds to require less force and fewer tools, and reduce the amount of cosmetic damage
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Reevaluating the materials used to utilize clips over adhesive and use other methods of connecting batteries that are easier to reverse than soldering
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Reevaluating the component layout to make it easier to access and replace parts
These were all elements that we worked to incorporate at a conceptual level with our lo-fi physical prototype.
Physical Design Ideation
Based on our research, we brainstormed and ideated the key requirements to make the earbuds more repairable, including the mechanism for opening the earbuds for repair. We arrived at the concept where inserting a pin would open the locking mechanism to detach the two earbud halves, similar to the mechanism of opening a SIM card.
Final Concept (Pin Insert)
One of my explorations (Press down and twist top mechanism)
Information Architecture
Our proposed overarching information architecture for the Galaxy Wearable App is based on what survey participants indicated would motivate them and increase their confidence in repairing earbuds themselves.
Lo-Fi Prototype
We then ideated and created two lo-fi prototypes that could be used to test the concept with users: (1) a physical larger-than-life clay earbud prototype and (2) a mobile prototype. I worked primarily on making the internal parts of the physical prototype and the self-repair user flow within the mobile prototype.
User Testing
We conducted four user tests total, one each, with 18+ year old users (current or past) of wireless earbuds. Findings from user testing included:
1
Participants feel more comfortable and prepared for self-repairing their Buds when using the Galaxy Wearable App.
On average, users' ranking of their likelihood to self-repair their earbuds increased by 42.3% after using our Buds and Galaxy Wearable App prototypes compared to their pre-user test rankings.
2
Users are concerned that they will break or damage their Buds during the self-repair process, and appreciate having multiple alternative routes for repair.
Participants emphasized their concern with causing damage that would be greater with a real size bud: It “would be very difficult to do if it were smaller.” Another user reflected that they didn't “think anything could help to ease nerves around replacing the device when it’s delicate,” but “the thing that made [them] feel better was having the option to send it in.”
Final Product
After the class ended, I iterated on the prototype and created a hi-fi prototype based on the user tests.
Design Decisions
Below, I've broken down a series of screens to explain our design decisions.
Diagnostic Quiz
Searching for Problems
If a user's device is not working, they can take a diagnostic quiz to determine what is wrong with their device.
A diagnostic quiz was one feature some participants desired:
Reflection
From this project and course, I learned a lot about how I can apply sustainability by design and sustainability through design within UX.
If we had more time, I would propose:
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Sending the survey through other channels outside of Reddit in order to achieve a more representative sample of the population of earbud users
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Diving deeper into the earbud mechanical/product design to create a more realistic hi-fi prototype
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Doing another round of usability testing with the new hi-fi prototype, evaluating how well our redesign encourages sustainable behavior
Other Work
© 2020 by Emma Sadjo.