User Research
Surveys:
Total number of respondents: 109
- 44 who have a car phone mount
- 65 who don’t have a car phone mount
This survey was made with Google Forms and was pushed out to family and friends, and posted on Facebook.
The survey planning was initially focussed on what to ask people who have car phone mounts. However, after doing this I realized I missed a significant group and that the survey should definitely not end after people select “No” to whether or not they have a car phone mount. I ended up making two main tracks for the survey: one for people who have a car phone mount and one for people who don’t. In hindsight I think there could definitely be more questions to ask to learn from the people who don’t have one and their views relating to not having one, but I think my survey questions were definitely a good start to get insight as to what they feel about car phone mounts. Additionally, as will be mentioned later, it was expected that more of the respondents would have had a car phone mount.
Visually, I stuck with the same bright green and white color scheme I encountered when doing market research at Best Buy.
When choosing demographic questions I thought age and gender were the most relevant. It worked out well that all of the ages were represented and there wasn’t one group with a much larger percentage than the others. The same could not be said for gender, of which twice as many women as men filled out the survey.
Following demographic questions it was determined whether the person had a car phone mount. If respondents did have a car phone mount, they were then asked the year of their car, and how important their phone is in their daily life. These allowed me to see what is common for car years that people use this product with, while also seeing, separate from the topic of a phone mount, the importance they give to their phone on its own. Next were questions relative to the mount itself; why they got a phone mount, if they would still want one with a more technological car, how often they use their mount, and other questions that can be seen in the survey screenshots.
By far, my first impression as the survey results began to come in was that way less people (of those who responded to my survey) had car phone mounts than I expected. When starting this survey I expected there to be at least a 50–50 split between people who do and don’t have car phone mounts, or even that more people had them than didn’t, however the survey showed differently.
Unrelated to the mount itself, if they had a car phone mount, they were asked how important their phone was in their daily life. For this question an even number of options was given with 1 being “Very unimportant” and 6 being “Very important”. Matching what may be expected of the times, all of the 44 responses were 4 or higher, so there were no responses that were on the “unimportant” side of the scale.
Unfortunately, there was one question that I realized that, after I already had 60 submissions, there was a problem in how it was written. On the question asking what the year of people’s primary car they use there car phone mount in there was an overlap in options for years, e.g. a 2010–2015 option and an option for 2015 and newer, so people with a 2015 car were forced to choose one of two equally valid options. I did update this the survey to fix this mistake while it was still live. Even with this mistake, one big take away was still clear from this data: everybody that submitted the survey who used a car phone mount used it primarily in a car newer than the year 2000. While this certainly cannot be representative of the entire population of people using car phone mounts, it is likely a good indication of the most common situation.
One of the prompts for the respondents who had a car phone mount that I was most interested to see the results of is the one that says to “Write one word to describe your ideal car phone mount”. I thought this would be a quick, first-word-that-comes-to-mind type response that would give good insight into what people hold to a high importance regarding this product. I didn’t ask this of the people who didn’t have one because I thought it might be challenging to answer with limited experience with one, and the people with one will likely have a quicker, impulse answer to this. Most of the results of this question are shown in a visual below (with the exception of those that answered with a sentence instead of just one word). The most popular responses, that occurred more than once, were sturdy, secure, visible and stable.
For another fill in response question, respondents with a car phone mount were also asked to explain why they got a car phone mount. Of these responses, 39% mentioned they got it for viewing navigation, and 34% that mentioned the handsfree law. Another common response was safety.
Along the same lines, those with a mount were asked what feature made them most want to get the mount they got. Of these results the most popular were the mount being magnetic, price, and varying descriptions of ease of use.
When asked if there was anything they don’t like about their mount the most common responses were nothing, or that it fell down or wasn’t secure.
Another question of interest was relating to alternative solutions to car phone mounts. Respondents who had a car phone mount were asked if they would still use a mount if their car had more technological capabilities, one of the main alternative solutions found in the Market Research post. The results were showing an even split between the people who would not use one, and those who might or definitely would. This suggesting that there may still be a market for car phone mounts in new cars with more pairing capabilities.
Phone mount owners were also asked how frequently they used their phone mount and what they use their phone for while driving. As will be discussed later, the specific users interviewed had varying levels of use of their phone mount with varying purposes, so this seemed like a relevant area to find potential ways to narrow down the market, or focus, for a new product in this area.
In regards to the frequency of use, nearly half of the respondents use their phone mounts over 7 times a week.
When it came to what drivers use their phone for while driving, the most common use was navigation, with phone calls coming in second.
After reading Amazon reviews, I also decided to asked how secure drivers thought their phone was in the holder since many reviews had complaints regarding this problem, where 6 was “Very satisfied” and 1 was “Very dissatisfied”.
A similar question was also asked to each person with a car phone mount depending on where their mount attaches to the car. However with not as many people having car phone mounts as expected, not much can be learned from the data. However, of the 20 people who had a vent car phone mount (45.5% of the total respondents who have a car phone mount), where 6 was “Very satisfied” and 1 was “Very dissatisfied”, the results were very spread out. The largest portion of respondents with a car phone mount had one that attached to the vent, with the windshield and dashboard being tied for the second most popular location.
When it came to the people who didn’t have a car phone mount they were first asked to describe why they didn’t have a car phone mount. One of the more common results of this was that they didn’t have a car, most likely due to college age respondents that live on campus. However, besides those who didn’t have a car, 26% of the responses described some kind of car connectivity capability, such as Bluetooth, that eliminated the need for a phone holder for them. Additionally, there were responses essentially describing the motivation behind the hands-free law: that phones are a distraction, or that they just don’t use their phone in the car. With a few just saying they don’t need one, but not elaborating more on why they don’t need one. And the most concerning answer to this prompt: “I’m too cheap to buy one when I can just hold it in my hands”.
Following this, all the respondents who didn’t have a car phone mount were then asked whether or not they would consider getting one. With those who said “yes “or “maybe” then asked to explain what would most make them consider getting one. I thought this would give an idea of what the ‘tipping point’ would be for these people to getting a car phone mount, possibly finding out what they think is missing from them that has stopped them from getting one so far.
Aligning with the most popular phone use while driving for people who have a mount, 25% of the people who said “yes” or “maybe” to considering using a phone mount who don’t currently have one said that needing to see navigation on their phone would be the main thing to make them consider getting one. With the new law being another popular answer, along with a lower cost.
Interviews:
An initial set of interview questions was planned, however throughout the interviews, the questions asked would depend on the person, so the questions asked are listed for each interviewee.
Due to time and money this couldn’t be done, but I think a good group of people to interview or observe using this product would be Uber/Lyft drivers. They are frequently driving to new places and will likely be using navigation, and since they probably use their phone a lot while driving they might have a lot of experience with car phone mounts.
Interviewee 1: Tim
Description: Mechanic and fan of Ferraris, grandfather, gadget enthusiast, doesn’t drive too much
“I’m a sucker for gadgets”
Car Year: 2007
Questions asked:
- Have you tried any other styles of car phone mounts?
- What features were you looking for while shopping?
- Does it bother you that the buttons on your cars are covered?
- Have you considered any other styles?
- Why didn’t you like other ones?
- Has it fallen out before?
- What do you usually display on your phone?
- What did you do with your phone before you got this?
- Did you get this before or after the law?
- Is there any other places in the car you would rather have your phone, higher or lower?
- What were you willing to pay?
- When do you find yourself driving the most?
Summary of Interview:
Tim was overall very satisfied with his car phone mount and how secure his phone is in his CD player car phone mount. He was thinking about getting one before the law was in place and had seen a model at Sam’s club and went to compare prices and styles online, found the one he currently has and would not want another kind now. The main aspect that made him not like other types was that they looked flimsy. He was willing to pay within a price range of $25-$30 if it was a quality product. He didn’t mind the placement in his car since he doesn’t really use his CD player and blocking the radio display wasn’t of huge importance, while it also didn’t obstruct the windshield. The phone mount had a button in the middle of the clip that when pushed by the phone tightened the clips, then to release the phone the grips on the sides needed to be squeezed together. He primarily used his phone mount to answer calls, rather than navigation when he would rather just plan ahead and plan where to go with a map if needed.
The technology he added to his car also supported my trend mentioned in my last blog that cameras are being added into cars more. Up in the top right of his windshield he had a dash cam that continuously records the inside and outside of the car as he drives. He purchased this after he was given a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt when he was, and wanted to keep a recording for if that came up again.
Quotes of Interest and Observations:
“Well I always like to have things charging.”
- Charging already an option out there, but how could it be improved
“You know I like the way it attaches to the CD slot, you know its kind of a superfluous thing”
- Should consider what else could be superfluous, not commonly used, in cars
“I just want it [phone] there all the time while I was driving…I always want to have the phone available”
- high frequency use
“You know, we used to carry notepads on our cars, on the dashboards, with suction cups, just like a tiny clipboard with a suction cup that came with a notepad. I used to have one of those on my car”
- Trend over time to have more things for the driver to do in the car besides just drive
“You can always drill some holes and just put some screws in it”
- More of a permanent, built into a car type mount
Interviewee 2 : David
Description: Commuting office worker
Car Year: 2013
Questions asked:
- Can you describe the phone mount you have and how you use it?
- Did you try any other ones?
- Did you get this because of the law, or did you get it before the law?
- What do you usually display on your phone?
- Where would you want your phone if you could put it anywhere?
- What features did you look at while buying it?
- How does it affect your view of the windshield or dash?
- Can you move the magnet sticker on the phone?
- Is there any features you wish it would have?
- Why are you usually driving?
- Do you always put your phone on it?
- Would you consider another style?
- Would you still have one if you didn’t commute?
- If your car screen could show all the same things would you still get a mount?
- What did you do with your phone before you got a mount?
- What is the most helpful thing about it?
Summary of Interview:
David, like Tim, is very happy with his car phone mount and is not very open to switching to another style. He has a magnetic car phone mount that attaches to the cars vent. Due to this, in the winter with the heat on in the car he keeps the air flow off on the vent that the phone is on. He uses his phone mount pretty much everyday he commutes to work with the navigation displayed, but doesn’t always use it while just driving around town. He especially likes how convenient it is and that it doesn’t block anything he cares about, like the windshield or buttons on his car. Before he got his car phone mount he would try setting it on various places in the car but “it was a pain” and forced him to look down to see the screen. His car supported my trend from the last blog of increased connectivity in cars, especially regarding screen size, as in his car the screen was almost exactly the same size as his phone.
Quotes of Interest and Observations:
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“I can just throw it on there”
- Kind of fun to just throw phone on the magnet, also quick and easy without a clamp
“I like a magnet technology… I like the strength of a magnet…a magnet is always going to be a magnet so it was really a no brainer to me”
- Strength is a quality that is important, of course, it is holding a couple hundred dollar phone
“Actually my wife, her vents were kinda small so it didn’t fit so she had to put it far away”
- Very dependent on car layout, consider how to make universal product for all cars
“I don’t trust the windshield ones, we had an old GPS on the windshield and it kept falling off and it block your view, this doesn’t block your view”
- Having a clear view while driving is important and how secure it is are determining factors when choosing a mount
“It’s convenient, it keeps your hands on the wheel, very close to your line of sight, don’t have to fumble to get your phone out of your pocket if you’re getting a phone call. It’s just the convenience of it that’s really nice, and the safety.”
- Love the convenience and the safety resulting from using it
Interviewee 3: Katy
Description: Mom that drives kids to activities and uses a GPS for one of her jobs
Car Year: 2012
Questions asked:
- Can you describe your process of how you use it?
- Why did you get it?
- Has it ever fallen off?
- Did you get it before or after the hands-free law?
- Do you usually just use the speaker on the phone?
- Would you like an audio connection on the mount?
- How does it affect your driving and view?
- What is the most helpful about it?
- What do you usually display on your phone?
- Why are you usually driving?
- Do you put your phone on the mount every time you drive?
- Would you consider another kind of mount if you got a new one?
Summary of Interview:
Like both David and Tim, Katy is very happy with her car phone mount. She has a magnetic car phone mount like David, however hers is on the dash and not a vent, also she had a case over her phone (and the magnetic sticker). Unlike the others interviewed, she did not buy her own mount but instead asked for it as a gift. She mainly uses it for one of her jobs for which she needs to use her GPS a lot. The other thing she mainly has on her phone is podcasts. When using the GPS she will put her phone on the mount, however if she is just listening to a podcast and doesn't need the GPS, she will often just put her phone in the cup holder or door handle with the speaker down in order to amplify the sound, so she uses both a car phone mount and an alternative solution depending on what she is using her phone for.
Quotes of Interest and Observations:
“I can’t imagine if i hadn’t gotten it how I would manage”
- becomes a part of daily life almost taken for granted
“My old car had like a cup holder down here that was like the perfect place for the phone to sit, when I was using the GPS or whatever cause of course it has to be visible, but my current car has nothing like that. I put it down there [near shifter and cupholders] and its useless”
- again car layout is a big factor
“It’s great, it doesn’t interfere with anything”
- drivers want their phone in a good position for viewing but don’t it to block anything else in the car, not much they are usually willing to compromise
Interviewee 4: Kaiya
Description: Driver who lives 3 min from work and doesn’t drive to unknown places often
Car Year: 2011
Questions asked:
- Can you show me how you use it?
- How does the clip wok on it?
- What features would you look for if you bought a new one?
- Have you tried the vent kind?
- How much would you be willing to pay?
- Where do you put your phone when you don’t use the mount?
- Do you usually just display maps when you drive?
- Do you play music on your phone or on the radio?
- Why are you usually driving?
- Did you get your car phone mount before or after the hands-free law?
- Why did you get it?
- How does it affect your view? Do you mind how it affects your view?
- Where would you put your phone if you could choose any spot?
- Are there any features you wish it had?
- If you had one that worked better would you use it out of habit every time you drove?
Summary of Interview: Kaiya is generally unhappy with her windshield car phone mount that attaches with a suction cup and holds her phone with a clip. Her main complaint was that the suction fell off when it was cold, and not even that cold. On the day I interviewed her, it fell off the dashboard within 7 hrs of the interview when it was only about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result of this, she pretty much keeps it in her car but doesn’t use it. When she was showing me how she uses it, she also discovered that with her knew phone it’s very hard to get her phone in and out of the clip due to the width of her phone. When attempting to put the phone in the clip, the clip didn’t fit around the phone where the pop-socket was on the lower middle area of the phone, so the clip had to go on the top part which then clicked the buttons on the phone and ultimately clicked them enough that the phone shut off, so definitely not ideal.
Quotes of Interest and Observations:
“That’s annoying so I’m not going to do that [put her phone into the clip on the mount that holds the phone] every time”
- if its not easy to use it probably won’t be worth the effort to use it
When asked if she minded how it affected her view: “Yes, very much, it obstructs. Also the blind spots in my car are humongous, so I don’t need another one.”
- should solve a problem without adding another one
“Works well when it works but I found in the winter that it fell off more frequently when it got too cold out.”
- ideally not a weather dependent product since cars are driven year round
“I have never tried a vent one, and why would I want to block one of my vents?
I like the heat.”
- not willing to compromise
Observed Behaviors:
One thing noticed from observing people using their car phone mounts is that it becomes a habit of use and a product that once it becomes a part of their daily life it is not noticed much. For example, this could be seen after people open their car door and begin bending down to sit down in the seat. As they bend down they are simultaneously grabbing their phone out of their pocket, and while getting into the seat they are also reaching out to set the phone into its spot, all preceding putting the key into the ignition. This is supported by the fact that most of the interviewees did not have much to say regarding the product while in use. While they could say a lot about the features that made them choose their phone mount over others, and how well it worked overall, they didn’t have much to say regarding it in use, almost as if it had just become a part of their car and not much notice was given to it. This was especially true for David, Tim, and Katy, who very much like the phone mounts they have and would not want another kind.
Another observation that was noticed during the interviews was one more specifically pointed out by the interviewee himself. When talking to David he was explaining the learning curve he had when it came to taking the phone off the mount and to pull the phone more downward than straight out and end up taking off the whole mount with it. Especially after he pointed this out, it could be more quickly noticed that there was a muscle memory involved in taking the phone down in the best way. Similarly, this could be noticed when Tim put his phone on his CD player mount as it had a button that needed to be hit by the phone in order to tighten the clamps. It could be noticed that as he demonstrated how it was taken in and out of the phone mount he had a muscle memory when it came to putting the phone on it with the right force and placement so it would stay as desired, and then pushing the right parts to release the clamp and grab the phone. This was especially obvious as I tried to use the quick release on the clamp with two hands and struggled to figure it out at first.
While this observation may seem fairly obvious, it is important to point out that multiple different car layouts were seen between the different makes and years of cars. One of the most dramatic differences noticed was in Kaiya’s car that had the different gauges placed near the center of the dashboard while in all the other cars they were on the driver’s side, behind the steering wheel. This is important as it can cause some styles of car phone mounts to be nearly impossible to use with certain cars due to the availability of space.
Unpack:
When unpacking the data from the survey, five different colors of post its were used, one color for survey input and observations (with an * to distinguish observations from survey results), and one color for each interviewees’ input. After this, three different categories were made to sort input into: positive (smiling face), negative (frowning face), and alternative solutions (alternatives).
User input was sorted by positive and negative input, with further subsections where they were roughly sorted into a top layer that is related to the mechanics of the phone mount, the middle layer related to the technology involved, and the bottom layer that is more general comments on the product.
From this unpacking the main take-aways from the negative side was that most of the negative views towards them were relating to their mechanics, whether that be it blocking a part of a car, how it fits with a phone case, that it fell down, or that the material it was made of was not of high quality. Specifically, mounts located on the windshield were generally not popular among car phone mount users.
In contrast, some of the main take-aways from the positive side were also very related to the mechanics, but especially those that made it strong and secure. Specifically, magnets were a popular positive feature.
Additionally, when looking at both the positive and negative sides, $50 seemed to be roughly the tipping point for when car phone mounts were too expensive.
When looking at the alternative solutions to this product it can be seen that the phone is usually either paired to the car in some way or it is placed somewhere in the car within a foot or less of the drivers hands. So, whether or not they use a car phone mount, it’s likely the driver’s phone isn’t going anywhere.
Insights and Statements:
Insights
- Despite finding a lot of options while doing market research that hold your phone on the windshield, of the people interviewed and those in the survey, many drivers are not in favor of their phone on the windshield.
- Based on this user research through a survey and interviews, the most popular use for these driver’s phone while driving is for navigation.
- As car’s technology gets more advanced they lessen the need that people see for car phone mounts.
- Based on the interviews, $50 is rough estimate for the highest amount people will be willing to spend on car phone mounts.
- Without a car phone mount, drivers will often set their phone down at other spots on the car, ideally as secure as it can be while still being in the best spot to see.
- Drivers are not very willing to compromise features in their car to place a car phone mount, unless the importance of the phone to them outweighs the feature being compromised.
- The happier drivers are with their car phone mount, the less they think of them.
Opportunity Statements
Drivers that like to travel to places unknown need a safe way to navigate because looking down from their field of vision is dangerous.
Drivers that live in varying climates, such as Minnesota, need a reliable and strong way to use their phone in their car because extreme temperatures can impact how well adhesive and connection methods work.
Drivers need a universal way to add features to their car because the layout of each car is very different.
New Ideas:
Ideas Inspired by Survey, Interview and Observation Results
Underlying / Non-Obvious Ideas
