Linksys Routers
Home wireless networks are difficult to setup. Without easy to setup home wireless networks, the market opportunity is limited. Ease of use is an increasingly key differentiator where few users fully comprehend the technology.
Linksys set about designing a software, hardware, and documentation solution to make home networks as easy to setup as possible for customers who purchase new wireless routers.
Our Approach
We used Naturalistic Testing to evaluate the ease of setup and installation of current routers. We recruited users from retail stores after they purchased routers, then arranged in-home visits.
We investigated the installation process, utilizing “event” driven usability assessment (as opposed to task dictation) and interviewing.
We used Affinity Diagramming to arrange, prioritize, and communicate issues & solutions with the development team.
Delivering Value
The naturalistic study showed that varying home environments impacted overall user experience far more than expected.
The variable path “task event” approach empowered naturalistic testing by not dictating tasks to the user, as is typical.
The primary usability problem identified was that users didn't know when setup was finished. The UI catered to expert users, highlighting additional advanced features, when the basics was all the common user wanted -- which became the most important design change.