ESA (Electronic Shopping Assistant)
ESA (Electronic Shopping Assistant) is a device designed to bring online electronic product reviews to consumers in store. It bridges the gap of physical and cyber channels and help consumers compare and study electronic products and make decisions.
This project was sponsored by RTC for the retailer environment observation and research, with the topic “Retail store as a communication medium”.
Opportunity and Benefit
For consumers
Because of the complex features and short life cycle of electronic products, shoppers need to do research before purchase. Consumers usually do online research first, and go to electronic stores to try products. It usually becomes a repetitive action between online research and in-store research.
For retailers
Information is becoming ubiquitous in both physical and electronic channels. Physical stores need to take on the competition from online stores, who can provide lower price for the same products. For physical stores, most of them sell products both online and in-store. However, there seems to be a gap between the two. What if there is a bridge to take the advantages of both channels?
The Game Changer
ESA (Electronic Shopping Assistant) is a device owned by retailers to provide online product information to in-store consumers. Combined
with physical store and online service, consumers can get the online information on ESA with their online accounts. They can track product information and personal research history. This device also works as
an in-store guide. It shows promotion, warranty, and other retailer information to consumers.
User Scenario
 | Create an online account in retailer’s website research and create a list of candidate products. |
 | Get ESA in store and log on the device with online account. User information and saved product list are shown on the device. |
 | Use barcode scanner to scan products and read product online review. |
 | ESA helps user compare product features, prices and create a shopping cart list. |
 | The consumers can use ESA to check out with their billing information. The research and purchase history is updated with online account for further customer service. |
Behavioral Prototype
Settings
To simulate the real environment, shoppers are carrying shopping bags, hand bag or backpack. Three concept prototypes are placed on the table as the store shelf. Models are built to simulate the trial products.
Process
1. Shoppers are assigned the bags to carry on;
2. Put on the device;
3. Walk around and read the device;
4. Scan the product with device;
5. Compare the products and read the reviews
6. Answer a cell phone call
7. Change the prototype and repeat 1-6 process
3 users participated, all were video recorded
Conclusion
Lanyard with long or flexible cord for users to pull and scan the product is the best solution
Design Criteria
ESA is owned by retailers but used by consumers. The ownership and responsibility brings some interesting issues:
1. Easy-to-Learn interface
People have plenty of time to learn how to use a cell phone or a camera. But ESA must let the consumers to pick up the interface quickly since consumers don’t own the device;
2. Durability
People don’t take good care of a public product. The material use of ESA should be durable, like a museum guide;
3. High-Tech Looking
As a product for expert consumers, its material and finishing should suggest hi-tech built quality
Components
1, Memory or local network access
2, Barcode scanner
3, Screen
4, Lanyard
Design Sketches
One scanning button, a two-way touch-sensitive navigation button and 4 programmable buttons (including shopping cart and favorite product list) are designed to support the software interface interface. The two-way navigation button is used to scroll menu and text. Some variations of the style are discussed here.
The principle is to keep it clean and user friendly. Foam prototypes were made for further analysis and test for ergonomic factors.
Modular Foam Prototype
Modular buttons, bodies, screens and lanyard buckle are made to compare different combinations.
Button Layout
 | Extend the lanyard buckle to make the device look thinner. |
 | Taper and round bottom edge for better gripping, leaving the surface at the top flat for scanning part. |
 | At first, scanning button is above the screen to help people hold it firmly while scanning. The problem is that your thumb needs to go all the way down for other buttons. |
 | The second solution integrates the scanning button with other buttons. But they seem too low to operate. The user cannot hold the device well as they need to keep fingers in lower half position. |
 | The final solution is to move buttons to the middle of the device. There are two separate screens for different purposes- one monotone LCD screen for showing text information; the other color LCD screen for showing product images. Two way navigation button and scanning button is combined into a touch-sensitive button to simplify the layout. |
Final Form
The final form is narrowed in width for better gripping. The body is also deeper and rounded at the back and bottom. It’s more like a simplified remote control than a cell phone.
2D Rendering and User Interface
