Jewell Pods

Challenge

Earphones have become an essential part of daily life, yet women rarely have the option to match their wireless earbuds with their outfits.

While earrings come in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes, most earbuds on the market lean towards gimmicky, sporty, or overly formal designs—primarily catering to a unisex audience. There is no earphone designed specifically with women in mind.

Research Paper

I have written a Research paper- A STUDY ON DESIGN OF EAR PODS: JEWELL PODS, which got selected in 9th International Conference on Research Into Design (ICoRD’23) in Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore(IISC).
I have further continued our project and created this case study.

Responsibilities

Research

Product Design

User Experience Design

Ergonomics and Anthropometrics

Research and Design Process

Finding insights and validating design hypotheses was our first step in shaping the project. We engaged participants to understand their pain points and gather feedback to refine our hypotheses.

Delving into Research

Double Diamond Process

Research revealed key opportunities, which we documented as insights, beginning with the questions we asked users. Qualitative and quantitative research was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the problem.

How can we make the experience better?

What earring designs do women find the most comfortable?

What do users prioritize in earphones?

What matters most to you when choosing earrings?

Users seek customization to enhance their experience, allowing them to match their earphones and earrings with their daily outfits.

Women generally prefer drop earring designs because of its comfort.

They prefer earphones that stay secure without the risk of slipping

The color and design should be versatile enough to complement most of the user's outfits.

Secondary Research

Anthropometric Research

Using scientific data on ear measurements from research papers on the Indian audience, we finalized the dimensions for all three Jewell Pods designs:

- Earbud: 15.5 mm

- Chain Attachment: 3.5 cm

Material

PUR (Polyurethane) is the lightest and most durable material, making it the most widely used in the earphone segment.

Stainless steel is the least skin-reactive metal, making it the best hypoallergenic option. It is also comfortable and budget-friendly for jewelry.

Gold can be used for a premium range of accessories.

Ideation

Taking insights into design, the initial earphone prototype entered the fabrication stage. A hands-on approach drove the project forward, while user personas were created to maintain a constant focus on their needs.

Journey Mapping

It helped identify pain points, such as discomfort from prolonged wear or the risk of slipping, and opportunities for improvement, like customization for better style compatibility. By mapping out user interactions, emotions, and needs, the design process remained user-centric, ensuring the final product seamlessly fit into their daily lives.

Empathy Map

The empathy map helped deeply understand user behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and needs by categorizing insights into what users say, think, do, and feel. It highlighted desires for personalization and style compatibility, ensuring the design addressed both functional and emotional needs for a more intuitive and user-friendly product

Concept generation

Morphological chart

Biomorphism draws inspiration from nature, integrating organic forms into real-world designs to enhance aesthetics and functionality. This approach guided my design process by influencing the earphone shape for a more ergonomic fit, ensuring comfort and a seamless user experience. Natural curves and fluid forms helped create a design that not only looked visually appealing but also adapted better to the human ear.