Honeywell Sync Wireless
Industrial ear defenders
Role: Lead Experience Designer - UX / UI / IXD
Showcasing the Honeywell Sync Wireless Electo
Project description
Design and development of Electo (with radio) and Impact (without radio) models for the Honeywell Sync Wireless series of industrial ear defenders.
Project team
Alignment across two continents, combining extensive industry expertise, user-driven research and a desire to innovate, systematically raising the bar.
🇬🇧 Industrial Engineering, UXD, UXR, UI and IXD
🇮🇳 Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing
🇨🇿 Product Management
Discovery research
Series of on-site visits with a variety of stakeholders, ranging from independent tradespeople to corporate facilities management companies. Primary objective was to understand/experience working environments and users needs from an ear defender, along with ad hoc/conceptual discussion around potential differentiators.
Anthropometric data was also collected to ensure alignment with physical attributes across multiple regions.
Problems to be solved
1 Increased health awareness
Very few tradespeople take the damage that can be caused by prolonged excessive noise seriously
2 More intuitive and safety conscious
Current Honeywell offering features a screen for user feedback. This counteracts the health and safety requirement for the user to be wearing ear defenders at all times
3 No connectivity
Ability to connect phone or external device
Prototype testing
Tackling the challenges of blind control prototyping through the use of blu-tac on existing ear cups, manually activated HTML soundboards to trigger tonal responses, quick start guides and on-screen Axure prototypes. Particular attention was made to gloved testing, due to the primary nature of use-cases.
High-fidelity models
As development progressed higher fidelity 3D-printed models allowed for testing of maintenance processes, such as replacing batteries, tactility and travel of buttons, operating volume controls and understanding optimal position of microphone.
Interaction Design
Covering physical buttons and CSR tonal feedback for both Electo and Impact models.
Marketing product gallery
Impact model specific beauty shots.
Breakthrough opportunities
In a bid to tackle the lack of health and safety education and understanding amongst tradespeople, and users in general, a Honeywell breakthrough opportunity was launched to develop a dedicated service for tracking exposure levels versus length of time this was considered 'safe' for the user. The feedback would be delivered to the user via their ear defenders, or dedicated connected app, as conceptually visualised below.
