Mobile Gaming Earbud. : Design and functionality investigation of mobile gaming headphones.

Sammanfattning: Today there are a vast amount of headphones models, brands and types – each trying their bestto differentiate themselves from the rest. In collaboration with Defunc the thesis project soughtto investigate how one can develop a pair of mobile gaming headphones that meet the needsand wants of mobile gamers. The project was divided into three stages - Exploration,Validation, and Implementation – with focus on human centred design, ergonomics, branding,and most importantly headphone technology. User studies and market analysis revealed that there was a market gap for mobile gaming, andthat gaming needs were dependant on four main categories of personal value creation ingaming. Fishbone diagrams and QFD analysis were used to identify prioritized productproperties for customer values. Competitive gamers were chosen as the intended user group,as they had the most to gain from gaming headphones, and set the standard for the gamingcommunity as a whole. Modules were created and used as a tool for generating concepts. These were then testedthrough rapid prototyping and trigger interviews, with respect to usability and ergonomics. Theinsights from these together with price points from the manufacturers guided the conceptselection process. An initial design proposal was created and verified through a collaborationwith manufacturers at site in China. The result was a portable mobile gaming earbud (MGE) which featured hybrid drivers,adjustable MEMS microphone, 15 h battery time, BT 5.0 with aptX ll and ACC support, 3Dsurroundsound simulation, compressor functionality, mic mute, memory foam tips, andmagnetic backplates featuring on/off functionality. All features comply with identified wantsand needs of the user studies – including a design that suits on-the-go use of mobile gamingwhile differentiating itself from market competition.