Fisher & Paykel Study Progress

Status
Four participants evaluated the task of selecting the comforter cycle and starting the washer.

Participant background
Participants included two adults and two teenagers who are experienced with washing laundry but have never used Fisher & Paykel appliances.

Task
Participants were told they recently purchased a new washing machine and were told by the salesperson that there is a cycle for washing comforters. They were expected to complete the task of selecting the special cycle and starting the load of wash.

Findings
It is too soon to report any significant data, especially about task time and task completion, however some key hypotheses can be made.

1. The excitement of unique settings and automated wash cycles may mask minor usability problems. Although all four users had difficulty finding the comforter cycle, they were fascinated by other settings and found the washer fascinating. One participant commented, "Oh my goodness! That's pretty cool. You have a chocolate stain on your shirt, you can pick that one."
   
   
2. Even if users aren't able to find the comforter setting, they should still be able to successfully wash the bulky blanket because if auto-sensing is left on (default), the water temperature and fill level will be determined by the machine.
   
   
3. Users won't spend much time trying to figure out the washing machine. They will probably try for 1-2 minutes and then just hit the start button.
   
   
4. Very few users will consult the manual.

Next steps

1. Continued evaluation of the washing machine by guests in my home.
   
   
2. Recruitment of current Fisher & Paykel users.
   
   
3. Look into research done on frequency of appliance customers referring to user guides.

Are you a Fisher & Paykel washing machine owner? Please get in touch with me! I'd love to hear your experiences.

Related Posts:
Usability Study: Fisher & Paykel Intuitive ECO