Nielsen Kellerman Kestrel Product Weather Meter

The Kestrel weather instrument line had been a user favorite for years. But low cost offshore competitors, the age of original tooling, and new technological methods and developments were the drivers behind new research and a redesign of the product line. So we started with a solid base, and began to research user experience and their wants and needs, in order to take the product to the next level. With a handheld product like this, user experience research methods are critical tools. The user base is also very knowledgeable and willing to participate in experiential research methods. Our research started with interviews and observations, and ended with users providing feedback from their specific user experience with the existing product. This allowed the research team to feed user experience inputs directly into the new product ideation process.

Imagine
The Kestrel / Bresslergroup research and design team created a unique form – an evolution of the Kestrel brand vocabulary – which made the unit easier for any user to hold and read. The new design also improved durability through the development of unique gasketing methods, which makes the unit waterproof. The casework design also keeps the unit afloat. These key attributes were identified using our user experience research methods.

Implement
Waterproofing is always a challenge, but our design methods made the process quite smooth. A unique internal gasket system combines the gasket with the elastomeric keypad in a single molded elastomeric part – reducing tooling and part cost. Overall, Bresslergroup was responsible for the user experience research, human factors, industrial design, engineering development and implementation, as well as, vendor sourcing, and recommendations for the tooling and casework production methods. We worked with NK through delivery and debugging of production parts and assemblies.

Impact
Initial response from Kestrel’s sales force and distribution channels has been overwhelmingly positive. The user experience feedback has also been great. We attribute the strong response to effective use of user experience research methods. The product went in for mass distribution in Fall of 2004 and has been selling beyond initial projections.