Solution Specifications:
In addition to being listed in order of importance, the product specifications are broken up into different categories to show importance. The importance of the specifications has been determined by market research and various Primary Stakeholders including optometrists and glasses wearers. The product categories are Essential, High Importance, and Low Importance:
This category is reserved for criteria that are needed for the solution to succeed in meeting the problem statement. This category has a weight of four in the decision matrix. This makes sure that these criteria are held in utmost importance, and that it is extremely difficult for brainstormed solutions to succeed without meeting these requirements.
This category contains criteria that are important to the success of the product, but which are not essential features. These criteria have a weight of three in the decision matrix. This ensures that these criteria are of noted importance, but a product that is missing these criteria may still succeed in the end.
This category is for criteria, that while they would be nice to include, they are not necessarily needed for the product to succeed. These criteria have a weight of two in the decision matrix. This allows a product to still succeed in the decision matrix, even if it is missing a few of these criteria.
The product cleans large particles and smudges from the lens
Explanation: Arguably the most important part of a lens cleaning product. If the product is not able to clean the glasses, then it has failed. This criterion is to be evaluated by visually examining the glasses with a ray of light against a black background after the product has been used, looking for any large particles or smudges.
Justification:
The product must not scratch the lenses of the glasses
Explanation: The product must not scratch the lens of the glasses during cleaning. This criterion is vital to distinguish our product from a shirt or tissue because although they would meet the other two essential criteria, both could leave the lens with scratches. Shirts and tissues should not be used at the frequency that most people commonly utilize them, as they will inevitably scratch the lens. This criterion is evaluated by examining the glasses after the product has been used to clean them
Justification: “glasses can easily be damaged by casual cleanings, leaving the lens with a scratched surface that can hinder vision.” See Element A: Problem Statement
The product must be easily transported
Explanation: Portability falls under essential criteria as it is part of the problem. The convenience of a shirt or tissue causes lenses to be cleaned improperly, and therefore, for our design to be used commonly, it must be portable. The design must take up not less than 100 cubic inches and must easily be transported in a bag such as a handbag or a backpack. The constraint will be measured through a measure of volume.
Justification: “Although cleaning methods that do not scratch glasses exist, like cleaning spray or ultrasonic cleaning machines, they do not offer ease of portability.” See Element A: Problem Statement
The product weighs no more than one pounds
Explanation:Product weight is a factor of portability that falls below overall portability on the scale of importance. The product’s weight will be determined primarily by the materials used in creation, but should be limited to prevent turning users away from the product. The product should weigh no more than one pound, preferably less to keep pocket transportation possible.
Justification: An Ultrasonic Lens Cleaner weighs 1 pound, and it is meant to be a stationary object. Therefore our portable solution should weigh less.
The product is able to clean the lenses in less than 60 seconds
Explanation:Time to use the product is important to ease of use. A product that takes very little time to use is ideal to consumers and therefore more appealing. Simple timing will be used to determine how long the product takes to free both lenses of dirt and smudges.
Justification: It takes over a minute to clean glasses using warm water and dish soap, and because this is supposed to be a portable, on-the-go solution, the time it takes to clean them should be less than that.
The product does not cost more than $30 to manufacture
Explanation:Product Cost is another criteria with a need for examination. Part of convenience is the cost and if the product is overtly expensive, a consumer will just opt to continue using a shirt or tissue. To combat this, the product should take no more than $30 to manufacture and produce, as any more will result in the product not being bought and used.
Justification: An ultrasonic lens cleaner is on the market for 28.25. a portable glass cleaning product should not cost more than that.
The product does not produce excessive waste
Explanation:Environmental impact is also a factor which should be considered. If the product is extremely wasteful in its cleaning method, not only does the waste cause the product to be less money efficient but it also harms the environment. The product will be examined to see how much waste material is produced, with the ratio of waste produced by the product to the weight of the product itself. Any material that can be recycled normally will not count towards the weight of the waste.
Justification: In a 2013 study, it was found that we throw away about 3 lbs of garbage each day, which is about 1095 lbs per year per American. That number does not need to be increased.
EPA. (2016, March 29). Municipal Solid Waste. Retrieved March 11, 2019, from
https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/
The product is able to clean the tight spaces of the glasses
Explanation: While cleaning the majority of the glasses is often quite easy, there are some spots on the glasses that are much harder to clean including under the nose piece or around the hinges. While the uncleanliness of those parts is often a nuisance, they do not affect the overall performance of the glasses and therefore will not exert a large influence on the decision matrix. The product's ability to clean tight spaces of the glasses will be determined by examining its ability to fit or reach those spaces.
Justification: The ultrasonic cleaner is able to clean the tight spaces of the glasses, and the ability to do so with a portable device would be a boon. See Element A. Problem Statement.
The product is visually appealing
Explanation: The aesthetics of the product, while placed on the list of least important things, may fluctuate depending on the product result. The placement of these criteria will depend on whether the problem is highly visible or rarely seen or somewhere in-between. If the product is only seen when cleaning the glasses, then it will remain in this spot on the list. However if it is visible for a period of time longer than it takes to clean it, then it will be promoted to the intermediate importance category. The product will be evaluated on its visual appeal through a survey of glasses owners.
Justification: In an age where quality is almost a guarantee and relatively the same cost, the best way to distinguish oneself is through aesthetics.
Schmitt, B. H., & Simonson, A. (1997). Marketing aesthetics: The strategic management of brands, identity, and image. New York: The Free Press.