Useful, Usable and Desirable: How Whirlpool Finds Balance in Product Development
Tuesday, October 23, 2007, 11:15-11:45 AM
by Sara Ulius-Sabel
In this talk, Ulius-Sabel presents a glimpse into Whirlpool's product development process through the lens of designing "Useful, Usable, and Desirable" products. They will present examples of how Whirlpool creates useful, usable, and desirable products, including discussion of some of the orthodoxies, challenges, and shifting market and user trends that surround these dimensions. Design metrics are introduced as one of the tools that Whirlpool uses to bring objectivity to the trade-offs between Useful, Usable and Desirable, ultimately helping to drive both coherence and differentiation in a multi-brand portfolio.
About Sara Ulius-Sabel
Sara Ulius-Sabel was appointed Metrics Manager within Whirlpool's Global Consumer Design organization in 2006. In this role, she is focused on measuring, advising and improving the design and usability of Whirlpool products. Prior to this role, Sara was a Usability Specialist responsible for the user interface design, interaction design, and human factors and usability research for washers, dryers and related laundry products.
Sara's academic and professional interests have focused on utilizing technology and design to facilitate learning. As an undergraduate, she worked with faculty members to design on-line course materials to support art and architecture history courses and, while a graduate student, she managed the on-line graduate programs for the University of Michigan's College of Engineering.
Sara Ulius-Sabel holds three degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Art and Design from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Michigan; and a Master's degree in Learning Technologies, also from U of M. Her past research includes internet navigation and way finding, on-line collaborative and educational tools, and corporate professional development programs. Sara has experience with Web and database design and has developed educational software tools and interactive multimedia museum exhibits for children.