SimplicityLabs

SimplicityLabs is a virtual environment that allows people worldwide to experiment with new software-based product concepts in the comfort of their own homes. An extension of Philips’ consumer-focused research, SimplicityLabs enables Philips Research to harness end-user feedback at a very early stage in the innovation process and validate new concepts in a way that is fast, efficient and cost-effective.

How it works
For each selected product concept, a product mock-up or software prototype is placed in the online SimplicityLabs for people to experiment with. In this way, people can actually try out the product concept features. Wide-reaching and quick feedback is then gathered on key issues, such as whether or not people like the concept, which functions are popular and which could be improved. This feedback is both explicit (i.e., people fill in a questionnaire about the concept) and implicit (i.e., the system records how people actually interact with the mock-up or prototype).