Product Features

Here's a list of product features that our market appreciates:




Visual Details

-Color: matte black or platinum, no gender specific colors
-Rough dimensions: 7"x4"Wx4"H
-"Techy" feel



Utility Features

-Ceramic heating element
-Ionic: Tourmaline (?)
-Retractable cord
-Multiple heat settings (Hi/Low and Cool Shot)
-Folding to minimize packing size
-Power options: either 1200-1500W (blonde/thin hair) or 1875-2000W (dark/thick hair)
-Auto shut off
-Removable air intake/lint filter
-Detachable nozzle for flow concentration
-Quiet motor with "good" air flow
-Multiple air flow settings (Hi/Low)
-Light Weight (~1 pound or less)
-Push to fold button (locks in open position)
-Utility loop for hanging hair dryer up
-Robust (wiring, etc)
-Voltage adapters for international travel

Skype Conference Setup

Hi,
in addition to Alex post about Skype, here is the tutorial how to set up a telephone conference.
Link

Technical requirements for hair dryers (UL, VDE, etc)

I did some preliminary research on the requirements for hair dryers.
First of all products for American and European markets need to fulfill the RoHS requirements (regulates toxic materials in all components).
Second the product has to fulfill certain standards according to each country. So for example for the American market it is the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) or for the European market it is the VDE (German engineering society).

Hair dryers for the American market have to fulfill the UL 859 (Link and Table of content)
The Table of Contents discribe all technical requirements. Is is very detailed, but so far I could only find a table of content.

Updated WBS

Setting up Skype

Well to date we have been unable to get the phone piece of WebEx to work, mainly because WebEx's offering of telephone providers in India is small to say the least. But we are not to be deterred, so we are moving on to the next technology. This evening I signed up for the Skype service. It took me about 10 minutes to download the software and get it totally setup. The most difficult piece was trying to find a variation of my name that made a logical choice as a username. Using Skype and assuming we are all able to maintain our internet connections we should finally be able to make voice contact within our group. So, checkout the website and get started. I mean, come on look at how happy those people are in the pictures how can think this is the greatest thing since sliced bread (although neither one of these people, seen in a picture on the Skype's website, seems to have an internet connection at the moment).

Competing Products v1

I was poking around the internet and found the following travel hair dryers that are currently available on the market, click on the links to see pictures:

Ionic 1,875 Watt Hair Dryer from Brookstone (info copied from Brookstone website):

• Price - $40.00
• Two speed settings and "cool shot" button
• Handle folds for travel.
• Includes removable concentrator and drawstring travel pouch.
• ETL-listed.
• 7" L x 3" W x 3½" H (folded). 69" L cord.
• "The Brookstone Advantage
  True dual-voltage capacity allows for use around the world. Converts from 125v to 250v at the flip of a switch."

1,600 Watt Mini Hair Dryer by Helen of Troy L.P. (found this one on the DoItBest website):

• Price - $12.49
• "This sleek dryer is designed to go anywhere, pack anywhere, style anywhere. Compact design is perfect for home or travel. 2 heat and 2-speed settings. Dual voltage. ALCI safety plug."

1,200 Watt Overnight Travel Dryer by T3 (all info from Nordstroms website):

• Price - $130.00
• Swivel handle design.
• Dual voltage (110V or 220V).
• 1200-watts of power.
• 48-month comprehensive manufacturer's warranty.
• Compact and collapsible for easy storage and travel.
• Suitable for use the world over—with appropriate plug adaptor (not included).

Here is a first look at three different hair dryers, based on price, that gives us a look at some of the common features as well as some of the differentiating features. We should use these features as well as any others that we discover in researching competing products to shape the questions we ask in any market research.

Post WebEx

Our WebEx meeting was very successful. Although we weren't able to get on the phone together we were able to have a productive chat. At this point the B-half of the team is going to do some research with the aim of determining who are target customers are, what features (both technical and aesthetic) they are looking for in a travel hair dryer and what features do competing products have. We will be posting the findings of our research on the blog.

Blogging Live from WebEx

This morning we're holding our first WebEx meeting with our IISC counterparts. This is the most technological we've gotten so far. Other groups have had some issues with WebEx recently, so we're holding our breath and crossing our fingers.

Travel Hair Dryer Selected

As a team we have exchanged ideas and settled on the travel hair dryer as our product. Now the real work begins. The B-half of the team will get started doing research to find out what people are looking for in a travel hair dryer. Stay tuned to this space to see what develops.

dB Product Development Project Getting Started

I'm hoping this blog can be another tool for all of us to share thoughts, ideas, research, etc. At this point we are still determining what our product should be, but Debbi has done a nice job of getting us started with a WBS. I think what we on the B-half want to do now is see what items, if any, we want to add/edit on this WBS.

In terms of the overall project we should all be able to add comments or posts of our own as we see fit. I hope this can be a useful tool.