Kukla, Fran and Ollie
new product research P.O. Box 2385
Eugene, Oregon 97402
541.484.2266
www.lockwoodresearch.com
Introduction
Lockwood Research helps clients build better products by helping
them understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of consumer behavior. That is
how Hewlett-Packard’s prototypes Kukla, Fran and Ollie evolved
using insight delivered by Lockwood Research.
Kukla, Fran and Ollie
new product research
Objective
The objectives of the study were two-fold: Hewlett-Packard was rolling out the first 300 dpi inkjet
printer with color and wanted to understand consumers experience with the printer, from the point of
purchase to initial set-up and use. The R&D scientists wanted to learn how consumers were using color
in their documents over time.
Method
Lockwood Research recruited a panel of new users from warranty cards to participate in a
six-month study. In addition to managing the recruitment element, Lockwood Research
also conducted an initial pre-participation survey and ongoing weekly surveys to determine
consumer satisfaction and behavior patterns. A final post-participation survey measured
change over time. The panel submitted examples of their printed documents monthly for
the R&D department to measure shifts in the patterns of usage. Lockwood Research
tracked participation and rewarded panel members with product-related incentives.
Key Findings
•
Almost all panel members acknowledged satisfaction with their HP colored inkjet printer because of
the low price point; the original price was $1095 in 1991.
•
The major drawback uncovered was the ‘process black’ color. The initial evolution of color inkjet
printers only allowed one print cartridge at a time. If the panel member wanted to use color in their
document and replaced the black ink cartridge with a tri-chamber color cartridge, the result was a
mixture of the three primary colors which produced a grayish-greenish color, rather than true black.
•
Other than the ‘process black’, the color output from the DeskJet 500C and DeskWriter C compared
very well to other color printers of the time costing ten times as much.
•
As panel members used their new color inkjet printer, the use of color in their documents
increased, both in frequency and in page saturation.
Outcome
Hewlett-Packard’s R&D department developed the next generation of color inkjet printer, the DeskJet
550C, that placed the black and color cartridges side-by-side to deliver a true black color. It was a vast
improvement over the ‘process black’ of its predecessor. The DeskJet 550C dominated color print sales
across all categories during its product life.
P.O. Box 2385
Eugene, Oregon 97402
541.484.2266
www.lockwoodresearch.com