The GO Line marked Lexmark’s expansion into the small-to-medium business printer market. I designed the UX for its compact touchscreen interface, on a product that went on to earn strong reviews in its class.
Client
Lexmark
Role & Team
UX Designer
Duration
Apr 2018 – Mar 2019
Opportunity
Lexmark's market research in the Asia-Pacific region identified a demand among small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) for affordable printers with advanced features and a premium aesthetic.
Objective
Design an affordable printer for SMBs in Asia-Pacific that still feels premium, despite the hardware constraints.
Joined stakeholder meetings and gathered requirements. The 3 main challenges for this product are:
1. Small size - The printer has a small 2.8" touchscreen panel. That’s smaller than a credit card.
2. Outdated technology - The printer uses a resistive touchscreen panel. It doesn't support swipe or pinch.
3. Limited memory - The printer has a 1 GB memory capacity. Sufficient for basic tasks, but questionable for advanced features.
We looked at competitor products in the segment to spot trends and advantages. This became an early benchmark for how we'd approach the small touchscreen interface.
Competitors
A few of the competitors we analyzed that have similar functionalities and target markets to the GO Line.
We sent a survey to understand the target market and used the insights to build an initial persona. A teammate then conducted interviews based on the persona to dig deeper into the user's journey.
A persona and user journey map created based on the survey and interview.
Early on, I built rough prototypes to test users' interaction with the small touchscreen. As the product got clearer, the team eventually ran two lab-based usability tests in Cebu and Lexington. The usability test result was clear: every participant struggled with the resistive screen, and that was enough to convince upper management to update the screen technology.
Early in development, I built a foam-and-paper prototype to test user interaction with a small touchscreen printer. User testing revealed insights on optimal press area size and how angle and pressure affect input.
As requirements became clearer, I iterated the prototypes to higher fidelity, including a clickable tablet model with acetate layers simulating a resistive touchscreen for hallway testing using available office materials.
Once hardware and firmware stabilized, I helped run two lab-based usability tests with teams in Cebu and Lexington. When every participant struggled with the resistive screen, those results convinced senior management to switch to capacitive touch.
Uses adequate touch areas and vertical spacing to reduce press errors on the 2.8" screen, so users complete tasks quickly and accurately.
Show only the most important and frequently used features first, while moving complex steps to the phone and cloud.
Offers global actions and shortcuts so users never have to recreate or adjust settings repeatedly.
4
rating for AIO Printers from PCMag.
8.9/10
rating for Small/Home Office Printers from Rtings.
Editor's Choice award from Betterbuys.
We shipped on time despite multiple design iterations and hardware changes throughout the project.
Positive reviews across e-commerce platforms confirmed strong market reception among SMBs. Read a review from PCMag
What Went Well
By validating our designs with users, we demonstrated the difficulties they faced with the small resistive touchscreen. This evidence provided a strong argument for updating to a better screen technology.
What Could Be Better
The UX team was brought into the process only after the technology and software decisions had been finalized. Earlier involvement would have fostered better cross-functional collaboration and ensured that user experience considerations informed key technical decisions from the beginning.
What I'd Do Differently
Bring UX evidence to the table earlier so the team has a stronger case when pushing for design decisions before constraints are locked in.
Plan stakeholder communication more intentionally from the start. This project improved how I adapt messaging to different audiences, but having that approach in place earlier would have made collaboration smoother.
I had the pleasure of working with Karl on the User Experience Design team at Lexmark from 2015 to 2019. Karl has worked on various design projects to ensure the delivery of smooth and pleasant customer experiences on Lexmark products. He is passionate about driving UX improvements with creative design solutions.
