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Message Swiffer CarpetFlick Building off a 10-year collaboration, IDEO and Procter & Gamble sought out to design a carpet-cleaning counterpart to their already successful Swiffer product line. To meet consumer needs, the design had to demonstrate the same principles as the popular Swiffer floor sweeper - simplicity, ease and affordability - and similarly transform carpet cleaning into a quick and hassle-free experience. IDEO and P&G formed a single team to experience in tandem IDEO’s understand-observe-prototype process. To learn more about consumer needs, behaviors, and desires, the team visited dozens of people in their own homes. What became evident from these visits was that people needed a way to pick up small particles such as cereal crumbs and paper shavings without having to pull out the vacuum. From these initial insights and observations, the team began a series of brainstorming sessions and experiments. Through these explorations, an effective solution soon emerged. While toying with a squeegee, an IDEO team member had a classic “aha!” moment: He had found a way to extract soil particles from carpeting without the aid of electricity or batteries. The idea spurred a number of prototypes that were tested in international markets for functionality, human factors, and general appeal. Within a few months, Swiffer CarpetFlick was ready for production and available in the US and in Europe, appealing to a broad set of consumers by providing a day-to-day alternative to the vacuum cleaner. http://www.ideo.com/work/swiffer-carpetflick/