IB Design Technology 9.2 Market Sectors and Segments Questionbank

A start-up, PulsePod, is developing a refillable insulated bottle that tracks hydration and sends reminders through an app. The team is unsure which customer segment to prioritise and which features justify a higher price.

Before committing to tooling, PulsePod ran a two‑stage market research plan:

• Stage 1 (exploratory): 12 online interviews with runners, office workers and students.
• Stage 2 (quantitative): a survey of 240 potential customers recruited through social media ads.

The survey results are summarised below.

PulsePod’s draft concept sheet (used in interviews and the survey) included:

• three colour options (black, mint, sand)
• two lid types (flip-top, straw)
• optional app subscription ($1.99/month$) for reminders and weekly reports

PulsePod’s investor asks for evidence that the product will meet real customer needs and that the marketing plan is based on reliable research.

Figure 1: PulsePod draft concept sheet

Figure 2: Summary of PulsePod survey results

A start-up called PulseWear is planning a new line of smartwatches. PulseWear is deciding which market sector(s) to enter and how to segment potential customers so the product can be designed to match their needs.

PulseWear’s research summary is below.

Products being considered

• Model A – Active: rugged case, water resistance, long battery life, GPS, limited colour options, basic packaging.
• Model B – Studio: slimmer profile, premium finishes, interchangeable straps, smaller battery, more colourways, gift-style packaging.

Survey highlights

• Group 1: Ages $16$–$24$, tight budgets, influenced by trends and colour choice, upgrades frequently.
• Group 2: Ages $$–, health-focused, values reliability and battery life, wants clear information at purchase.

EcoHome

A company, EcoHome, specializes in producing eco-friendly home appliances. They are planning to launch a new product line aimed at energy-efficient kitchen appliances.

The company wants to understand the market sectors and segments to target their new products effectively. The following diagram shows the different market sectors and segments for kitchen appliances based on factors such as income level, age group, and lifestyle preferences.

Using this context, answer the following questions:

Many of Apple’s customers own a number of Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, laptops, iWatches and AirPods, see Figure 3.

Figure 3: A selection of Apple products

Many Apple users found the efficient charging of multiple devices could be difficult. Apple aimed to solve this issue when they filed their patent for the AirPower, a wireless charger that could charge three devices at once. To achieve this the coils must be placed directly on top of one another, see Figure 4. If the coils are not aligned, the device will not charge.

Figure 4: Wireless charging

The AirPower aimed to solve this issue by stacking and offsetting the coils, see Figure 5. Stacked coils gave the AirPower the ability to charge multiple devices at once. The large charging area made it easier to align the coils.

Figure 5: Registered patent for the design of the AirPower, showing many stacked coils

During testing, Apple found that the AirPower was unsafe because the coils overheated. This led to Apple cancelling the development of the AirPower and the product was never released to the public.

Clinatec, a French biomedical research centre, and the University of Grenoble have recently developed a device. This has enabled a patient, known as Thibault, to move all four of his paralysed limbs with a mind-controlled exoskeleton, see Figure 5.

Thibault had to undergo months of training before using the robotic exoskeleton. The training was performed in a usability lab, using his brain signals to control an avatar in a computer simulation.

The designers at Clinatec used a range of user-centred design (UCD) strategies in the development of the exoskeleton. This enabled them to gain a complete understanding of the needs of the users, tasks and environments, see Figure 6 and Figure 7. The trial was considered a success by scientists.

Figures 5 and 7: © J. Treillet/FDD CEA Clinatec.
Figure 6: © La Brèche/CEA Clinatec.