After our initial meeting Ross and I worked on various steps and alternatives we would need to get out project started. The very first step involved getting to know the product thoroughly.
During the beginning of the week we had scheduled a meeting with Erik to see the prototype of the product on Tuesday, May 31st. Erik had mentioned in the first meeting that the product from its very conception has gone through many iterations. They had developed 2 prototypes before they finalized this final product design. The latest final product is far more compact and lighter than the previous prototypes. The prototype that Erik showed on Tuesday was the one that his team had presented in the 2016 FDIC conference (Largest conference for Fire Fighters). The product was a compact black cylindrical structure with a provision for attachment to the fire fighters back and a small hole for the rope to come out. The porotype was missing its rope that falls through the structure and I look forward to seeing it as it seems to be one of the most essential and crucial part of the product. Erik mentioned that is 1/16th of an inch and can withhold the weight up to 500 lbs. The product was extremely impressive. A product that has such an amazing design and has an exceptional function was really remarkable.
After having seen the product it was time for some Qualitative interviews. We needed the perception of Fire fighters. Erik helped me and Ross arrange a meeting with a Fire Fighter, Jimmy Adams at Park Hills Fire Department. Our objective from the interview with Jimmy Adams was to find out the perception of Fire fighters and to gain more knowledge on the values that Fire fighters share. Like Erik had mentioned, Jimmy was extremely helpful and we learned a lot from the interview.
In our interview we got a good perspective from a Fire fighters point of view. Jimmy is also a trainer for Fire Fighters. We gained great insights about different scenarios in the fire-fighting industry. We spoke at length about his career as a fire fighter and the difficult incidents he had encountered during his career. He was extremely passionate about being a fire fighter and mentioned that he liked to pass on the knowledge and values he learned to other people while training them for the job.
We asked him about his thoughts on the bailout system as we wanted to know if the “traditionalist” thinking generally seen among Fire fighters would be a problem. Jimmy had been a part of the Bailout system since the conception to the final product. He has a great appreciation and fondness for it. And because he was such an active part of the product process he didn’t have a “traditionalist” approach towards the product.
At this point Ross and I are actively looking to interview another fire fighter who has no knowledge of the Bailout Evo, so that we gain a fresh perspective about the product and its requirement. Our next step would be to analyze the interview to highlight the insights from them and develop various consumer concepts.
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