Socio-technical Analysis

Users (individual-hair stylist-social media influencer)

       Our team divided the users into three subgroups: individual users, hair stylists, and social media influencers. Individual users are not limited to a certain occupation. They can be students, actress, office workers or other professionals as long as they need a “So In Style” hairstyling quickly and safely especially in rush hours or for important occasions. The hair stylists have the choice of using certain curling irons to provide better hairstyle design more safely, to receive better customer review. Social media influencer is a new source of advertising. After trying a hair styler, they film videos or writing reviews online and recommend this product to their followers on social media, arising more potential buyers. All three kinds of users have the same goal of using safe curling irons without burning, so the user experience and the product quality regarding the safety issue are their most concerns. 

Dyson Ltd. (departments of advertising-design-warranty/repair service):

       The design department in Dyson company firstly paid attention to the common burning problem of users using traditional curling irons. Engineers inspired by the problem dedicated to research and develop a new appliance to solve the issue. The advertising department uses the safety guarantee as a brand edge to increase the popularity and improve product sales in the market. The Repair service department in Dyson offers customer service related to the quality, operation and any questions to the Dyson Airwrap hair styler.

Producing system of Dyson Airwrap (manufacturer-retail stores):

       To achieve the safety guaranteed Dyson Airwrap, the Dyson Ltd. outsources qualified manufacturer that using safe materials (synthesis material that prevents high temperature rather than metal and ceramic) to produce this product. Then the Airwraps are supplied to local retail stores for demonstrating the safe function by salespersons to customers with the need for safe self-hairstyling.

 Traditional curling irons:

       These curling irons are made up of ceramic material in the barrel, which is easy to rise to a relatively high temperature when being heated, and the metal handle is not heat-resisting. Also, there is no temperature control system inside the traditional curling irons to prevent user’s burning.

Other companies producing traditional curling irons:

       Compared to Dyson’s investment in research and development for designing products with a new function, companies producing traditional curling irons have fiercer cost-cutting, which means they pay less attention to quality optimization of traditional curling irons especially for leaving the easily burning problem unsolved. This leads those companies to become less competitive in the curling iron market.

       The above introduction of each element have addressed their position and some connection in the socio-technical system, the following analysis is focusing on how these components above operate in a floating and circling way:

       Firstly, people with the need for curling hair on their own, that’s why technology designers delegate the task to the curling irons. However, these traditional curling irons with ceramic and metal materials have a high risk of burning when using since users have to twine hair by their hands to the barrel and put the iron heated at a relatively high temperature close to their head and face. Even the cooling down of the iron takes much time. These are all possible dangers to cause burning accidents. Many severe cases of burning generate users’ further demand for safety guaranteed curling irons. Dyson Ltd. with its previous success and research experiences in the technology of hairdryer and vacuum cleaner concerns customers’ need of the safe curling iron, so their design department invented the Dyson Airwrap hair styler. It uses “Coanda effect” and temperature control system, not only avoid burning problem but also provide other styling attachments to implement more choice of styling users’ hair. Since the air pressure like an “invisible hand” that twine hair automatically to the barrel within a safe temperature, there is no touching closer to the iron thus decreases the potential burning. After buying the products from stores, users get the safe and quick experience of curling their hair, some of them like the hair stylists begin to use Dyson Airwrap as a substitute for the traditional curling irons during their work in the salon, they contribute to the recommendation of the product. The positive feedback of social media influencer and individuals are also arising more potential buyers of Dyson Airwrap. With the popularity of Airwrap, companies produce traditional curling irons may go through a sales drop in the curling iron market and on the other hand, the further customer review collected by Dyson’s repair service department provide more enlightenment to the design department for the next reformation of this technology.