Experiencing… Pregnancy Test Pack

It was a lazy Friday evening and I got bored. I looked around my room to find something new to do. I ended up experimenting with products I’ve never used before: pregnancy test packs. The 3 products have the same function, but each with a distinctive form and different way of using. For easier reference, I name them The Paper, The Stick, and The Well.

1. Learning the Product

Looking at the outer packaging, I could get a general idea of how to use The Paper and The Stick. Opening the box, each provided leaflet with more detailed explanation. I like The Stick for its brief, to-the-point information, compared to so many details on The Paper which got me thinking ‘Oh well this looks complicated to do’. In contrast, there’s very little I could get out of The Well’s overly simple packaging. When I got it at the drugstore, I wouldn’t even recognise it as a test pack if it wasn’t placed on the same display with the other products.

2. Unwrapping

After learning how to use the products, I was ready to get in the bathroom and use them. My bathroom is a wet kind, so I’d rather not take anything that’s not waterproof. That meant leaving the paper leaflets and outer packaging. The Paper and The Stick came with how-to’s on the wrapper, so it was easy to refer to. The Well had nothing on the wrapper, but the outer packaging itself was waterproof so I took the whole thing in.

3. Using the Product

Now getting to the deed. I had to pee in a cup to use The Paper and The Well. The Paper was considerate in providing a small cup. It was so small, though, that I was worried it would spill. I carefully put the filled up cup on a flat surface, then dipped the indicator paper. I had to make sure the indicator paper was dipped on the correct position for the right amount of time. This reminded me of the time in high school lab where I experimented acidity with litmus paper. It was kind of cool to feel like a scientist. Yet it was also intimidating, I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right.

The Well came with no cup, so I had to look for some containers. I found a soda cup, cleaned it up a bit, then disposed urine in it. I was relieved that The Well provided a pipet — how else was I gonna place drops of urine into the absorbent well? One, two, three, four, and five drops. Phew, finally done.

The Stick was easily the champion in this step. I just had to pull the cap to reveal the absorbent stick and directly peed on it. After it looked wet enough, I put back the cap. Nicely done.

4. Waiting

All three products required me to wait for around 3 minutes. That felt like forever. I wonder if they could equip me with something to do that would take the same amount of time, and help me overcome the nerve-racking moment. A reading material or a puzzle, maybe?

5. Interpreting the Result

And there it was the moment of truth. I’d leave it to you to make sense of what appears on the product and evaluate how the guideline explains it :)

6. Storing the Result

When I did the experiment, no one was around the house. I wanted to keep the result to show my family when I meet them the next day. The Stick was ready to go, clean and dry. The Well appeared dry, but the absorbent well had no covering and I just felt icky if someone would play around touching it. The Paper was even worse, as it was just a wet piece of paper. Eventually, I put it all back into each wrapper, placed them in a tightly closed plastic bag.

Conclusion

To summarise the experiment, I scored the product experience for every step, resulting in a user experience journey that compares the three products.

The Stick is easily the winner, the only product with positive overall experience. The Paper couldn’t follow closely enough, with the main problem on instruction that was too complex. Lastly, The Well gave negative experience in most of the steps, due to lack of clear information and supporting apparatus.

Based on my experience, the ideal pregnancy test pack would be:

1. Intuitive

Users can easily grasp what it does and how to use it, just by looking at the packaging. The apparatus should be self-explanatory and prevent users from spilling or using it the wrong way.

2. Managing Expectation

Users can rely on the stated waiting time to reveal the result. Once the result shows up, users don’t have to second-guess their interpretation.

3. Physically Convenient

The guidelines are waterproof so users can refer to it while using the apparatus in the bathroom. Then, users should be able to keep and present the used apparatus in dry and hygienic state. The indicator part that inevitably gets wet should come with protective casing.

4. Comforting (Bonus)

Here’s a challenge to solve: How might we accompany users while waiting for the result, so they feel less anxious towards whatever the result may be?

So this is my first experience of posting a first experience review. Feel free to drop any thoughts or ideas!

Originally published at sirewog.com.