Sony Case Study

Sony aimed to ensure the out-of-box experience (OOBE) for its LinkBuds Open earbuds was inclusive, particularly for users with visual and dexterity impairments.

As part of a Human-Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) course at the University of Washington, our team of four collaborated with Sony to evaluate the packaging’s accessibility, focusing on the Guide for QR tactile element—a feature designed to help users locate and scan a QR code for setup instructions. Our goal was to identify usability barriers and propose actionable improvements to enhance inclusivity.

Objective

To assess how well the Sony LinkBuds Open packaging, particularly the Guide for QR tactile element, supports an accessible and efficient unboxing and onboarding experience

Scope

The study concentrated on the Sony LinkBuds Open packaging, with a primary focus on the Guide for QR tactile element and tutorial content access.

/ about the guide for qr element

Guide for QR is a set of indicators that allow users to identify the location of a QR Code on the packaging of Sony’s audio products.

This feature—a square frame of four L-shaped tactile markers surrounding a QR code—is designed to assist users in locating and scanning the QR code to access setup instructions. Our study aimed to assess how well this feature supports an inclusive unboxing and onboarding experience for users with certain disabilities.

Guide for QR element on the Sony LinkBuds Open packaging

/ problem statement & research questions

Despite advances in assistive technology, users with disabilities still encounter challenges in interacting with devices designed for the general population.

As Sony Group is working to ensure the OOBE (out-of-box-experience) is an exciting one for all users, they are striving to develop products and services that incorporate accessibility. This evaluation responds to growing industry emphasis on universal design, ensuring products like the LinkBuds Open meet the needs of a wide audience, including those with disabilities.

What usability challenges do diverse users face with the packaging design?

How easily can users locate and scan the QR code, and what visibility, placement, or tactile issues arise?

What barriers exist in accessing and navigating the tutorial video or help article via the QR code, and how can these be addressed?

jump to usability findings

/ participant recruitment

We recruited six participants, targeting two user groups:

Users with visual impairments (blind or low vision).

Users with limited hand mobility (e.g., arthritis, paralysis).

Our Participant Profiles

/ usability testing

We conducted six 70–75-minute moderated sessions in an accessible UW library room.

Participants unboxed the LinkBuds Open and scanned the QR code naturally, using think-aloud protocols across multiple task paths. Recorded data with Zoom and Hovercam, minimizing intervention to preserve authenticity.

Package Opening

Guide for QR and QR Code Interaction

Tutorial Video Access

Envisioned Interaction Map

P3 and P4 in their test sessions

/ data analysis

We analyzed qualitative (think-alouds, reflections) and quantitative (task times, success rates) data via affinity diagramming to cluster themes.

I worked mainly on analyzing data for the QR interaction and Guide for QR tactile element.

/ key findings

Severity Rating System

To evaluate the impact of usability issues, we applied a four-level severity rating scale adapted from usability research standards. Severity ratings help us prioritize and address issues based on their impact on usability, ensuring a better user experience. Ratings focus on the task outcome, with participant experiences providing context for each issue’s scope and nature.

HIGH: Prevents task completion

Medium: Causes significant delay, frustration, or extra effort

Low: Minor inconvenience with little impact on usability

User Wish: Opportunities for future enhancements

Finding 1

Users had a hard time recognizing and scanning the QR code.

Frequency: 3/6 Participants, mainly affecting users with visual impairments; Scope: Guide for QR and QR Code Interactions

Task Times Comparison & Observation

9 seconds

was the time it took for a participant without visual impairment to recognize the QR code

9 minutes 33 seconds

was the time it took for a participant with visual impairment to recognize the QR code

Participants with visual impairments took longer to recognize the QR code compared to those without.

0 out of 2

participants with visual impairment recognized the QR code prior to assistance from session moderator

This highlights a major accessibility gap in QR code visibility and recognition.

3 sighted participants

noted that the QR code was too small for them to notice and scan.

"With smaller QR codes, you have to hold your phone more steady for it to get a read on the details, or you have to bring it really close. The bigger the QR code, the more shaky your hand can be when you're scanning it because the details don’t matter as much.”

– P2 (participant with hand dexterity issues)

Even though this issue of QR code visibility is mainly preventing participants with visual impairments from completing their usability task, it does mildly impact the experience of our other participants as well.

Finding 2

The purpose of the Guide for QR element was unclear.

Frequency: 1/6 participants, affecting a user with visual impairments; Scope: Guide for QR and QR Code Interactions

Task Observation & Feedback

1 out of 2

participants with visual impairment failed to identify the QR code inside the tactile element.

6 out of 7

was how P3 rated the difficulty of the QR code interaction.

The Guide for QR tactile feature is meant to guide users to the QR code, but this participant did not intuitively connect it to that function.

“I just feel some… triangle shapes. But I wasn't able to know that it was a QR code.”

– P3 (legally blind participant)

“It's just because it's kind of unusual to have something like [this tactile element] here so I just [thought] it’s the design of the box.”

– P3

1 minute and 59 seconds

was the time it took for P3 to acknowledge the Guide for QR tactile element.

4 minutes and 17 seconds

was the time it took for P3 to recognize the QR code nested inside*.

* after assistance from session moderator

The current design of the tactile element isn’t adequately supporting its intended audience.

Finding 3

Users found the Guide for QR element difficult to be recognized by touch.

Frequency: 1/6 participants, affecting a user with dexterity issues and weakened eyesight; Scope: Guide for QR and QR Code Interactions

Despite not being diagnosed with any visual impairment, P6—an older participant with diabetic neuropathy, causing numbness in their fingers—mentioned having weakened eyesight due to old age, which led to difficulty perceiving smaller printed information using vision. Therefore, P6 was also one of 3 participants that would need to partly rely on tactile elements to complete the usability task.

Task Times

8 minutes

was the time it took for P6 to see the QR code*.

* after assistance from session moderator

36 minutes and 35 seconds

was the time it took for P6 to feel the Guide for QR tactile element*.

* after assistance from session moderator

Compared to the other 2 participants who relied on the tactile element to recognize the QR code, P6 needed full assistance from session moderator to acknowledge both the QR code and tactile element.

“Oh, no! I didn’t notice that this part was raised until you mentioned it just now.”

– P6 (participant with numbness in their fingers)

P6 expressed that due to the numbness on their fingers, they were not able to feel the “raised edges” outside the QR code, and noted that they thought this element was too subtle.

“I have neuropathy in my fingers too, [...] so even picking [the box] up now, I barely notice [the tactile element].”

– P6

Guide for QR, intended as a tactile guide, lacked sufficient prominence for P6’s reduced sensory perception.

Guide for QR can be design to be more pronounced and distinguishable by touch.

Finding 4

Users had difficulties navigating to the tutorial video.

Frequency: 5/6 participants; Scope: Tutorial Video Access

Task Observation & Feedback

5 out of 6

participants did not watch the tutorial video prior to prompting from session moderators.

1 out of 2

participants with visual impairment failed to find the tutorial video, even with assistance from session moderator.

The help article webpage doesn't provide enough visual affordances for users to recognize the video.

“I think maybe because my internet is not stable, but the video is not fully loaded there”

– P5

The tutorial video does not have any thumbnails or previews, and the play button alone is not enough of an affordance for users to notice when scrolling through the article.

Invisible links confused a participant’s screen reader.

2 out of 2

participants with visual impairment reported that the website lacked sufficient accessibility for screen readers.

The help article webpage is not fully optimized for screen readers, causing frustration for participants relying on this technology.

Other Findings

Users had difficulties accessing the accessory compartment.

Medium Severity; Frequency: 4/6 participants; Scope: Package Opening

Users tended to knowingly ignore the QR code.

Low Severity; Frequency: 2/6 participants, pattern among tech-savvy users; Scope: Guide for QR and QR Code

Users found the sticker tab at the bottom of the outer package difficult to pull.

Low Severity; Frequency: 2/6 participants; Scope: Package Opening

The tutorial video only has background music and no voice guidance.

User Wish; Frequency: 2/6 participants, mainly affecting users with visual impairments; Scope: Tutorial Video Access

Read full usability report

/ project takeaways & acknowledgement

The small sample size of six participants, while diverse in terms of disabilities, does not fully capture the spectrum of accessibility needs.

A larger participant pool, including individuals with a wider range of visual and motor impairments, would yield more comprehensive insights into the Guide for QR’s effectiveness.

Future Considerations

Exploratory Research

Explore different tactile design, tutorial video, packaging design, QR code placement, and size variations

Further Refine Research Scope

Focusing on one specific group of people with disability to gain deeper into accessibility insights

Diversify within one user demographic

Diversify participants pool further in ages, preferred devices or assistive technologies