Out of Box Evaluations (OOBE)

An OOBE (Out-Of-Box Experience) at Progress UX is a study of the user’s initial interaction and experience with a product immediately after unboxing it, including setup and first use, to ensure it is intuitive, satisfying, and free of friction.

Enjoy the experience of unboxing and setting up an Apple product? That didn’t happen by chance, and an OOBE study can help to ensure that your hardware product is just as easy and enjoyable to use right from the start.

While not all projects are the same, an example of an OOBE (Out-Of-Box Experience) study could be evaluating the user experience of setting up a new GPS device. Participants would be observed and interviewed as they unbox the device, read the quick start guide, insert the SIM card, power on the device, connect to Wi-Fi, and go through the initial setup process (such as language selection, account creation, and software updates). The study would gather data on user satisfaction, any difficulties encountered, the clarity of instructions, and the overall ease of the setup process, providing insights to improve the product’s initial user experience.

As with all Progress UX research projects, the product team would be invited to view all sessions in real-time, as well as to ask questions of participants via the study moderator.