Lexmark commissioned a team of human factors specialists and design researchers to co-develop a design research protocol that addressed Lexmark's specific needs with regard to consumer printers. The teams then conducted a small series of protocols for studying how consumers currently use printers in their own homes in specific US and European markets. This type of observational field research utilized an in-home, one-on-one interview format that enabled the HumanCentric team to study consumers in their home environment which assisted Lexmark in improving specific functions of software and hardware improvements.