GADGET STORY
 1. FIRST PRODUCT |  2. MODELLING |  3. REQUIREMENTS |  4. SWITCHING TRACKS |
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 5. INTERVIEW |  6. CONCEPTING |  7. BRAINSTORMING |
OUR FIRST PRODUCT!
GRIP LIFE!
During the first part of the minor we were challenged to come up with a gadget within five weeks. We were given guidance in the form of the tutors and the theory lessons which would introduce concepts to us that we weren't familiar with, which included everything from law to creative thinking.
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On the left is given the operation of the device, which can only be viewed when looking at the big version of the website.
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There was no restrictions for this gadget provided it could be 3D printable from the printers at the Objexlab and fit in the budget of 100 Euros.
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In this phase we modeled the final gadget in Solidworks for the 3D printing process that followed.
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The following images show what it looked like.
BRAINSTORMING
In the first week we got together as a team to brainstorm some ideas.
The ideas we liked were rated and the best were selected based on the difficulty and the usablility.
Concept sketches were also drawn about the various mechanisms that we wanted to discuss with the specialists and our target group. This includes the grip part on the handle, and the locking mechanism that can be used with minimal effort as this was vital with regards to our target group of elderly people.
CONCEPTING
 Locking mechanism |  Handle concept |
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 Anti-Slip concept |
INTERVIEWS
Following were the conclusions of the meeting conducted with Saskia van Nieuwland;
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The grip needs to be large enough to fit onto the persons hand easily as well as being made of material that sticks to the hand providing, well... additional grip. Having a conical shape would help with this as well as the thumb and index finger have less strength than the other fingers when it comes to matters of grip.
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A strap can be a part of the grip if we so desire which makes it require less effort to be used.
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Two grips need to be made to be attached to the object being used, one for each hand.
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The shape needs to be malleable so that it takes the form of the users hand when pressed.
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For the fastening mechanism a leather strap with steps would be excellent for the target group.
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The size of the grip needs to be adjustable so it can be fit on things as wide as a vacuum cleaner pole and as thin as a broomstick.
Aside from interviewing the specialists, the team devoted time into interviewing their own elderly family members to get some kind of perspective if they would indeed use the grip.
We presented our findings from the interviews to the tutor during this meeting. There was an idea that was presented by our target group as something that they struggled with daily and would like to see improved.
The idea was about a cheap and easily usable zipper helper, which was an instant hit with the team as this was something that was small and could be manufactured easily and rapidly. This was also something that was presented out of the target demographic so we knew that this was something that could actually be used by the elderly.
Switching Tracks
REQUIREMENTS
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Before it is possible to make good, practical concepts we agreed that it was necessary to make a list of requirements and wishes for our product. This way we can be certain that the concepts that are being created are suitable.
In class we learned some methods about how to make such a list and what is a requirement and what is a wish. By making use of the Kesselring method and the MoSCoW method we were able to define and rank all different wishes and requirements.