Feargal Cassidy
POR TFO L I O
2018
About Me
Hi, I’m Feargal Cassidy and I’m a fi nal year product design student studying at the Dublin Institute of Technology. As a designer I have a passion for simple products that work. Whilst I consider my-self well-rounded, my skills are strongest in design thinking, ideation and sketching. I enjoy designing outside of my comfort zone and pushing boundaries. This portfolio documents some of the projects i’ve created during my four years at DIT. So grab a coffee, relax and enjoy!
086 8436477 fcassidy14@gmail.com www.issuu.com/feargalcassidy fc.pdesigns
01 OptiFlex
Final Year Project
OptiFlex aims to reduce non-adherence rates and the practical problems of instilling eye drops among people suffering with glaucoma. OptiFlex addresses these issues by simplifying the movements required to administer medication into the eye. Through a novel delivery system worn on the user’s finger, drops can be applied to the eye through the simple motion of flexing a finger.
The Problem
Research
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, a build-up of ocular pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve which results in vison loss. Glaucoma is incurable, but progression of the disease can be slowed with prescription eye drops. There are many eye drops available to treat glaucoma. All medications are intended to reduce elevated pressure to prevent further damage to the optic nerve. Prescriptions follow a strict routine with drops ranging from one to four times daily. However, following these prescriptions can be difficult for some. Eye drops rely on the physical capabilities of the user to be instilled correctly. The movements needed to accurately place drops onto the eye can be challenging for those with glaucoma. Typically, of an older demographic with limited dexterity and mobility aligning the body into the right position acquires the upper body be placed in an awkward position that can place the body under tension. This tension can affect the success rate of instilling eye drops and thus have a knock-on effect on adherence to medication prescriptions. Through interviews with healthcare professionals it was found that up to one third of glaucoma patients are non-adherent.
User Study
Ideation
A user study was conducted to observe the interaction between users and their eye drops and to better comprehend the thought process and to help identify painful or frustrating points along the journey of use. From these observations it became clear that everyone follows a similar three step process when instilling eye drops. The movements required to get oneself into the necessary position involve adjustments to the upper body, shoulders and neck. Ideas were generated on ways medication could be instilled without the need to align the body into a certain position.
Final Design
The final design comes in three parts the main body onto which the device is mounted to the finger, a capsule which holds the medication and a cap to seal the medication within the capsule. The device is placed on the user’s finger, which is positioned below the lower eye lid of the attended eye. Through the simple motion of flexing the finger a pocket is created at the lower lid for the drop to be placed. OptiFlex is disposable, patients will now be prescribed a set of thirty-two single use OptiFlex devices to coincide with their prescriptions, with multiple sets given if prescriptions require more drops.
User Interaction
02 Dial
Individual Project
Dial is a device which aims to reduce the time spent showering to minimise water wastage by making the user aware of how much water they are using. The user sets targets for their desired duration, Dial offers real-time visual feedback on the time remaining and how much water they are potentially wasting.
The Problem
Research
The average person uses approximately 150 litres of water every day, this equates to 54,750 litres per person per year. Showers are one of the biggest users of water in most homes. Some power showers can operate at a flow rate of 16l per minute so in 10 minutes would get through 160 litres. The average shower lasts 7 minutes with a typical flow rate of 8.5l to 10l. This means approximately 60l of a person’s daily usage comes from showering.
150 litres water consumed everyday by people
Reducing showering times by only 2 minutes to the recommended 5 minute duration can save over 6,000 litres a year. Often people are unware of how much water they are using or how long they are spending in the shower. Showers be a method of relaxation where people can escape to privacy to both revitalise the body and de-stress after long days. Dial came from the idea of creating a product that people could interact with while showering, that would offer feedback on how long they have been and how much water they have used.
60
litres are used just from showers
Ideation
Refinement
Final Design
Upon stepping into the shower Dial is set to a specific duration and once water begins to flow the timer starts.
The use of a colour based progress dial engages the user through visual stimulants.
Once the target time has been reached the number of litres used is shown on the LCD display which is measured by an external flow meter connected to the shower hose which relays information to the Dial hub.
Green represents progress, subconsciously showing that the user is on track to reach their target.
The number of litres used continues to be displayed and rise the longer the shower goes past the target time.
The colour change to red suggests the moment the behaviour should change towards saving water, red represents danger, that the target time is approaching or high-water usage.
Polycarbonate cover
Aluminium casing
Aluminium housing Circuit board
LCD screen
Wall mount Rechargable Lithium-ion battery 24 x RBG LED Silicone grip
User Interaction
Target time is set by adjusting the dial.
The timer starts as the water begins to flow, green represents adequate time remaining.
As the pre-set time nears the green progress bar changes to red to indicate to the user that they’re near thei target.
Once the target time is past the amount of water used in litres is displayed.
03 Hycraft
Group Project
Hycraft is a toolbox created to empower refugees by offering skills through craft. Hycraft utilizes and processes water hyacinth as a material to be used in craft such as weaving and rope making. With this material refugees can make what they need, create objects to barter and sell and additionally younger people can be given a creative outlet.
The Problem
Research
In the last decade, the refugee crisis has become a worldwide crisis, particularly affecting EU countries. In 2015, it was estimated that over 65 million people have been displaced globaly. While this problem has manifested itself in mainstream media attention recently, it is by no means a new issue. Refugee camps have existed for decades, creating generations of families born into temporary conditions and suffering. Refugees begin their journey to asun particular, young people suffer a lack of a quality childhood, with no recreational activites or materials to play with. Design provides a framework in which big questions can be answered with feasible, scalable solutions to improve the everyday lives of people. How can this principle be applied to improve the livelihood of those displaced globally? Refugees are still people. They deserve the same attention as anyone else. This project aims to create a solution to improve their lives and give them back a sense of purpose.
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Water Hyacinth
Te s t i ng
Water hyacinth is an invasive weed indigenous to the South America region but present around the world, particularly in the Philippines and central regions of Africa. While aesthetically pleasing, this plant is highly invasive, doubling its population every 5 days, choking water supplies and clogging up boats. However, when dried and processed, the stems of the plant are structurally similar to rattan and can be used for craft purposes. With this material, refugees can make what they need, create objects to barter and sell, and additionally, younger people can be given a creative outlet.
This project had a strong focus on material testing. During this stage he tensile properties of various materials such as jute twine and various types of flax were tested. As waterhyacinth is illegal in Ireland to itsinvasive nature we experimented on the closest plant species
Different weaving techniques were explored to gain a deeper understanding of the weaving process. This allowed for a clear understanding of what the materials could achieved based on their properties.
To ol b ox O ve r v i e w
Roller Once water hyacinth is harvest it is left out to dry to reduce the moisture content within the plant the roller is used for flattening the plant to make it suitable for weaving. Using manually driven belt drives and compression springs on the top roller to ensure constant pressure is applied to the various thicknesses of the plant.
Strip Cutter The strip cutter clamps the plant to the toolkit and with the moveable cutting blade strips the plant into strands that can be used to make twine and rope.
Rope Jig The rope jig is a tool the speeds up the process of making rope by mimicking the hand movement techniques of rope making. It features symbol-based instructions to direct use, arrows point in the direction to turn the face plate. The face plate al so features a ratchet mechanism, so it can in one direction. On the face there are two small holes with arrows pointing in opposite ways. This guides the user as to which way to turn the two strands.
Instruction Set the instructions are designed to be pictorial based so that language does not limit understanding of them. They are simple and self-evident and are sustainable as they are not labels. Like the toolbox no adhesives are used.
04 Allergicard
Group Project
Allergicard is a redesign of an epinephrine auto-injector. Those with severe allergies are advised to carry epinephrine auto-injectors at all times in case of a reaction. However current devices are often viewed as cumbersome and awkward to carry, Allergicard aims to address these issues by offering a device easily concealed in any wallet, purse or bag.
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The Problem
Research
Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction is caused by the body’s immune system over-reacting to the presence of a foreign body. An anaphylactic shock causes the bodies blood vessels leak, bronchial tissues swell and drop in blood pressure, which in serve cases can result in choking, collapsing and death. Most commonly anaphylactic shock is caused by reactions to food substances such as peanuts and shellfish but also insect stings. Those at risk of anaphylactic shock are encouraging to carry an epinephrine auto-injector at all times. Currently in Ireland there are approximately 100,000 people at risk to this serve reaction, with this raising to 1,500,000 in the UK and 14,900,000 in Europe. However, these auto injectors are often regarded as awkward and cumbersome to carry by those prescribed to. So much so that up to 60% of people prescribed an auto-injector do not carry them at all times. This can dramatically put a person with a severe allergy’s life at risk. In America 225 people die annually from allergy causing anaphylactic shock. The idea behind the creation of the Allergicard was to create an auto-injector that was easy to use but was also discrete and convenient that those prescribed could comfortably carry a life saving medicine at all times.
Final Design
The final design is a significant reduction in size when compared with auto-injectors on the market. The Allergicard is a discrete, easy to use card shaped universal auto-injector that fits into the pocket of any average sized purse/wallet.
The Allergicard is ergonomically designed allowing easy, comfortable, and self-explanatory use. This decreases the possibility of misuse that can be fatal in some cases.
Housing
Plunger Mechanism
Syringe Top Lid
Springs Safety Cap
Push Button
User Interaction
Prototyping
The Allergicard is spring loaded. First the safety cap is removed.
The user presses the device firmly against the outer thigh to ensure the medication is administered.
The device is held in position for 5 seconds to ensure the medication is absorbed into the tissue.
T h a n k Yo u !
086 8436477 fcassidy14@gmail.com www.issuu.com/feargalcassidy fc.pdesigns