Electric Flower Cutter Process Book

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DSID 124 Process Book Sy Hyin Wong (Celine) Prof. John McClusky Fall 2019

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The Index Project Brief....................................................3 Simulation Exercise........................................4

Useful Phase

Desirable Phase

Top 5 Chosen Joyous Pursuits.......................6

3 Mood Boards.............................................24

Interview.........................................................8

Desirable Sketches......................................25

Hand Pains and Problems..............................9

Detail Explorations......................................27

Narrowing Down Joyous Pursuits...............10

Clamp Research & Explorations..................29

Research.......................................................11 Early Naive Concept.....................................13

Feasible Phase Finalizing the Details...................................32

Usable Phase

Final Inspiration Board................................33

Diving Deeper...............................................15

Orthographic................................................35

Storyboard...................................................16

Exploded View..............................................36

Concept Sketches & Mockups......................17

Bill of Materials.............................................37

User Testing..................................................19

How It’s Used................................................38

Problem Statement & Target User...............20

Final Model...................................................41

Top 2 Concepts.............................................21

Accessible Details.........................................42 Color Choices...............................................44


Project Brief Understanding how human capabilities vary and how that impacts the design of products. The goal is to explore ways to help people enjoy their recreational activities for as much of their lives as possible.

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Simulation Exercise

Simulated Impairments: 1. Visual - Smear safety goggles with vaseline and cover some area with tape to simulate cataracts. 2. Finger’s Mobility - Wear gloves and tape finger joints to simulate joint stiffness. 3. Hearing - Use earplus to reduce hearing. Morning Routine: 1. Tie my hair up 2. Make a cup of coffee 3. Sketch 4. Walk to school 5. Go to class

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Challenges/Findings: 1. Thin and small items are hard to grab 2. Color contrast and bright colors are good for identifying items 3. Rely a lot on muscle memory 4. A lot of frustration 5. Very tiring and time consuming to complete just a morning routine 6. Feel vulnerable 7. Worried about what others might think of me Going through this exercise, I learned how important inclusive design is, and how I could make people’s lives easier as a designer.


1. Useful Phase Identify and define a clear problem worth solving or opportunity that is worth addressing. This may be a product category that currently doesn’t exist or a need where there are product offerings, but they fall short of a certain group’s needs.

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Top 5 Chosen Joyous Pursuits Gardening In 2018, Americans set a record by spending $47.8 billion on lawn and garden products and services. With the gardening boom as more households opt to grow their own food, there is a growing population of elderly turning to gardening as an activity.

Flower Arranging Over $26 billion is spent in the United States on floral products annually. (Sproutabl) Floral arrangement is a relaxing, stress free hobby that will provide your loved ones beautiful centerpieces and arrangements for any occasion.

Cooking Cooking, whether done out of pleasure or necessity, is a commonly shared activity most households and individuals engage in. Many people enjoy cooking because food brings people togther.

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Useful Phase

Pain Points: • Unaccessible gardening tools (hard to grip, requires strength) • Bending down for extended time and getting back up • Heavy objects (watering can, soil, etc.) • Sunburn and dehydration • Joint and back pain

Pain Points: • Cuts and bruises • Tool injuries • Carrying or lifting of heavy objects (vase, water etc.) • Gripping sharp edges or points • Strain on back • Fatigue on hands and body

Pain Points: • Bending down or reaching up • Equipment: hard to grip, heavy, difficult to use for extended time, unintuitive • Arthritis in hand problems: cutting, lifting and carrying utensils, and opening packages. • Lifting and carrying heavy objects.


Flying Many people enjoy traveling and solo traveling has become a trend. According to a solo travel website, a reader survey in 2018 shows the majority (29.3%) of their readers are 65 years old and above.

Cleaning In the US, nearly 29% of the 46 million community-dwelling older adults live alone. Doing household chores is part of their everyday lives and it also improves their health in many different ways.

Pain Points: • Transporting and checking in luggage • Getting luggage up in overhead compartments • Navigating in the airport • Standing or waiting in line • Long walking distances • Using escalators and moving walkways.

Pain Points: • Wet floors • Ergonomic Injuries - not using a good tool • Climbing and reaching high up areas • Dust become airborne because of dusting or sweeping • Heavy lifting

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Interview

Background

Regrets

Han is an office worker in her 60s. She quitted her job two months ago due to severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in her right hand.

She used to do flower arrangements for her friends and family weddings. She planned to start her own business after she retired. However, that might not be possible anymore due to her hand.

Her Hobbies • Flower arrangement • Cooking • Traveling • Gardening • Playing Piano She could not pursue any of the hobbies above anymore due to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Findings • • • •

Cannot raise her arms above her head. Electric tool that vibrates hurts badly. Use non-dominant hand for many task. Use upper body strength to push doors to lessen the pain in the hand • Turning (keys) is the worst motion, hurts badly.

It’s heartbreaking to hear her story. Knowing her passion in flower arrangement, I invited her to be my mentor and guide me through the rest of my projects. 8

Useful Phase


Hand Pains and Problems Arthitis - Osteoarthritis • Stiffness, swelling and pain • Pain at the base of the thumb • Loss of strength in the fingers and the grip • Limited dexerity in hand • Avoid bending fingers or pinching motion

Carpal tunnel syndrome • Trouble gripping objects with the hand • Pain or numbness in the hand • Burning or tingling in the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers • Have to use non-dominant hand for many daily tasks. Secondary Market: Young children from age 7-12, People with hemiparesis after a stroke.

Design Requirements • • • • • •

Wider handle Textured surface for better grip Using lighter weight material Electrical tools instead of mechanical Tools to help securing things in place Tool should be shaped to avoid wrist deviation, allowing the hand and forearm to remain in alignment during forceful grip exertion. • Avoid vibrating hand tools • Use less strength to complete the task • Avoid pinching motion

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Narrowing Down to Top 2 Joyous Pursuits

1 2 Flower Arranging

Cooking

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Useful Phase


Research - Flower Arranging Common Tools for Floral Design:

Market Findings Repetitive motion, such as cutting, causes pain and fatigue in the hand. Not many floral design tools are designed for people with weaknesses in their hands.

Pain Points

Opportunities

• Using a floral clipper or pruners • Carrying or lifting of heavy objects (vase, water etc.) • Pushing pins into stem • Gripping small items such as thin stems and floral picks • Holding and tying a bouquet • Fatigue on hands • Hard to control non-dominant hand when doing task like applying hot glue

• Explore other ways to clip the flowers. • Find easier way to carry or lift heavy objects. • Design tools that can help to do things with one hand. • Design tools that require less strength to operate. • Explore ways to grab smaller items without causing pain in hands. • Design other ways to hold or tie a bouquet.

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Research - Cooking

Kitchen Tools for Single Handed/Arthritis:

Market Findings Not many kitchen tools are designed for single-handed use. Those available in the market often scream: “I have a problem!”

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Pain Points

Opportunities

• Reaching for hard-to-reach objects • Equipment: hard to grip, heavy, difficult to use for extended time, unintuitive • Cutting with one hand • Opening packages • Lifting and carrying heavy objects • Many tasks are hard to do with one hand

• Explore other ways to carry or lift heavy objects like water. • Design tools to help complete task with one hand. • Make cutting and peeling food easier for onehanded people. • Design tools that do one task well, e.g. avocado cutter • Utilize other body parts like forearm to help carry things.

Useful Phase


Early Naive Concepts

After doing the sketches above, I realized I have more ideas for flower arrangement. Also, it would be easier to strive for mainstream and inclusive solution if I move on with flower arrangement as my joyous pursuit.

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2. Usable Phase The usable phase focuses on usability. Understand how it would be used by the people you’ve identified and how those interactions could be best communicated to those people.

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Diving Deeper

One Saturday morning, I followed Han to the flower mart to observe and experience the process.

Then we went back to her house and she showed me some basics to flower arrangements.

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Storyboard Putting together what I learned into the storyboard.

1. After shopping, get the flowers into the car

2. Carry heavy vase and flowers

3. Clean flowers and pull off the leaves

Pain points: Many objects are heavy to

Pain points: Repeating cutting motion

carry. Often times would need others to

hurts the wrist and fingers. Non-dominant

help.

hand cannot control the scissors well.

Need:

Need:

5. Put together a bouquet

6. Tie a bouquet

7. Pin the bouquet

Pain points: Hand gets tired when hold

Pain points: Pulling the ribbon hard

Pain points: Pushing the pins into the

the bouquet, especially large ones, for a

to tighten the bouquet requires a lot of

long time.

strength.

Need:

Need:

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4. Cut and trim the stems

8. Secure and transport the flowers

thick stem exerts pressure that hurts the

Pain points: It can be hard to secure

thumb.

the flowers without professional florist’s

Need:

tools. Need:

Usable Phase


Concept Sketches & Mockups

1

2

3

4

5

6

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1 3

5

6

4

2

Numbers correnpond to sketches in previous page.

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Usable Phase


User Testing

Han gave me little suggestions here and there and gave me honest feedback on what would not work. I decided to move on to design flower cutting tools because that is her priority in flower arrangement. I can see the excitement in her eyes when she played with my mockups and imagined that they worked.

Her top favorites: 1. Bouquet cutter 2. Flower cutter 3. Ribbon Spinner

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Problem Statement & Target User

Problem Statement Cutting flower stems is a big part of flower arrangements. However, the only available tool for cutting flowers is scissor. How might we cut flowers easily without using scissors?

Target User People who enjoy flower arrangements but have carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis or weakness in the hand.

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Usable Phase


Top 2 Concepts Concept A: Brief Description An electric flower cutter that cuts up to 10 stems at a time. How does it serve the needs of the people you have identified? • It requires less strength from the hand to cut the flowers • People who use their non-dominant hand can easily use the tool precisely without training What makes your concepts unique? • There are no tools like this out there in the market. • It makes the cutting process easier and enjoyable.

1. Slide flower into the cutting slot from side.

2. Push handle to cut.

Must Have • Blade guard or forms that prevent injuries • Press down button is good for both standing and sitting position • Wide enough area for people to do 45 degree cut

3. Use the marker to mark the length of flower for the next cut.

Want to Have • Flower stems drop into a bin or trash bag • A measuring tape incorporated into the design

4. Remove trash bag

Nice to Have • Angle guide for cutting stems • A marker to mark the last cut stem length • Works for both left/right handed people

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Concept B: Brief Description An electric flower cutter that cuts a bouquet at a time. How does it serve the needs of the people you have identified? • User does not have to cut the stems one by one • Save time and energy • Users could use their body weight to press down and cut What makes your concepts unique? • There are no tools like this out there in the market. • No more pain cutting a full bouquet.

1. Place the bouquet in from the top.

2. Adjust the cut height from the side.

Must Have • Big enough area on the bottom to fit huge amount of stems • Wider clearance between handle and machine

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3. Push handle down with both hands to cut.

Want to Have • A foot pedal, instead of using a hand. • Fit larger bouquet

Usable Phase

4. Remove trash tray

Nice to Have • Comes with a workstation with a hole for stems to drop through. • Automatically tape the bouquet before cutting


3. Desirable Phase Focus on the presence of your design and how it is perceived by an anxiously awaiting public. The aesthetics of your object should address all aspects of the sensory experience you feel people should have with your design.

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3 Mood Boards

Soft, Subtle

Elegant, Beautiful

Modern, Reliable

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How it works

Desirable Phase

Desirable Sketches

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Feedback: • Remind people of medical devices • Rounded edges look for friendly • Need more detail and form explorations • Use more bright and cheerful colors that reminds people of flowers • Textures provide a nice aesthetic and better grip

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Blade Lock and Tape Measure Explorations

Blade Lock

Tape Measure

Iteration A Feedback: • Avoid pinching motion (not arthritis friendly) • Push-in blade cover doesn’t associate directly with “blade lock”.

Desirable Phase

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Feedback: • Using a finger to raise might be physically demanding. • Hard to avoid blade lock being pushed back down accidentally.

Feedback: • Tape measure is easy to slide down and raise up. • Blade lock provides good visual cue that the blade is locked.

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Clamp Research & Explorations Common table twist-lock clamp hurts people with Carpal Tunnel badly, so I explored other easier clamps for my target user to use.

1. Slide device onto the table and push clamp up with one hand.

Feedback: • This type of clamp works well however it will add a lot of unnecessary thickness due to the rail sticking out. • Look into clip-on clamp. 2. Push down lock lever to lock it in place Desirable Phase

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Altering normal clip Common clip requires pinching motion, so I altered it to a pull-up motion wich works better for people with weaknesses in their hands.

Close

Front View: Pull up with four fingers (requires less strength) Open Side View

Finding the max table thickness

Studying the angle and how the rubber grip could hold the device in place. Max: 1.75in table thickness.

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4. Feasible Phase Feasibility is the final phase of the process. The goal is to propose a design that meets the goals of the previous phases and can be manufactured at a price that is appropriate for your intended consumer.

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Finalizing the Details

Iteration: Pull from below (hand could get caught)

Iteration: Pull from side (doesn’t work)

More rounded and friendlier form with tape measure slider that runs all the way across the top.

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Final Inspiration Board

The mood

Feasible Phase

33


The environment

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0.34

Orthographic

0.49

1.00

1.00

3.05

1.00

4.00

0.50

0.65

0.22

0.82

1.25

0.35

0.75

1.35

0.75

2.00

1.00 3.00

3.14

7.00

ORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

Feasible Phase

35


Exploded View

12 1

2 11 10

3

9 4 5 8

6

7

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Bill of Materials

No.

Part name

Material

Manufacturing Processes

Qty

1

Tape measure handle

Bioplastic

Injection Molding

1

2

Top housing

Bioplastic

Injection Molding

1

3

Sliding door

Clouded Acrylic

Plastic Fabrication

1

4

Thorn Stripper

Steel

Sheet Metal Fabrication

1

5

Blade guard

Stainless Steel

Sheet Metal Fabrication

1

6

Bottom housing

Bioplastic

Injection Molding

1

7

Screw

Steel

OEM

4

8

Cutting Blade

Teflon-coated carbon steel

9

PCB

10

Battery

Lithium

1

11

Tape measure

Steel

1

12

Button

Bioplastic

2 1

Injection Molding

Feasible Phase

1

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How It’s Used Clip-on Clamp

1. Pull up the clip

2. Slide it onto the table and release.

Turn on/off

1. Slide the button to turn it on/off.

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2. Frosted door slides to reveal cutter.


Measure

1. Slide out the tape measure.

2. Raise it upwards to set the height.

Cut, Lock Blade

Push button to cut stems.

Push “Lock� button to lock blade when not in use.

Feasible Phase

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Gestures

40


Final Model

Feasible Phase

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Accessible Details

Slider with finger indication and textured grip

Metal cover to show where the blade is.

Cutting slot is blocked with a bright color when you press “Lock�

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16pt font and graphics

Color contrast to show buttons and interaction points

3 inch wide textured clip-on clamp

Feasible Phase

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Color Choices

For the color choices, I picked cheerful colors that reminds people of flower arrangement. However, I make them rather muted because I don’t want the colors to compete with the flowers that the user is arranging.

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Thank you! Feasible Phase

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