Dexigns WorkBuddy YOUR SET YOUR CHOICE
01
STUDENT DETAILS.
NAME DATE OF BIRTH ADDRESS
MOBILE EMAIL
Will Dexter 01 / 02 / 2000 31, Old Bath Road Sonning Reading Berkshire RG4 6SY United Kingdom 07557642270 will.dexter00@gmail.com
02
ETHICS PAGE
03
CONTENTS PAGE 1.0
Abstract
05
2.0
Project Planning
06
3.0
Design Methodologies
07
4.0
Executive Summary
08
5.0
Project Aims
09
6.0
7.0
Context 6.1
Hybrid Working
6.2
Young Professionals
6.3
Work environment analysis
6.4
Maintaining quality of work
6.5
Mental well-being
Secondary Research 7.1
Market analysis
7.2
Workspace analysis
8.0
Comfort Trends For Design 8.1
Injecting greenery
8.2
Aromatherapy diffuser
8.3
Adjustable temperatures
8.4
Smart lighting
8.5
Design analysis
9.0
Primary Research 9.1
Employee A
9.2
Employee B
9.3
Employee C
9.4
Employee D
9.5
Situational Analysis
9.6
Focus groups
10
12
15
18
10.0
Consumer Analysis
11.0
Trend Analysis
23
12.0
Refined Brief
24
Design Process
25
13.0
13.1
14.0
13.2
Industrial / peer Assessment Design Development Analysis
13.4
2D/3D Development
13.5
Concepts
13.6
Concept Review
13.7
Concept Refinement
13.8
Tech Development
13.9
Testing/Scaling/Ergonomics
13.10
CAD Development
Materials / Manufacture 14.2
15.0
16.0
Initial Design Analysis
13.3
14.1
37
Material Analysis Materials and manufacture
Final Designs 15.1
Prototyping
15.2
Final designs
15.3
Website design
15.4
Highlighting innovation
15.5
Product journey
Project Evaluation 16.1
Secondary research
16.3
Personal reflection
16.2
22
41
46
Primary research
17.0
Appendices
48
18.0
List Of References
56
19.0
List Of Figures
57
20.0
Bibliography
59
04
1.0
ABSTRACT
This thesis researched and evaluated current office equipment for both remote and office working and investigated why this new rising hybrid trend is lacking in design and innovation. This was approached through a range of quantitative and qualitative research, laid out in a clearly structured design process to provide innovative solutions that help improve an employee’s quality of life and quality of work, no matter where they find themselves working, allowing the user to always feel prepared and comfortable for a day at work. Through these planned methods, a final consumer product range was designed to fit around the requirements of a working professionals through space optimizing, portable designs. These aimed to improve their job satisfaction using innovative products that people, as ‘habitual beings’, perhaps do not realise they need until problems are highlighted.
05
2.0
PROJECT PLANNING. | Time Management The approach to time management aimed to structure adequate space for each phase, taking minor and personal deadlines into account to keep the project organized and on track. Previous projects resulted in time pressures at the final deadline due to a lack of organization and additional time spent on specific parts of the design process. However, this final project was organized to allow enough time for evaluation and a direct approach for clear design development, with limited time spent pondering the next step.
Time management graph
Fig 1 - Time management
Project check points
Fig 2 - Personal deadlines
06
3.0
DESIGN METHODOLOGIES.
With time management approach being so structured, it was essential to keep the design process experimental through a rational design process that allowed for a freely flowing project. Qualitative research such as user journeys, user interviews as well as focus groups were conducted in a controlled environment and left anonymous for protection. Alongside this, quantitative research was conducted to gather data that justified findings as well as providing context and support for the design outcome. Critical evaluation and consumer testing helped establish progressive options throughout the project.
Damien Newman - Rational design process
Fig 3 - Design process
07
4.0
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
Hybrid working is a significant current trend, primarily due to the impact of COVID19 on business models and the employee working environment. Despite productivity and efficiency maintaining at the same level, little focus has been placed onto the employees themselves, their well-being and their working preferences when carrying out long, sedentary days resulting in a decrease in job satisfaction even though they enjoy the flexibility of remote working. Young working professionals tend to live in confined, urban apartments with shared living conditions. This can have a knock-on effect on their efficiency due to the demotivating, cluttered environment with no distinction between working and leisure spaces. Their office workspace has similar problems, with empty hot desks and an uninspiring setting. This emphasises the need for an improved workspace design for those who don’t have a designated desk either remotely or in the office as this can affect their quality of work and life.
08
5.0
PROJECT AIMS The aim of this project was to design a range of consumer products to help improve the quality of life and work of young working professionals who are struggling to stay motivated as they continue to alternate between working in the office and remotely. Importantly, the outcome needed to have continuity with the previous dynamic workstation developed in the minor project and help solve day-to-day organizational and environmental problems. The design should adapt to varied work categories and appeal to the wider hybrid working audience through customizable features that are personal to the user, resulting a high-end aesthetic that adds emotional durability to the concept. Throughout the project, a variety of developed concepts and models have been produced to help the employee feel prepared and comfortable when they find themselves working remotely or in the office. By testing these concepts through rigorous modelling and design package development, a commercially viable product workspace range has been designed to fit within the design specification. This final product range provides a set of unique comfort and organizational components that will improve the productivity and motivation of the users.
09
6.0 6.1
CONTEXT | Hybrid Working
Research made evident that the new hybrid working model is here to stay. Results showed that ‘85% wanted to use a hybrid approach of both home and office working (Office for National Statistics, 2020), with 96% of employees feeling that ‘flexibility in working arrangements is important when seeking a new job’ (Caroline Castrillon, 2021). This highlights the importance of portability for the user as the employee would look to share their time between the office and working remotely for the foreseeable
Fig 4 - Hybrid working
future. Therefore, space optimizing, and lightweight functions will be pivotal within the design to appeal to the demands of hybrid working. However, with the employees sharing their time between home and office environments, it is vital that the concept solves recurring daily issues faced by the employee in both situations.
6.2
| Young Professional
Research into young working professionals uncovered unique personality traits that set them apart from older generations, making them an interesting and idiosyncratic demographic to design for. These employees tend to share their working days between home and office as they enjoy the face-to-face interactions and sociable aspect. Of that target group, ‘49% of Millennials stated they need to spend time with colleagues directly to carry out their work effectively’ (Billie Ing, 2021). This highlights the importance of collaborative working in the office for networking and productivity. However, they also enjoy the flexibility remote working brings, with ‘56% of Millennials wanting to work from home at least three days a week post-pandemic’ (Billie Ing, 2021), highlighting the importance of personal independence without micro-management. Blending work and personal life increases job satisfaction and flexibility as it allows for additional time to be spent on personal career development and well-being. Therefore, addressing personal independence means looking into what tasks are carried and what problems are encountered in both the office and home environment as this is an important factor in meeting the demands of the young professional hybrid worker. Fig 5 - Target market
10
6.3
| Work environment analysis
URBAN APARTMENTS Although young professionals want to work remotely, due to an increase in urbanization they are put at an immediate disadvantage compared to the older generational employees as they don’t have the luxuries of private home offices. They therefore lack the outdoor space and workspace area resulting in ’71% of remote workers improvising a workspace’ (Michael Guta, 2021). As a result of this, they find themselves working on makeshift workstations around their urban apartment. Not having a designated workspace in these shared, confined living conditions can create additional struggles as there is limited room for practical office equipment, accessories, and storage, resulting in a lack of professionalism when working at home due to the unequipped environment. The professional aesthetic and atmosphere in an office encourages productive work through a motivational setting that symbolises efficiency therefore, it is essential to recreate this atmosphere at home by highlighting the unique aspects the office brings to an employee’s day and how this can be translated into design solutions. Fig 6 - Makeshift workstation
OFFICE HOT DESKS Unfortunately, this lack of a designated workspace follows them into the office as they find themselves regularly working on hot desks with ‘67% of small businesses already offering employees flexible hot desk working arrangements due to the practical benefits’ (Arthur Zuckerman, 2020). These impersonal, empty desks can be daunting and bring up a similar issue of not feeling fully invested in tasks due to their demotivating nature. Although these empty hot desks are spacious with storage space available below for bags and work, there is a lack of personal organization and structure. A lack of familiarity of your surrounding can increase anxiety and have a negative effect on comfort at work as they never feel ‘at home’ or relaxed when carrying out tasks, which can have a knock-on effect on productivity. Fig 7- Hot Desks
11
6.4
| Maintaining quality of work
Although young professionals are put at a disadvantage due to their confined living conditions and lack of office space, surprisingly ‘77% of those who worked remotely at least a few times per month showed an increase in productivity’ (Apollo Technical, 2022). This illustrates that the hybrid working model would appear to be working considering the limitations. However, through further research it was made evident that a lack of emphasis on employee’s mental health was the core issue as ‘80% of respondents stated that working from home has a negative side effect on health’ (Nuffield Health, 2020). This highlights that the issue is not efficiency but employee job satisfaction. This acted as a driving factor within the project as productivity can be directly associated with mental well-being. It can result in the employee feeling distracted from set tasks as they have external burdens taking their minds off work resulting in a decrease in quality of output. Fig 8 - Affecting productivity
6.5
| Mental well-being
Mental health is a key concern amongst young professionals, and they are becoming increasingly vocal about this topic, actively looking for products than are focused on their well-being. It is reported that ‘89% of workers reported mental health issues that impact their working lives’ (Mental Health Midlands, 2021) showing there is a lack of consideration towards the employee’s well-being. Also, ‘95% of employees who call in sick with stress don’t feel comfortable sharing that stress is an issue’ (Amy Rigby, 2020), highlighting there are private, wellbeing issues behind the scenes that they don’t feel they can share with their employer. This shows that hybrid working itself is not the issue, rather how it relates to the employees and employers’ approaches towards each other. This outdated approach shows there is lack of consideration for wellbeing, and a need to adapt to the new modern era of workers. Therefore, addressing these issues and designing an easily accessible innovative workstation set of products that focus on improving comfort and job satisfaction will appeal to the emerging demand. This will help the employee feel more relaxed when carrying out tasks at hand, resulting in a decrease in stress and a rise in motivation and concentration. Fig 9- Addressing well-being in the workplace
12
7.0 7.1
SECONDARY RESEARCH | Market Analysis
Figure 10 shows the current selection of office equipment from competitor brands currently available. Reviewing these built a clearer understanding as to why a more modern approach is needed. Those items are focused on carrying out specific work tasks like storage, organization, technical equipment, and stationery with a lack of emphasis on flexibility, comfort and wellbeing. As shown, these products are designed for a fixed workplace with no means for portability; the opposite of what the target market is looking for as ‘20% of full-time employees do not right tools to navigate the hot desk system’ (Natalie Chan, n.d ). This highlights the need for compact portable items so the employee can feel equipped and prepared for their ever-changing work environments. Research into desires and purchasing habits showed the demand for emotionally durable items that resonate with the consumer. Keeping designs customizable allows the user to make their workspace personalized to them, creating a familiar work environment wherever they work. ‘73% of employees are more productive and satisfied with hot desking and flexible arrangements’ (Meetio, 2021), suggesting that the designs should allow the user to choose what type of comfort products they want and customize them in a way that best matches their aesthetic preferences. This would make their flexible hot desk system even more desirable. It was evident that the product website should be designed to give the user the option of adapting the products to their own tastes, a unique feature that would increase awareness of the company. These tech-savvy individuals tend to do significant research before buying as they can be cautious with the practicalities of their purchases, proving that an informed and easily navigable website is essential.
Fig 10 - Analysing competitor brands
13
7.2
| Workstation analysis
Employees are more invested in career development than ever, with ‘more than 9 out of 10 employees saying they are willing to trade a percentage of their earnings for greater meaning at work’ (Shawn Achor, 2018), highlighting the desire for improved job satisfaction. ‘89% of respondents believed working from home reduced their expenditure’ (Evolve, 2020) therefore providing increased disposable income to invest in their personal workplace set up. Companies are also becoming increasingly aware of these needs, with results showing ‘employers have provided sufficient support for computer equipment for work (39%); software to support remote work (36%); home office equipment and furniture (22%), and financial support for the home office setup (18%)’ (N.F.Mendoza, 2021). This shows employers and employees are looking to invest in practical workspace setups as they are aware of the positive affects it can have on quality of work, presenting the potential opportunity of expanding the brand through economies of scale and targeting bulk buys from companies. Fig 11 - Investing in workspace set-ups
For the workspace design to appeal to the hybrid working model it is essential to understand all environments the user will be working in. This ranges across office working, commuting and remote working, with the occasional hospitality environment if commuting elsewhere. This means an in-depth primary research analysis of the environments and user was essential to fully understand what unique aspects should be incorporated into the comfortable workspace design and what beneficial aspects of the office should be brought home. The aim was to incorporate the daily routines of the office, and practical office equipment back home, so the employee can have a productive day remotely like they would in the office. Conversely, bringing homely benefits into the office is also essential for the employee to have a relaxed efficient day. Combining these positives around hybrid working will then increase the practicality of the range as the user will be able to take their personalized office anywhere and still always have all the key functions readily available and easy to use. Portability must be considered to make the commuting journey as easy as possible; the designs must be space optimizing and lightweight for ease of transportation.
Fig 12 - Environment analysis
14
8.0
COMFORT TRENDS
Evaluative research into the types of features within the workplace and common factors affecting employees comfort provided key insights into the daily problems faced and highlighted potential opportunities to translate into the workstation set. These comfort findings were evaluated and divided into correlated subsections that shared similar functions to provide a more direct understanding of how to incorporate these into commercially viable, multifunctional products that help improve the employee quality of life at work through a relaxing environment.
Fig 13 - Common working frustrations
15
8.1
| Injecting Greenery
Work environments can be dull due to either poor or outdated office designs. Working on an empty dining table at home or hot desk in the office becomes intrinsically demotivating, with a strict work agenda and no injection of colour or comfort. Biophilia is a current popular trend which is proven to have the benefit of ‘providing psychological relaxation and stress alleviation’ (Catharine Ward Thompson, 2016). Bringing ‘the outdoors in’ improves the quality of aesthetic by injecting colour, whilst also having cognitive benefits that reduce anxiety and improve mental well-being therefore, creating an uplifting environment leading to an increase in productivity. Applying additional multi-sensory features would be key for innovation, as a desk plant only solves problems at an aesthetic level. Incorporating multisensory, calming scents will increase the desirability of the product and will introduce a relaxing benefit for the employee when working.
8.2
Fig 14 - Desk plants
| Aromatherapy Diffuser Poor air quality is also proven to have a negative effect on an employee’s productivity. With the employee constantly changing their work environment it means they can never predict where they will be sitting, suggesting they cannot fully rely on the conditions around them. This shows the opportunity for a desk diffuser that provides ‘breathable particles of beneficial essential oils, giving the room a calmer, more pleasant-smelling ambiance’ (Jill Didonato, 2021) for the individual in that specific desk area. The work environment can be a stressful place, and relaxing scents can have a cognitive benefit for motivation and employee happiness. Therefore, a portable diffuser that can easily sit on the desk should be incorporated into the workspace comfort set. As mentioned previously, evaluating the common factors of improving the value of the workspace suggested that the desk plant and calming scents can combine to create an innovative multi-sensory experience. Fig 15 - Portable diffuser
8.3
| Adjustable Temperatures
Research into common employee frustrations found within the office highlighted unsatisfactory temperatures as a common downside of open plan settings. Working in large open rooms can get cold at points, whereas working in a small stuffy room can result in overheating. ‘It’s easier to focus on important work tasks when the temperature settings are right’ (Aaron, 2019). Being at an uncomfortable temperature can cause additional distractions and reduce productivity therefore, controlling the temperature to personal preferences would be ideal to keep the employee in a relaxed and motivated state of mind. Therefore, an adaptable desk heater fan should be designed as part of the multi-sensory office experience to help the employee keep their area, body and hands at the right temperature, creating the ideal comfortable workstation. Fig 16 - Portable heater fan
16
8.4
| Smart Lighting Brightening up the workplace became a focal point that led to the understanding of lighting issues faced daily, with ‘more workplaces embracing smart lighting, enabling a more comfortable environment for employees’ (Casambi, 2020). Poor lighting is a common issue faced both in the office and at home; this is detrimental to the employee, as it is essential to have effective task lighting for a long productive day at work. Inefficient lightings can cause strain on the employee’s eyes, causing headaches and distractions from work. In many situations, desk lights will not be available resulting in the employee working with only natural light and ceiling lights provided. This shows the gap in the market for adaptable smart lighting that can be controlled by the user to best suit the tone they want for the task. Mood lighting should be incorporated to create calming, relaxing tones wherever the employee is sat. These adaptable lighting schemes should be controlled by the user’s phone to add daily structure and time scheduling to their busy days with different colour tones representing different parts of the day. This in turn can have a huge impact on the employee workspace satisfaction by providing a more relaxing work setting for a long sedentary working day. Fig 17 - Smart mood lighting
Fig 18 - Design opportunity
8.5
Design Analysis
With all four comfort products being justified in relation to the quality of life brief, the projects focus then took a turn with a more targeted approach of increasing the range into improving the employees quality of work. This means investigating into daily work and organizational problems they may face that needs addressing with design innovation, resulting in the ideal hybrid working set that improves job satisfaction.
17
9.0
PRIMARY RESEARCH
The triangulation of qualitative research methods consisted of user journeys that analysed the employees working days both remotely and in the office. In depth interviews conducted immediately after, to ask direct questions into key insights discovered throughout the user journey, allowing for a detailed understanding of the target market and their daily problems. Primary research was then finalized through focus groups to highlight any key insights that may have been missed. Exploration of competitors and their products helped gain a further understanding of the market standards and highlighted how the designs could utilise innovation.
The primary research gathered within the project focused on the new hybrid worker, considering their needs and opinions on their personal experiences when carrying out long working days in various locations. Their thoughts helped shape the design around the needs of these young professionals and lead to a more direct understanding of the desired product range. The primary research rigorously evaluated different demographics to gain a broad overview of the common problems faced daily from varied categories of workers. Five employees were chosen as a focus group with three being young working professionals living in urban city apartments and two being Gen X employees with private home offices in their suburban houses. To discover the opportunity areas for design, individual user journeys were carried out and followed up with individual, in-depth conversations that allowed for direct questioning into why the user felt this way or acted in that manner, allowing for an accurate evaluation. Fig 19- Remote working
Fig 20 - Key insight analysis
18
9.1
| Employee A
This employee tends to work from home three days a week in his city apartment where he faces the daily problem of a disorganized, cluttered workstation in his living room. Even though he uses the same items and technology every day, he still feels like he can never escape from his work life as its always in sight. This inconvenient clutter means he is not motivated to pack things away as there is no convenient storage system. However, after mapping the working day, common problems were identified, for example constant cold tea repour, and switching charging ports due to a lack of sockets and practical charging nearby. It became apparent that his two phones required different chargers, leading to them being misplaced due to there not being practical storage in easy reach. This uncovered the need for visible phone storage as well as organizational features covering stationary, work, and technology aspects. Due to his lack of organization, the employee resorted to working from the sofa to escape the mess and break up his day, therefore showing another key opportunity for a sturdy lap desk to help him work round the apartment and maximise his comfort and working flexibility. Even though the employee said he enjoyed working from home, his organizational problems and his struggles with working round the apartment led him to feel trapped in his own space as he felt uncomfortable after working for long period of times.
Fig 21 - User journey, remote working analysis
9.2
| Employee B
The common problems faced throughout this employee’s day were created due to the requirement to sit at his desk for long periods of time. Anxiety and stress would result in him needing breaks away from the desk, and he found that bright light would cause headaches and additional stress leading him to make conscious efforts to address his wellbeing by incorporating mood lifting desk plants and personalized comfort features. However, unlike employee A, he made a conscious effort to stay organized by keeping his desk tidy and packing up his work to minimise the stress he was already facing, which acted as a key insight into improving comfort at the desk. Therefore, it is essential to not only bring the organization aspect into the workplace (stationary, note pads, technology storage) but to also improve the lives of those who struggle with feeling relaxed and comfortable at work. Previous secondary research showed that mental well-being improves job satisfaction and has a positive effect on quality of work. Through interviewing employee B and confidentially exploring these topics, he highlighted the impracticalities of carrying a flask everywhere as he strongly dislikes drinking cold coffee, highlighting a common issue employee A faced showing the need for an innovative drink warmer/ cooler system. Another common problem was the lack of practical, close charging at the desk as he had to swap chargers to apply to his varied tech around the desk; phones, speaker, lights which highlighted the need for convenient easy-use adaptable charging. However, this employee’s key takeaway from having a productive day was to keep organized at all points so he doesn’t lose concentration.
Fig 22 - User journey, remote working analysis
19
9.3
| Employee C
Research into empty hot desk office working was key to fully understand the hybrid model for young working professionals. This meant shadowing an office working employee for the day to see his common problems around the office as he too had no designated workspace. These desks are spacious and come with their own monitors for a practical day at work. However, limited consideration has been given to the availability of charging ports due to these large desks being shared with fellow employees. After asking why he keeps the desk empty, it became apparent that these characterless spaces resulted in the employee not feeling motivated to unpack their bag as they feel there was no point as the space was not designated as theirs. This highlights the opportunity to change their perception of the way they see these working days, with the desk as a primary focus for increasing their enjoyment when carrying out tasks. After further questioning into what would change their view of this demotivating aspect, it was made apparent that a personalized workspace tailored to their aesthetic and work-related needs would make work more enjoyable and encourage them to work at the desk for longer.
Fig 23 - User journey, office working analysis
9.4
| Employee D
This older Gen X employee is a well off, successful worker who chose to work more from home as he enjoyed the relaxed environment in his private home office. Through questioning and evaluating his answers into why he felt this way, it was made apparent that he enjoyed having everything organized exactly how he needed it in his own manner. He could keep everything in one, convenient place without having to find storage for a limited time before needing to leave. This shows that maximising the employee’s organization and providing storage that is conveniently placed and easily accessible is essential to increase job satisfaction. Although his work environments and problems are different, through direct questioning it was clear he had problems in common with young professionals, with a lack of phone and wire organization being the main source of inconvenience, highlighting the need for an innovative approach to organization.
Fig 24 - Private office working analysis
20
9.5
| Situational Analysis
Fig 25 - Design opportunity
9.6
| Focus Groups
Focus groups were established to get a clear, analytical understanding of the desires of the consumer and their purchasing habits which resulted in detailed insights into what to incorporate and what not to include within the designs. These different opinions were across multiple job sectors which emphasized the need for a diverse range of products that enabled personalization for different working needs. Further exploration into in-store competitors was carried out by evaluating the industry standards and critically evaluating the products to understand how innovation can be utilised. This presented a more refined understanding what USPs within the concept should be emphasized when branding and advertising the product.
Fig 26 - Consumer feedback
21
10.0
CONSUMER ANALYSIS
A user profile was set up to match the young working professional target persona in order to gain a detailed perspective of their personality traits and purchasing habits. This meant looking into the types of workstations they work at in the office as well as their home environments, narrowing down the understanding of where the product range would fit. Mapping out the product placement highlighted that prioritizing space-optimizing, easily movable designs was a driving factor within designs. This will allow the user to adapt their workstation by stacking or reconfiguring the modular products to create the ideal amount of free space at that moment of time, reducing desk clutter. Users desired lightweight and compact designs for the portability aspect as well, due to small work bags used on daily city commutes on confined public transport. Spaceoptimizing designs will mean the range can fit easily in their work bags, with flexibility to vary depending on job, gender and personality; these adaptable storage sizes need to be at the forefront of every design to ensure the range can fit in the smallest of bags whilst still leaving additional space for extra items the user might want to pack for the day.
Fig 27 - Mapping product environment
22
11.0
TREND ANALYSIS
Understanding competitor aesthetics and functions is essential for innovation as it provides a foundation to improve upon, which is ideal when trying to compete against top brands to create a USP that helps the product stand out from the rest of the market. However, after finding articles that displayed innovate and award-winning aesthetics the direction of the project took a turn, with a primary focus shifting to a high quality, sleek and minimalistic workspace design with minimal adhesives and Scandinavian aesthetics as it was discovered that even the simplest of products could be eye-catching and desirable. This exploration highlighted that those modular designs don’t necessarily need to be matching sizes, as the key factor that unifies the range is the aesthetics. However, even though the sizes do not need to be the same, standardized measurements are a must as this can allow the modular products to work in different formations, allowing the user to reconfigure the workspace in new, inventive ways. To achieve this goal, sketch exploration is essential to uncover the most compatible, fully functioning solution for the target user.
Fig 28 - Design article mood boards
23
12.0
REFINED BRIEF
Fig 29 - Product design specification
24
13.0 13.1
DESIGN PROCESS | Initial Design Analysis
The initial design work was carried out after exploring current aesthetic trends and the key problems the user faces that were uncovered through primary and secondary research. Although all the key comfort products were finalised, not entirely knowing what types of essentials desk organizers were required gave the opportunity to develop innovative modular ideas and forms which resulted in freely sketched concepts that experimented in different ways the products could work together. The design process phase of the project started off strongly with a host of initial ideas informed by research. These explored methods to provide modularity whilst incorporating adaptability which in turn could result in minimising clutter through innovative design. Initial concept work began through extensive annotated sketch work, which was reviewed on a weekly basis in tutorial groups. This had the additional benefit of gathering peer feedback to gain a clear understanding of key ideas that should then be developed later. These findings and previous sketches were merged to maximise innovation whilst highlighting aspects that should be rejected as part of the refinement process. These merged concepts explored flexible, foldable, and other experimental concepts with shape and form being at the forefront of the designs to explore ways of bringing the modular set together in a unique way. The ideas were well described verbally, annotated, and communicated through evaluation and justification, and ideation happened concurrently throughout the project due to the experimental development process. It was important that the process progressed through to development now that the foundations of the project had been built. This led to sketch concepts being drawn out in detail, with new ideas merged through rough ideation, to come up with five different concepts that all had their own unique USP which was analysed and highlighted through annotation. Here group feedback was utilised to gain an understanding of what concepts were desired and what components should be omitted.
MUG WARMER / HEATER FAN
SMART MOOD LIGHTING
25
BIOPHILIC DESK PLANT
ADAPTABLE CHARGING
ESSENTIALS DESK ORGANIZERS
LAP DESK WITH STORAGE
Fig 30 - Sketch exploration
26
SKETCH CONCEPTS
These concepts were sketched out freely by combining concepts together from the initial idea phase and translating them into a more innovative commercially viable concept through development. By pulling different aspect together, and combining unique functions and aesthetics, it allowed for a range of innovative concepts to be designed with no limitations affecting design. Focus groups will then highlight which parts of each concept is the most desirable and why, providing justification behind the design development.
Fig 31 - Sketch concepts
27
13.2
| Industrial / Peer Assessment
Focus groups provided the opportunity to ask direct questions about the concepts which resulted in targeted answers that deconstructed specific problems that needed to be considered before taking the concepts into development. This showed multiple problems that needed refining, including a clearer understanding of what kind of essentials were needed to be organized and stored; phones, wires, stationary and other tech requirements to improve organization. Positives about the concepts were highlighted which showed areas for further development. Specifically, the modular block concept as the components can easily be packed away through space optimizing designs as well as stacked up and connected with minimal effort. Through constructive feedback, some products were identified as not being required. For example, the coffee mug warmer, as it was not a priority area and provided an inefficient solution. Other feedback suggested expanding the range to increase customizability and options, which in turn would increase demand and potential long-term interest. Another key finding highlighted that the designs should be explained in greater detail and displayed clearly, suggesting that individual products could get lost within the extensive range. This meant not only developing each individual product and explaining the unique details but also exploring the concept as whole and how it would work together, with the magnetic attractions between the blocks standing out as a unique innovation to enable adaptable reconfiguration.
Fig 32 - Focus groups
28
13.3
| Design Development Analysis
To develop the product range further, the intricate, technical details were established by sketching them in an experimental context which would best suit the space optimizing design. Considerations were made in terms of how the units connected, how to improve adaptability through customizable sizing as well as exploring technical features like buttons, controls and detailing that would transform the products into a commercially viable design. Sketch development allowed the design to target points bought up through previous concept analysis and peer feedback, allowing for a clear understanding of what factors needed to be refined to create a working, desired workstation set, all through critical evaluation into why certain designs were not viable. This highlighted what aspects should then be continued into the concept review as well as showing what aspects should be reconsidered. Certain key factors like shape and form needed refinement before the concept review to investigate in 3D. This highlighted the key problems and solutions available for development to make a physical viable product and overarching concept.
SIZE
CUSTOMIZABILITY
SCALING
ADAPTABILITY
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
SKETCHING IN CONTEXT
Fig 33 - Sketch development
29
13.4
| 2D / 3D Development
As part of the design process, it was necessary to make sketch models for testing to understand the form and function of different design concepts, investigating how they work together and how well they match the portable criteria. This stage provided insight into how different design concepts could be developed to effectively meet the needs of the brief. Through the inspiration of primary and secondary data collection, along with sketch development of experimental concepts, several initial concepts were developed using a design specification aimed at producing an adaptable, modular workstation. Once developed through initial sketching, three main concepts were produced from each individual product allowing for testing on how it would work in situation on the desk. These three models then provided an opportunity to choose which worked together the best and what aspects should be continued alongside the design process. The purpose of experimenting with three variations for each product was to gather qualitative research regarding the shape and form and which sat best on the table and worked as a modular system. These models were then tested in office situations both packed up and set out on the desk, so that each item could be developed to a final product ready for refinement. The desired result of this testing was to narrow down the concepts to one, where that one concept can then be developed to product a final model, with adjustments as needed. The most suitable concept was taken further for the concept review and a fully detailed design made as a CAD model. This was required to get a detailed understanding of exact sizing to justify key decisions necessary to reach the outcome.
SHAPE / FORM
MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT
DESK PLANT
HEATER FAN
PHONE STAND
SMART LIGHT
ADAPTABLE CHARGER
ESSENTIALS ORGANIZERS
LAP DESK
PACKED UP
ON DESK
PORTABILITY
Fig 34 - Model development
30
LAP DESK
ORGANIZERS
CHARGER
SMART LIGHT
PHONE STAND
HEATER FAN
DESK PLANT
13.5 | Concepts
Fig 35 - Concept boards
31
13.6
| Concept Review
The chosen approach to testing the concept was through utilising the opinions of peer designers and focus groups within the target market, leveraging their knowledge of the hybrid working scheme and their own unique insights to the system. It became apparent that most people said they would want a few items but felt uncomfortable if they had to buy the whole set as the concept was limited in flexibility. Each person was given an empty starting point and was had the opportunity to mix and match their ideal set, highlighting the main products; smart light, adaptable charger and stationary storage, with the other items only being chosen a few times. However, many reviewers said they would like more options as they wanted to choose different products more tailored to their specific needs. This led to further investigative research into their personal requirements, resulting in a clear insight into a wider, more customizable range. Although more products will be designed for further development, it was also made apparent that the user wants an option to choose less products if they like as they felt restricted with the single sized lap desk.
Fig 36 - Analysing feedback
32
13.7
| Concept Refinement
The concept review revealed that there should be more options available within the range as varied job categories require different functionalities and needs. Sketch work was utilised to experiment and refine these additional products so that they would fit within the previously designed range therefore creating a commercially viable, working set. Critical evaluation and testing were happened throughout development so that the final developed designs could be refined through model testing and scaling. Further design development went into investigating intricate details and understanding how the individual products would work together to create a professional concept. Key findings: - Wire organization development - Tech storage development - Customizable product casing - Aromatherapy diffuser development
WIRE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
WIRE ORGANIZATION REFINEMENT
TECH STORAGE DEVELOPMENT
TECH STORAGE REFINEMENT
AROMATHERAPY DIFFUSER DEVELOPMENT
AROMATHERAPY DIFFUSER REFINEMENT
Fig 37 - Sketch refinement
33
13.8
| Tech Development
To fully understand the technical aspect of the products, it was essential to purchase similar items online to analyse and understand the specific internal components. However, after purchasing these, it was clear that they didn’t match the complexity of the innovation which included more advanced technical features. This resulted in further research into alternative components and analysing how to incorporate these high-end features to understand the fully functioning product range. Bespoke, innovative technical components were essential to translate into a more space optimizing, smaller designs. Combining these two primary and secondary findings allowed for the creation of an immediate detailed sketch of all the necessary components to gain a full understanding of the new designs that fit the concept brief. This resulted in a high-quality functioning product range that is not over-complicated. Further refinement of the components or economies of scale could be possible to minimise production costs.
HEATER FAN
SMART LIGHTING
ADAPTABLE CHARGER
Fig 38 - Tech analysis
34
13.9
| Testing/Scaling/Ergonomics
To evaluate the final product range, in-context testing was carried out to show whether the design could work in a real situation. Through modelling, certain design aspects were revealed as less commercially viable when compared to other model alternatives as they were tested in real situations alongside employee products. Simple design justification such as changing the points listed below would result in a more viable design for the user, highlighting what they would use the product for as well as justifying why the refined design would be more suitable for scale and form in terms of manufacture. The points were mainly related to the ease of use and extraction of the products from the case.
Key findings - The set needed chamfered edges to allow fingers to fit in the gaps - Casing needed an open end to improve access - Phone casing needed wider slots to ensure the phone would fit correctly - Varied heights were needed to make it easier to extract the products
Fig 39 - Model refinement
The next modelling step was to enter the workshop and consult with technicians to understand manufacturability of the prototype model. These prototype models were designed to explain the overall concept and explore multiple design aspects.
35
13.10
| CAD Development
CAD was a critical aid in realising the design. The
OLD DESIGN
NEW DESIGN
process increased the development speed as elements could be amended from previous models and drawings. The concept went through a great deal of development, with this process being repeated several times to refine components and establish the exact measurements. Utilising CAD as part of the development phase was essential to gain a detailed understanding of the scale of each individual component as well has highlighting how big the technical inserts, controls and buttons should be to make a working product, as well as showing exactly where points of contact should be for adhesives and joints. Solidworks models were used to develop and test designs, with gradual refinement to make a fully defined working concept. CAD modelling provided many benefits as it provided a realistic visual rendering of the product, however if the process had solely relied on CAD development the proportions of the prototype would have been far from practical, as modelling demonstrated key insights that influenced the final design though practical testing and comparative analysis.
Fig 40 - CAD development
Fig 41 - CAD analysis
36
14.0 14.1
MATERIALS / MANUFACTURE | Material Analysis
Once the final concept had been developed, a final decision on materials and manufacture needed to be made to create realistic, physical prototypes. After purchasing similar, competitor products online and taking them apart it was clear these plastic injected moulded designs felt low quality; the opposite of what the brand aimed to represent. The range ideally should be high quality wood with an appealing, emotionally durable aspect as discovered in the trend research, whilst keeping lightweight woods in mind to maximise the portability aspect. Researching high end wood products helped influence the aesthetic, leading to an exploration in KeyShot materials to find the most appealing, eye-catching material. This highlighted the standout aesthetics which were then noted for further development. However, fabrics also play a big part in the concept to protect tech products and other work or stationary items when stored. This meant analysing which colour tones complemented the sleek woods when paired up. This then led to final range of customisable materials with many combinations, all available for the user to personalize themselves.
Fig 42 - Material analysis
37
Following the core material application, further research into the best suited secondary materials was done to achieve the safest yet highest performing product range possible. Through analysing and comparing plastics, secondary woods, and glass, it was clear that a glass face for the charger would be the highest performing material for wireless charging and polycarbonate would be the best plastic for the heater fan due to its high heat resistance. Although polycarbonate protection meant compromising on cost, it meant the product would meet safety requirements and avoid hazardous overheating of the wooden exterior. Through comparing risk and quality, it was important to sacrifice some element of cost to keep the concepts safe and durable. The last consideration was the light diffuser shade, and through evaluating the current market products, a simple acrylic plastic sheet would meet all necessities needed to keep the light intensity at a safe level, in turn protecting the user from exposure. Fig 43 - Material application
Fig 44 - Customizable materials
38
14.2
| Materials and Manufacture
Once the exact materials and technical components were identified, the final step was to find manufacturers that matched the descriptions and aesthetics of the components to bring the product to life. It was essential to keep the materials locally sourced through ethical FSC manufacturers to keep the brand image at a high whilst cutting costs in transport. These locally sourced manufacturers can meet demand quickly and adapt to orders as needed. Previous exploded CAD views provided a clear and simple image highlighting the list of materials for each product as well as showing how many components were needed to finalise cost of manufacture and the bill of materials, based on thorough estimations of similar product costs on the market. This meant describing the process step by step to gain a detailed understanding of the components and costings as well as time to manufacture in chronological order.
- Black Walnut - White Oak - Maple - White Ash
Fig 46 - Manufacture
39
STANDARDIZED MEASUREMENTS
MODULAR / ADAPTABLE COMBINATIONS
CUSTOMIZABLE CASING
Fig 45 - Scaling / measurements
40
15.0 15.1
FINAL DESIGNS | Prototyping
To evaluate the final design within a work setting, full scale prototyping and testing the concepts in situation with office products was essential to understand how the full concept and the products would work together. This final testing showed there were a few gaps within the design, one being that the CNC cut edging was too thin at 2mm which would result in splitting during manufacture. After conversing with technicians within the workshop, it was made apparent that thicker 4mm edging would hold up in manufacture and would be even more durable when manufactured and in situation.
Fig 47 - Prototype analysis
41
15.2
| Final Designs
Through much research, development and testing, the outcome reflected information gathered and answers to the brief. The outcome had many detailed considerations, producing a product that effectively suited the needs of the intended market, manufacturing process and most importantly the brief and target consumer. However, these considerations had to come together to create a successful product. Fig 46 - Final design
The final design of WOKRBUDDY utilises the free space available on any given work surface through adaptable combinations of space optimizing, modular blocks that range in size to maximise the customizability and flexibility of the concept. Part of the range provides comfort and well-being to the user’s day at work, therefore improving their quality of life and meeting the first point of the original brief. Other parts of the range provide organizational structure to their day whilst being stored in a space optimizing, completely customizable product casing to meet the user’s choice of products. All the items are designed fit into the work bag to maximise portability, thereby meeting the second point referred to Fig 47 - Highly portable
in the original brief; improving quality of work.
Fig 48 - The range
42
15.3
Website Design
Fig 49 - Website for user
43
15.4
Highlighting Innovation
Customizable choices
Customizable materials
Smart App
Adaptable product charging
Adaptable combinations
Fig 50 - Innovation
44
15.5
Product Journey
Fig 51 - Advertisement to workstation
45
16.0
PROJECT EVALUATION
Starting with the initial idea for the project, the design journey has developed from a six-product range where the user had to have all items packed up in a single lap desk, to a fully customizable range where the user can tailor what they choose to match their individual needs, with the option of choosing as many or as few items as required.
16.1
| Secondary Research
The initial stages of the project focused on addressing the need for improving quality of life and work within the hybrid model, as multiple sources of statistics and information indicated that although productivity has maintained, job satisfaction and mental well-being has declined. This project phase was essential to understand why employees felt this way as the majority said they enjoyed working remotely from time to time. Young professionals gave great insight into how improving comfort at the desk can increase productivity whilst having a knock-on effect on motivation as they are more invested in the task, benefiting both employees and businesses. Secondary research provided a strong platform for primary research to understand the everyday issues the employee faced, highlighting that the comfort products mentioned in secondary research would also benefit them. In future development a stronger understanding of older generations and their daily problems needs to be found to appeal to a wider market as hybrid working is a universal challenge across all demographic groups. Fig 52 - Key insights
16.2
| Primary Research
Through the primary research phase, the focus was on understanding the core issues faced daily through user journey mapping and direct questioning. This primary research method led to a range of results that covered the working problems rather than the comfort problems found in the secondary research. Reviewing competitor brands and creating focus groups was a contributing factor to a strong design, creating justification as to why the user’s daily life needs improving. Using data gathered form the secondary phase, the primary research surrounded the design with a deeper understanding of the core work related issues, which resulted in an outcome that perfectly matches the brief of both improving quality of work and quality of life when working under the hybrid model. Moving forward, further investigation into deeper and more unique problems would be useful to create an even broader range as the brand is aiming to expand and appeal to a wider audience with the hope of becoming a pioneer within Fig 53 - Hot Desks
this emerging market.
46
16.3
| Personal Reflection
Overall, I am very pleased with final product for WORKBUDDY. It was valuable to create the concept as a physical prototype as it means users can physically understand and interact with the design in a real-life context (including competitions) to gain a full understanding of scale and the truly space optimizing design. I aim to take this project further and develop the brand and the designs into a larger range that appeals to wider demographics who are struggling with the new hybrid working model. This will hopefully result in a tangible, pioneering brand that addresses this exciting new gap in the market. Further investigation into manufacturers and costings will be conducted to gain an professional understanding of exact pricing whilst also bringing the product to life as it will be made out of high quality woods instead of foam.
47
17.0
APPENDIX 1 - PROJECT PLANNING
48
APPENDIX 2 - DESIGN METHODOLOGIES
49
APPENDIX 3 - KEY INSIGHTS
50
APPENDIX 4 - EMPLOYEE A
51
APPENDIX 5 - EMPLOYEE B
52
APPENDIX 6 - EMPLOYEE C
53
APPENDIX 7 - EMPLOYEE D
54
APPENDICES 8 - USER JOURNEY INSIGHTS
55
18.0
LIST OF REFERENCES.
Aaron, ( 5 April 2019) Why Temperature Control is Essential to Workplace Productivity [online] EffortlessHR, Available at: https://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/why-temperature-control-is-essential-to-workplace-productivity/ [Accessed 5 March 2022] Abi Casey ( 21 July 2020) Business and individual attitudes towards the future of home working [online] Office for National Statistics, Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/businessandindividualattitudestowardsthefutureofhomeworkinguk/apriltomay2021 [Accessed 15 February 2022] Amy Rigby, ( 11 March 2020) 21 productivity statistics from the workplace [online] Serene, Available at: https://sereneapp.com/workplace-productivity-statistics/ [Accessed 25 February 2022] Apollo Technical, ( 12 April 2022) Surprising working from home productivity statistics [online] Available at: https://www.apollotechnical.com/working-from-home-productivity-statistics/ [Accessed 22 February 2022] Arthur Zuckerman, ( 8 May 2020) 45 flexible working statistics:2020/2021 data, trends & predictions [online] Compare Camp, Available at: https://comparecamp.com/flexible-working-statistics/ [Accessed 20 February 2022] Billie Ing, ( 9 March 2021) Young people and working from home in the pandemic [online] Ipsos, Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/young-people-and-working-home-wfh-pandemic [Accessed 16 February 2022] Billie Ing, ( 9 March 2021) Young people and working from home in the pandemic [online] Ipsos, Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/young-people-and-working-home-wfh-pandemic [Accessed 16 February 2022] Caroline Castrillon ( 27 Dec 2021) This is the future of remote work in 2021 [online] Forbes, Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2021/12/27/this-is-the-future-of-remote-work-in-2021/?sh=305712f51e1d [Accessed 15 February 2022] Casambi, ( 21 October 2020) Office lighting trends 2020 [Blog] Casambi, Available at: https://casambi.com/blog/office-lighting-trends-2020/ [Accessed 6 March 2022] Catharine Ward Thompson and Eva Silveirinha de Oliveira, ( 2016) Urban green spaces and health [online] World Health Organization, Available at: https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/321971/Urban-green-spaces-and-health-review-evidence.pdf [Accessed 1 March 2022] Evolve, ( 2020) The UK’s remote working landscape [online] Evolve, Available at: https://www.evolve-consultants.co.uk/2020/05/14/the-state-of-remote-working-in-the-uk-2020/ [Accessed 28 February 2022] Jill Didonato, ( 2 November 2021) Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Using an Oil Diffuser [online] Byrdie, Available at: https://www.byrdie.com/what-is-an-oil-diffuser-4766885 [Accessed 5 March 2022] Meetio, ( 9 September 2021) How a hot desk booking system can improve your company culture [online] Meetio, Available at: https://www.meetio.com/blog/how-a-hot-desk-booking-system-can-improve-your-company-culture [Accessed 28 February 2022] Michael Guta, ( August 2021) 38% of remote workers routinely work from their bed [online] Small business trends, Available at: https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/08/working-remotely-from-bed.html [Accessed 20 February 2022] Nathalie Chan ( n.d ) The future of hot desking in the new workplace [online] Kadence, Available at: https://kadence.co/uk/news/the-future-of-hot-desking/ [Accessed 28 February 2022] N.F.Mendoz, ( 8 February 2021) The financial downside of remote: 75% of workers spent their own money to work from home [online] Tech Republic, Available at: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-financial-downside-of-remote-75-of-workers-spent-their-own-money-to-work-from-home/ [Accessed 1 March 2022] Nuffield Health, ( 19 June 2020) Working from home taking its toll on the mental health & relationships of the nation [online] Available at: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/working-from-home-taking-its-toll-on-the-mental-health-relationships-of-the-nation [Accessed 21 February 2022] Sam Weston, ( 14 March 2021) Mental health in the workplace [online] Mental Health Midlands, Available at: https://www.mypossibleself.com/blog/mental-health-workplace-uk-crisis-eight-statistics/ [Accessed 21 February 2022] Shawn Achor, Andrew Reece, Gabriella Rosen Kellerman, and Alexi Robichaux ( 6 November 2018) 9 out of 10 peopleare willing to make less money to do more meaningful work [online] Harvard Business, Available at: https://hbr.org/2018/11/9-out-of-10-people-are-willing-to-earn-less-money-to-do-more-meaningful-work [Accessed 28 February 2022]
56
19.0
FIGURES LIST.
Figure 1.
Time management, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
Figure 2.
Personal deadlines, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
Figure 3.
Design process, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
Figure 4.
Hybrid working (2022) Tiffny Fowell [digital image] Available at:
Figure 5.
Target market (August 22, 2020) Samson Katt [digital image] Available at:
Figure 6.
https://envoy.com/blog/what-is-a-hybrid-work-model/ [Accessed 2 February 2022]
https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-female-freelancer-using-computer-with-dog-5256180/ [Accessed 3 February 2022]
Makeshift workstation (2020) Vlada Karpovich [digital image] Available at:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/female-remote-worker-typing-on-laptop-at-home-4050436/ [Accessed 5 February 2022]
Figure 7.
Hot desks (n.d) workspace365 [digital image] Available at:
Figure 8.
Affecting productivity (November 20, 2017) Daria Shevtsova [digital image] Available at:
Figure 9.
Addressing well-being in the workplace (October 7, 2020) Alex Green [digital image] Available at:
https://www.workspace365.com.au/flex-desk [Accessed 5 February 2022]
https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-black-laptop-computer-on-brown-wooden-stool-near-pile-books-698170/ [Accessed 9 February 2022]
https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-woman-sitting-on-bed-at-home-5699725/ [Accessed 5 February 2022]
Figure 10. Figure 11. Figure 12.
Analysing competitor brands, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo Investing in workspace set-ups, n.d, Epay [digital image] Available at:
https://www.zppays.gq/products.aspx?cname=office+desk+setup+ideas&cid=10&xi=5&xc=19&pr=66.99 [Accessed 5 February 2022]
Environment analysis, 2020, shutterstock [digital image] Available at: https://www.benefitspro.com/2020/07/15/making-masks-work-how-to-help-people-master-the-challenges-of-communicating-while-wearing-amask/?slreturn=20220407065338 [Accessed 14 February 2022]
Figure 13.
Common working frustrations, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
Figure 14.
Desk plants, n.d, [digital image] Available at:
Figure 15.
Portable diffuser, n.d, amazon essentials diffuser [digital image] Available at:
Figure 16.
Portable heater fan, n.d, best mini heaters [digital image] Available at:
Figure 17.
Smart mood lighting, n.d, Norm Architects [digital image] Available at:
Figure 18.
Design opportunity, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
Figure 19.
Remote working, 2022, employee A, shared city apartment. Self taken photo
Figure 20.
Key insight analysis, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
Figure 21.
Employee A, 2022, user journey, remote working analysis, shared city apartment. Self taken photo
Figure 22.
Employee B, 2022, user journey, remote working analysis, shared city apartment. Self taken photo
Figure 23.
Employee C, 2022, user journey, office working analysis, shared city apartment. Self taken photo
Figure 24.
Employee D, 2022, private office working analysis, rural house. Self taken photo
Figure 25.
Design opportunity, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
Figure 26.
Consumer feedback, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 27.
Mapping product environment, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo
https://sc04.alicdn.com/kf/H7ac324c13e6d4a58876dad4906e5d025u/231646985/H7ac324c13e6d4a58876dad4906e5d025u.jpg [Accessed 29 February, 2022]
https://www.amazon.com/Esssential-Aromatherapy-Humidifier-Waterless-Ultrasonic/dp/B07LFR37PN [Accessed 4 March, 2022]
https://www.aniwaa.com/buyers-guide/home/best-mini-heaters-desktop-office/ [Accessed 5 March, 2022]
https://www.madeindesign.co.uk/prod-carrie-led-wireless-lamp-h-24-5-cm-led-usb-charging-by-menu-ref4863539.html#zoom [Accessed 6 March, 2022]
57
FIGURES LIST. Figure 28.
Design article moodboards, 2022, screenshot from the discover pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 29.
Product design specification, 2022, screenshot from the define pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 30.
Sketch exploration, 2022, screenshot from the define pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 31.
Sketch concepts, 2022, screenshot from the define pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 32.
Focus groups, 2022, screenshot from the define pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 33.
Sketch development, 2022, screenshot from the define pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 34.
Model development, 2022, screenshot from the define pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 35.
Concept boards, 2022, screenshot from the define pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 36.
Analysing feedback, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 37.
Sketch refinement, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 38.
Tech analysis, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 39.
Model refinement, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 40.
CAD development, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 41.
CAD analysis, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 42.
Material analysis, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 43.
Material application, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 44.
Customizable materials, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 45.
Scaling / measurements, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 46.
Manufacture, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 47.
Prototype analysis, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 48.
The range, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 49.
Website for the user, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 50.
Innovation, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 51.
Advertisement to workstation, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 52.
Key insights, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
Figure 53.
Hot desks, 2022, screenshot from the development pack. Self taken photo:
58
20.0
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Ami Sedghi, ( 22 July, 2015 ) Young people are driving the ‘urban renaissance’ of city centres – report [online] The Guardian, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/datablog/2015/jul/22/young-people-urban-renaissance-city-centres-millennials-report ( Accessed 20 February 2022 ) Andy Stewart ( 14 May, 2021 ) What is hybrid working? [online] Breathe, Available at: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/blog/topic/flexible-working/what-is-hybrid-working( Accessed 15 February 2022 ) Brandt Ranj, ( 26 Jan, 2022) 10 Accessories to Make Your Work Desk or Home Office More Ergonomic [online] Harvard Business, Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/ergonomic-comfortable-desk-accessories-971469/( Accessed 28 February 2022 ) Brian Semple, ( 22 July 2015 ) Young people leading 21st century resurgence in city centre living [online]. Centre For Cities, Available at: https://www.centreforcities.org/press/young-people-leading-21st-century-resurgence-in-city-centre-living/ ( Accessed 16 February 2022 ) CIPD ( 30 Sep 2021) Planning for hybrid working. Advice on how organisations can plan and manage a move to hybrid working [online] CIPD, Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/flexible-working/planning-hybrid-working#gref ( Accessed 15 February 2022 ) Jodi Oakman, Natasha Kinsman, Rwth Stuckey, Melissa Graham & Victoria Weale ( 2020 ) A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health? [online] BMC Public Health, Available at: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09875-z( Accessed 21 February 2022 ) John Spacey, ( 26 January 2016 ) 7 Types of comfort [online] Simplicable, Available at: https://simplicable.com/new/comfort ( Accessed 16 February 2022 ) Kensington, ( September 23, 2019 ) 10 Top Reasons Why Personal Comfort at The Desk is Important [online] Kensington, Available at: https://www.kensington.com/en-gb/News-Index---Blogs--Press-Center/Ergonomic-Workspace-Blog/10-top-reasons-why-personal-comfort-at-the-desk-is-important/ ( Accessed 28 February 2022 ) Michelle Kiss, ( 1January 2022 ) Top 10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home [online] Click Time, Available at: https://www.clicktime.com/blog/top-10-advantages-disadvantages-working-from-home/ ( Accessed 21 February 2022 ) Sammy Maine , Georgia Coggan ( March 04, 2021 ) The future of hot desking in the new workplace [blog] Createive Blog, Available at: https://www.creativebloq.com/features/10-ways-to-make-your-desk-more-comfortable( Accessed 28 February 2022 ) Viccarbe, ( 3 May, 2021 ) Advantages and disadvantages of working in the office [online] Viccarbe Available at: https://www.viccarbe.com/spaces/advantages-disadvantages-of-working-office-work/( Accessed 22 February 2022 )
59
60
2022 Word Count: 7645