BackTrack
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Throughout the course of modern man’s history, we have developed a very broad range of tools to assist us in our ongoing lives. As man has strived to ‘do more’ and multiply our effectiveness, these tools have gained their own power, in the form of electrical motors, pneumatic pressure or hydraulic movement. In many of our pursuits, however, electricity is not always at hand and batteries can only last so long. What does one do when the power runs out?
The task is to identify a context around which you will design a self-powered hand-held product. Immerse yourself in the identified context and articulate user needs created or presented by the scenario at hand. Your goal at the end of the endeavor is to produce a fully functioning product prototype demonstrating the appropriateness and effectiveness of your design. |
MobilePro
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(with Grayson Byrd, William Faulkner, and Blake Hinton)
This team project explored a mobile phone redesign for an aging population. Design solutions considered the psychological, social, and ergonomic issues present for adults over 60. |
Piku
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You are presented with the challenge of designing a disposable digital camera for an aging population. The One-Time-Use Digital Camera (OTUDC) was originally developed by Pure Digital Technologies, San Francisco in 2004. Its low price band of $40 and ease of use interface makes it ideal for all age groups. With the increasing sales in phone cameras by the younger generation the industry has felt a decline in sales. The nature of the product being inexpensive and available to everyone means it occupies a very specific and unique selling opportunity.
Demographic: 15 - 60+ years | Price Band: <$40 | Production Run: 4,000,000 units User Features: 5 megapixel lens, 199 image capacity, Shutter-release, Image Counter, Optical Viewfinder. Point of Sale: Camera Stores, Airports, Beachside Gift-Stores Vending Machines and Pharmacies. |
SOLO: Omega
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The Australian appliance company Omega is expanding its kitchen product range from oven’s, hobs and extractor hoods into hand held cooking utensils. The client would like its new range of cookware to reflect a more modern European style with the intent to attract a younger consumer base. The largest adversary in the marketplace is Bodum, which currently has a majority market share. Omega are interested in acquiring a similar prestigious position.
The client is planning to kick-start the new product range titled SOLO with a multipurpose kitchen tool that carries three traditional kitchen implements. Demographic: 23-55 years of age Price Band: $65 Features: Multi-Use, compact unique design |