Module 4

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Team 152A

Chloe Neuvirth Spencer Berends Mike Casper Nate Johnson Gabriel Carlson Jeni Lesser

Module Three Review

After reviewing our feedback from module three we determined that we need to broaden our user group and have more empathy. We decided to piviot to our new problem, which is the current ruler is a "one size fits all" tool. Our new target audience will be children who are pressured to adapt to an adult size world, and those "struggling" with physical disabilities.

Here is the link to our Module 3 Behance: http://bit.ly/17fMUAc

Introduction Process

In the start of module 4 we looked back at the product we created in module 3. We identified the positives (+), negatives (-), ways to improve it (?), and ideas that come from those ways to improve it (!).

Positives (+)
More quickly drawn lines
Accuracy
Less chance for mistakes
More time for other things
Multiple uses
Longer length

Negatives (-)
Development of protractor
Curve gets in the way
Not long enough to use efficiently
Limited user group
Needs more empathy to strengthen our product

Ways to Improve it (?)
Deeper purpose
Could people with disabilities use this
Children
Arthritis
Old people
Different material? Made out of recycled material
Plastic
Paper
Cardboard
Cost analysis, amount of decreased trash per year?
Low cost school supplies
Lower cost creation?

Ideas that come from ways to improve it (!)
Two extendable tracts that snap together

We also created a system map which allowed us to look at the different topics related to our product. This allowed us to identify our areas that we need to research more in order to strenghten our product and determine if we need to piviot from our previous idea.

These are the topics we chose to research.

This was the outcome of our research:

Desirability

Materials - Jeni

In conclusion to my findings, I found that most people liked metal rulers because they were durable and long lasting, but they also liked plastic rulers because you can see through them, they are cheap and easy to replace, and they have clear measurement markings and are easier to hold. I did find a hybrid material that contains metal and plastic. This material mainly used in cars to give it the strength of metal, but the lightness of plastic.

Metal rulers are used for more durable for use in the workshop. They are also used for longer rulers because they are less likely to break. Plastic rulers are used for most basic desk rulers ranging up to 12 inches in length.

Feasibility

----Mike

It would roughly cost $2,500 to create each needed mold for the plastic. It would then cost less than two dollars in production costs per ruler. Shipping a load of rulers overseas and from the coast to Nebraska would cost roughly $10,000. This totals to roughly$37,500.This is about $3.75 per ruler for 10,000 rulers. The cost decreases to $2.88 if 20,000 rulers are produced. The more rulers we make, the lower the price per ruler.

Viability

--Chloe

Ergonomics is the applied science of equipped design intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue or discomfort. By researching ergonomics, I found that a few major concerns of a tool are the weight of the tool, the material, and the texture. After more research, I found that the average tool is difficult for children to use, as well as adults struggling with numerous types of arthritis. Children are pressured to fit into an adult sized world, or else they won’t succeed. This is even more stress put on a child on top of the daily stress of growing up. The average length of a child’s hand is 90.8 mm in length, and 45.5 mm in width. The length of their hand compared to the adult size length of a tool is next to impossible to operate. Adults who struggle with musculoskeletal disorders, which affect the muscles, nerves, and tendons, have a difficult time doing daily tasks in the workplace. People struggling with arthritis, which is the leading cause of disability in the U.S., have a hard time with the extension of their hands and pressure on fingers and knuckles. By researching the ergonomics of a wider user group, we can extend our module three product into a product that will help the incapable achieve normal tasks.

Websites for Viability:

http://arthritis.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=arthritis&cdn=health&tm=94&f=10&tt=3&bt=2&bts=6&zu=http%3A//www.ringpen.com/

http://arthritis.about.com/od/inthehomedailyliving/ss/dailyactivities_6.htm

http://arthritis.about.com/od/inthehomedailyliving/ss/dailyactivities.htm

http://www.arthritistoday.org/where-it-hurts/wrist-hand-and-finger-pain/causes/hand-wrist-arthritis.php

http://www.arthritistoday.org/what-you-can-do/everyday-solutions/work/workplace-ergonomics.php

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/

Websites for Desirability:

http://the-earnest-learner.phumblog.com/post/2012/06/what-is-the-best-kind-of-ruler

http://www.robives.com/content/ruler

http://www.fine-tools.com/mass.htm

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091209075052AAGiTPJ

http://www.azizihotak.com/metal-shrinkage-ruler/

http://techcenter.lanxess.com/scp/americas/en/innoscp/tech/78310/article.jsp?docId=78310

Pivot

We chose to change directions with our product. By researching different disabilities, we realized that arthritis was the leading cause of disability in the U.S. We dug deep into our empathy, and thought about the difficulty of drawing for people with arthritis. What if a person loved to draw during their life, but they were diagnosed with arthritis, or any muskuloskeletal disorder? A loss of art for such a person would be devastating. Drawing is a therapy for people during rough times, so we wanted to create a product that would relieve the pain of drawing for people suffering with musculoskeletal disorders.

Empathy

Discover a full spectrum of human centered insights.

Gabriel's Grandmother

I knew my grandma had some disability with her hands. Was it Parkinson disease or something even more serious? I’ve always thought it to be a touchy subject and have never spoken to her about it directly. I decided it was time to, after our group was tackling our module four project dealing with disorders that involve muscles and trouble writing and drawing. After visiting with my grandmother about her shaky hands left me feeling motivated and determined. She has what’s called an Essential Tremor. Essential Tremor’s often gets confused with Parkinson’s disease, do to the uncontrollable shaky limbs, but is quite different. Interviewing my grandma brought a new understanding to myself and how uniformed I was.

When I asked her what/where most of her trouble was, she informed me it was in her hands only. Her trouble is grabbing certain objects and keeping ahold of them, as her nerves don’t sensor the pressure in which she is gripping. Her trouble with grip limits her ability to a multitude of tasks, such as eat “finger food,” grab a computer mouse and use a remote control to name a few. She must use a utensil such as a fork or spoon to pick up the food. When using a remote she has to place it on a surface and use both hands to try and push the numbers. The computer mouse is also a struggle as her tremors keep the mouse from staying still when trying to select anything. She has to grip the mouse real hard with one hand, while trying to stay on her object to select and THEN try and use her other hand to select.

I can only imagine how frustrating this must be for her everyday life. I was frustrated for her; I can’t imagine her daily activities and how strong willed she must be. This left me determined and motivated to help her or make her tedious tasks a little better!

Nate's Grandmother

My Grandma has Parkinson’s disease, which limits her hand movements. She used to paint and draw for a living, and she loved doing it but ever since she developed Parkinson’s she hasn’t been able to do what she loves. I found out about this some years ago when I asked her to draw something for me. She was ecstatic to do this, but shortly after starting was forced to give up on her because of Parkinson’s. She told me she wished she could finish the job but couldn’t and it hurt her pride a little. Since discovering this, I wanted to help her by designing a product that would enable her to pick up her passion for painting and drawing again.

Define

Develop multiple complex problem statements with no guidance.

As part of our pivot we chose a new focus, which included a new problem and a new target audience. Our new problem is the current ruler is a "one size fits all" tool and our new target audience is any person diagnosed with a musculoskeletal disorder. From this we created our POV statement.

POV Statement

A person suffering from a musculoskeletal disorder needs a way to write and draw just like a person without a disorder would. By creating a product to relieve his or her pain, we can bring restoration and therapy back to their lives through art and writing.

Ideate

Use multiple techniques for ideation for a single insight and repeat.

At the beginning of module 4, we tried to dig deep in our empathy by changing our user group. We first thought about contractors and creating a sliding ruler to help them lay tile or carpet. After doing some research, we learned they already had a snap chalk line tool as well as lasers to create straight lines. After brainstorming, we were trying to find out who would benefit most from a tool that assisted them when drawing. This is when we realized that people with musculoskeletal disabilities have troubles with drawing utensils. By putting ourselves in their shoes, we thought about how sad it would be to have a passion for drawing, and then be diagnosed in arthritis. We wanted to create a product that would help them live a normal life. We interviewed family members of our group members to see if our product would be useful for them. We learned that some of them weren’t able to use a ruler because it was difficult to hold the ruler. We thought of creating a product with a flat round surface with a hole on the outside rim of the surface to hold the writing utensil, and a rough bottom surface to prevent it from slipping. This prototype would allow the user to increase the pressure of their hand on the object, which would reduce the sudden movements that arthritis creates. From this, we created a prototype with indents to the sides, similar to a mouse. We made this style because each person was tempted to put pressure on the sides. This is when we developed our final product.

Prototype

Create multiple representations that allow you to evaluate specific features from multiple perspectives and develop multiple iterations.

This prototype featrues a pad for the person to press down on and a hole on the rim to place a writing utensil.

This is our final prototype it features a computer mouse like grip to hold on to with a grip for the untensil that rotates on the front of the grip.

This is our final prototype designed in a CAD software.

Our final prototype consists of the mouse like figure, indented sides, and a hole for inserting a writing utensil. The attachment for the writing utensil has a range of 180 degrees, giving the user a better range of movement, as well as the ability to see what they are doing since the attachment is set off of the mouse figure. It is shaped in the form of a hand, giving the user comfort while drawing. Also, it has a weight in the center of the object, in order to reduce shaking of the hand while writing.

Test

Real world testing with a range of users and scenario that address the needs and perspectives of the complete system.

Chloe's Brother

In the process of digging into our empathy, I chose to interview my brother, Chaz Neuvirth, a high school band teacher from Harlan Iowa. He is a 22 year old who struggles with arthritis. I chose to interview him to show that there are more people who suffer with arthritis than most people realize. After long days at work, he has to stop early due to the pain of his bones. He mentioned that he really wants to do private lessons with students, but he simply can't because of how tired his hands get from writing in measures throughout the day. We gave Chaz our product to see if it would relieve the stress of constantly writing in music and measures, and he mentioned that he could definitely see himself using a product like it. Even though this seems like a practical user, he is more than that. He loves to compose music on his down time, and help others grow in their knowledge. He is a musical artist, which is therapeutic for him. He wishes he could hold off the stress of his hands for a longer period of time to accomplish all that he want's to do, but he can't. He is a person who would need a tool like ours.

Collaboration

Effectively demonstrate separation of responsibilities to benefit a larger goal of the group.