The following video showcases a collaborative group project for Fixperts. The aim of this project was to identify a person with a disability and for who we, as a group of designers,can help him improve his daily life. Patrick as out user is paralyzed from the waist down. His job is to help and motivate other people with disabilities and does a lot of good for his community. He is a positive and humble person making a big difference in other people's lives.
Utilizing a user-centered design process and after many interviews, discussions, iterative design processes and testing, we as a group with Patrick identified a problem and developed a solution. The problem we identified was that Patrick had no washing facility in his house. Every morning his daughter would pour warm water into a bucket and bring it to his room. Patrick then uses this bucket of water to wash himself in the mornings. There were a few issues concerning this as his daughter will soon be moving out of the house and wont be able to bring him warm water anymore. Patrick is not able to warm his own water or carry the bucket and if he did, there is the potential risk of spilling warm water on himself.
The area used for washing himself is next to his bed. It is messy and unorganized, but arranged in a way so it is easy for him to access what he needs. Since this are next to his bed is used to wash himself, he cannot place a desk there to do his work. This is difficult for him as he has to move to another desk inside another room to do his work. This desk is also uncomfortable for him to use.
The solution we thus identified and developed, solved these fore-mentioned problems. The result was a hybrid desk/wash station placed next to the side of his bed. This hybrid desk was able to be used for work when closed, but when opened reveals the was station. A portable and seal able water bucket was integrated for him to transport water. To heat the water, a portable water heater can be placed in the bucket. Inside the desk included features such as a mirror, shelves and small cupboard for him to store his cleaning product. There is a towel rack to hang a wet towel.
Water can cause the wood to swell or warp, to prevent this we treated and sealed to wood to stop any water absorption. Stainless steel handles and hinges were used to prevent rust and increase durability. Large handles and the overall shape of the desk was designed to be easy to use. There is enough room for him to move,wash and do his work.
As designers we found great satisfaction and content being able to help Patrick and seeing how happy and grateful he was having a product that is just for him and that is able to improve his daily life.
