MIAD Low Fidelity Prototype
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Fibromyalgia Seat CushionFloraCraft 7.8" Green Dry Foam Bricks
14 in wide x 11.5 in long x 2 in tall This low fidelity seat cushion was the second part to my industrial design project. I decided to create this piece out of dry foam blocks as they are accessible, cheap, and the material has many similarities to the final material I plan to use.
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Inspirations:
Larry Murphy- |
For the process phase of this project, I referred to Larry Murphy. Larry Murphy is a retired industrial designer who I was given the chance to work with as part of a ongoing art project in partnership with MIAD. Retiring after over 40 years of working for GE Medical, he has designed and aided in the design of many medical systems that are still in use today ranging from X-ray machines to patient monitoring systems. After 40 years in the industrial design business, he learned a lot of tips and tricks that he was willing to share with my class. Using all the tips and knowledge he shared with us, I got to work. He taught me to try to relate to my client while also thinking about the wider population that could also use the products I design. One thing he made sure to remind us about was to always have empathy for the client as the products being designed are to suit their daily needs and make their daily lives easier. Thinking and designing with empathy allowed for me to get a better understanding of what my client is feeling and experiencing. The goal of any design is to potentially create a design that better fits their needs and allows for a better experience. The design process has to be seen from not only the perspective of the designer and client, but also the population this product targets as it may benefit more than just one person. Using all the tips and techniques he shared with me, I was able to design a product that fit my clients wants and needs.
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My Client-
I got the chance to meet a 40 year old mother of 1 who has beat cancer, has fibromyalgia, and on top of that has a very long daily commute to work. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 7 years ago and due to this, she is in constant pain all day, everyday. Being that her daily commute consists of 2 hours sitting and then her job requires a lot of sitting in a chair, her body is under constant pressure though out most of her day. Although some may think her body would just become used to it by now, the past years have been getting harder and harder to handle on a daily basis. I was shocked to find out that her biggest problem from her daily life style was how much pain and stress her body is put through on a daily basis. She seems to handle it so well that most people can't tell unless it's a really bad day.
Hearing her story inspired me to design a seat cushion that would allow for her body to finally get a break and hopefully ease the amount of pain she has to go through on a daily basis. The beauty of this product is that if brought to the public market, I could potentially help thousands of people around the world who face similar struggles or maybe just want something a little more comfortable for those long commutes.
Hearing her story inspired me to design a seat cushion that would allow for her body to finally get a break and hopefully ease the amount of pain she has to go through on a daily basis. The beauty of this product is that if brought to the public market, I could potentially help thousands of people around the world who face similar struggles or maybe just want something a little more comfortable for those long commutes.
Seat cushions already in market- |
A large inspiration in the sketching phase came from massage chairs, other seating pads, the "Purple" seat cushion, and other gel pain relief cushions. Even the zero gravity sitting position. I referenced to the styles that my client had previously used and enjoyed. I tried to take the best aspects from each design and then use them by incorporating them into my designs.
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Process:
Planning and Sketches-
The first thing I did during the planning phase was sit down with my client and write down a "wish list" of all the key aspects they would like to potentially see in this new design. Once I had a rough idea of what my client was looking for, I went straight to the drawing board and began to make various sketches while incorporating as many key aspects as I could from the clients "wish list". While sitting with the client, we went over all the previous seat cushion designs they had used. This allowed me to better understand what styles they liked, which materials felt most comfortable, the ideal dimensions for their usage, and any extra features that made the design even more convenient for them.
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Prototyping-
My first step when starting the prototyping phase was deciding what material I wanted to begin experimenting with. Taking into consideration that this was just my first low fidelity prototype which would most likely require further editing and experimentation, I wanted to begin my first prototype with a material that would be readily available, budget friendly, easy to sculpt, and had similar features to the material that I plan on using for my final prototype when I reach that stage of the process. Taking all of these requirements into consideration, I decided to begin my low fidelity prototype by using FloraCraft 7.8" Green Dry Foam Bricks which I purchased a Michael's. I decided to connect these bricks in a format that provide slightly more material than I needed around the perimeter. I chose to do this as it allowed me to have room for error, and when sculpting, I would much rather have extra material around that I could easily trim off later rather than create a model prototype that was going to be smaller and not to scale to the final product itself. Once I had cut the rough perimeter using a utility knife, I then used an assortment of different files, knives, and other shaping tools to transform my rough cut perimeter into a base for what was yet to come. With this shaped base, I was able to start using my shaping tools to engrave the lines that were going to be used as my reference points as I carved away at the material to create my prototype. Once I had engraved the reference and contour lines, I began shaving down on the foam layer by layer until I had a rough sloppy prototype. I then used a combination of files and my hands to smooth out the foam into a prototype that was smooth and clean.
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Empathy Chart:
I See Her:
-in daily pain -having to take medicine -using ice packs -constantly adjusting seat -needing help from others to carry/lift objects -walking differently based on how much pain she is in |
I Think:
-a new seat position could lead to less body pressure/stress -some sort of gel pad or foam can help distribute pressure to other areas -so that one specific area isn't as heavily affected |
I Hear Her:
-complain -asking for help -looking for new medicine/remedies to ease the pain -the pain in her footsteps, voice, and even body language/posture -looking for a better chair/seat cushion |
I Feel:
-helpless -sorry for her -like I need to make this for her |
Mind Map:
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