User oriented design
Technological advancements have significantly improved both medicine and everyday life, particularly through innovations like Smart Homes. These homes, equipped with advanced technology, continuously monitor and assist elderly residents. They provide reminders, offer guidance, and alert neighbors or help centers if the resident falls, promoting longer independent living.
However, many elderly individuals struggle with modern technology, leading to frustration and avoidance. This issue can be mitigated by designing technology with the elderly in mind, ensuring ease of use and accessibility.
As students, we were tasked with designing a 'Smart Device' aimed at enhancing elderly health and independence. The device must be user-friendly, either handheld like a mobile phone or portable like a Fitbit. This individual assignment also focuses on developing prototyping, sketching, and ergonomic design skills.
Ergonomics is a crucial aspect of the design process that is often overlooked, resulting in products that fail to meet the designer's intentions. Poor ergonomic design can cause frustration and dissatisfaction among users, indicating that bad ergonomics equate to a bad product.
Our target audience is individuals over 60, who may not be familiar with modern technology, leading to potential frustration. Therefore, designs must be tailored to their needs rather than our own preferences. It is essential for the product to be user-friendly and visually simple, as an excess of buttons can increase complexity and hinder usability.
The first user tests showed that the shape was not convenient for left-handers. As a result, I had to revise the shape of my prototype.
The product is a dual-function device combining a console and a walking stick. The console, which can operate independently as a personal physiotherapist, reminds users to achieve their daily active minutes and guides them through exercises. A green light indicates correct performance, while a red light signals incorrect execution.
When attached to the walking stick, the console loses its physiotherapy function but enhances the stick's utility by detecting ground hazards such as wet spots, height differences, and obstacles, thereby helping to prevent falls.
