Reflection - Prototype

1. What are the difficulties that you have encountered during the process?

I found that there were some things that I did not consider, like how the cup holder needed a space for the handle if it was too tall. This was something i had never thought of. I am glad that i had to build a prototype, if not i would never have encountered this problem, and would never have tried to solve it.

2. How do you overcome the difficulties encountered?

I cut a slit in the cup holder, so that the handle will have space.

3. What are the 2 key takeaways for this lesson?

I learnt that effective ways to test out my prototype/model.

I learnt the difference between quantitative and qualitative.

Ergonomics (Product description and Idea Trigger)

(i) The product comes in several colours – red, blue and white. It has two holes to allow the user to place two of their fingers in it, so that it is easier to hold. The holes are quite big, so people with bigger fingers can also use it. It has grooves, so that it can perform its function, that is to remove the scales of the fish.

(ii) The design consideration for this product is that it has to be:

- easy to use

- convenient and simple

Also, the designer needs to know who uses this product.

(iii) The elderly would probably not have difficulty using the product, except for the fact that it is small and the elderly may not be able to find it. Other than that, the product itself is quite easy to use, and is not as dangerous as using a knife to remove the fish scales. It is made out of plastic, so is naturally more durable, and will not break easily, if the elderly drops it.

(iv) Ways to improve the product:

- It could have a hook so that it can hang onto the wall, so that it can be in plain sight and the user would not need to waste time finding it.

Ergonomics 2

Ergonomics is the study of work environment

the 5 aspects are : safety, comfort, productivity, ease of use, aesthetics.

safety: tiles that are not too slippery for the bathroom, those that are more rough, so that it is hard to slip and fall

comfort: a cushion built into a chair, so that the elderly do not have to sit on hard chairs. this gives them more comfort.

productivity: cupboards could be at a medium height, not too high or too low, so the elderly do not need to struggle so much trying to get things

ease of use: dustbins should not have too complicated a design, as the elderly may not be used to it.

aesthetics: larger prints on lift buttons so that it can be seen easily.

Ergonomics

What is ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the study or work.

1. Compare the 2 different workplaces, state your observations.

Workplace 1 is the one that is slightly messier and the man working in that workplace has difficulty in doing his work. Workplace 2 is the one that is more comfortable, and the man has no problem doing his work. The desk there is also very neat.

• Comfort and simplicity

The man in workplace 1 is uncomfortable in the chair, and adjusts the height of the chair.

The man in workplace 2 is quite comfortable, and the chair allows movement and the man sitting in it can lean back, so that there is enough comfort for him to do his work effectively.

• Incorrect height and depth

The man in workplace 1 is squinting, and having trouble seeing what the monitor screen is displaying. He wears glasses, as well as uses a magnifying glass. The monitor is too far away.

The man in workplace 2 has a very good monitor arm, which brings the monitor towards him, and so it is not too far away and he can see the screen properly without any visual aid.

• Task lighting

The man in workplace 1 is struggling with the light, and he finds the light in his workplace very glaring, and he cannot do his work properly as the light is too bright and it is probably distracting as well.

The man in workplace 2 has a soft glow for light, which can be moved around so that he does not need to take a lot of time to adjust it. It is not too glaring, so he does not need to resort to using sunglasses or goggles like the man in workplace 1.

• Freedom of movement

The man in workplace 1 has difficulty moving around in his chair, as well as that the armrest is too high, and it breaks easily.

The man in workplace 2 movable armrests, so that it can be lowered. Same as before, he is able to have comfort because of the part of the chair which allows him to lean back and feel like he is lying down.

• Prolonged laptop use

The man in workplace 1 is wasting a lot of time shifting his laptop around, from the table to his lap, and he even places his legs on the desk. The long periods of time he uses his laptop is making him more uncomfortable than usual.

The man in workplace 2, however, has a laptop holder, which makes the laptop seem like an ordinary monitor screen. It is also adjustable. He is not as uncomfortable as the man in workplace 1.

• Usable desk space

The man in workplace 1 has a very messy desk, and has a hard time finding his things. Also, by retrieving what he wants, he messes up the table more. He had also spilled his coffee, as there was no space to place his mug, and when he moved his arm, he accidentally knocked the mug over.

The man in workplace 2, however, is much much more organised and neat, with all the retractable machines, for the monitor screen, and light. He has only very few pens, and his desk is close to empty. He is able to do his work without disturbance or trouble.

2. Which workplace is preferred? State with reasons why one workplace is preferred over the other.

The second workplace is preferred. There are a lot of advanced technology, to make sure that maximum comfort is available. It also allows you to work more efficiently, as you are not distracted easily with all that clutter around on the desk.

3. What are the considerations that should be taken into account when designing a workplace that is suitable for the user?

The considerations that should be taken into account is the comfort or ease of use of the workspace and things provided, such as the things mentioned in Part 1. There should have ease of access to all the different parts of the desk, so that the person working in the workplace need not feel too uncomfortable or would not need to get up and move around, just to get something at the other end of the table.

4. Why do you think that Ergonomics is important when designing?

It is important as this way, the design would be better than if you do it without ergonomics. Also, it would help the people to realise what kind of problems occur. This is because even though the design looks fine and alright, the truth is that the design is not a good design, and makes the user uncomfortable or does not fulfil its use properly, or well.

elderly observation 4

another problem of the elderly is that they have eyesight problems, and cannot see that well.

there are some eyesight problems that occur due to time. this is why mostly the elderly get them, as they have lived for a long time.

there are usually cures for these types of problems, like vision aids, such as spectacles, or surgeries. it is also possible to get vision therapy. however, the surgeries and therapy may be expensive, and some people may not be willing to go for surgeries. some of these eyesight problems occur and are not treated, so the elderly's eyesight becomes worse and can even result in blindness. i think that the government should subsidise the treatments, so that at least it is not too expensive to go for. this way, there is one less problem to overcome. perhaps the companies in charge of this can try to make it cheaper as well.

as for the other problem, perhaps the family can help by persuading the elderly. other more preferable methods for treating more minor eyesight problems are spectacles or contact lenses. it think it would be better for the elderly to have spectacles instead of contact lenses, as if the contact lens drop on the floor, it may be troublesome to find it, especially if the elderly's eyesight is not good. it is also possible that the contact lens may break if stepped on by someone.

elderly observation 3

another problem the elderly face is that they have a loss of memory.

sometimes, family members get very frustrated, as the elderly in the family keep asking the same questions, as they do not remember asking, or they do not remember the answer to the question. i think that the family members should understand that the elderly have this problem, and not make them upset. the family should be patient with the elderly, and help them to remember by reminding them, perhaps about appointments or friend meetings.

in my grandmother's house, there is a whiteboard which is very visible, and she writes her appointments or anything she might forget onto the whiteboard, so that she can remember. i think this is a good way to solve the problem as well.

i think we should not hurt the elderly's feelings by looking upset or frustrated at them when they forget certain things. they may feel bad about making you upset when they ask you the question over and over again. my grandfather sometimes forgets things, but my mother is very patient and reminds him about things.

elderly observation 2

another problem the elderly have is that they may feel lonely, as some families do not have time to take care of the elderly at home, as they have to work. the elderly may then feel lonely and bored, as they have to be at home all the time. i observe some elderly always around the void deck of some HDB flats, and they sit there all day.

perhaps a way to solve the problem is to have someone around in the house, or maybe have a friendly mahjong game with their friends, like my grandmother usually does. there are usually senior citizens' corner, and that helps as well. my grandmother does handicraft, and her works are usually very beautiful. i think that elderly should have hobbies too, so that they can pass time. i think their families should also try to communicate with the elderly at home, so that the elderly know that their families care about them.

families can celebrate occasions like birthdays and new year with the elderly and give them money to spend, like what my father does. We celebrated my grandmother's birthday last year, and had a long chat, as well as a good laugh.