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DIALASSIST
ROLE
Lead Designer
DESCRIPTION
Conjoined project with Occupational Therapy students to help the means of a shared client educator. Project aimed to develop skills in empathetic design with the client educator, W, a 83 year old male with Diabetes, Arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and Post-Polio Syndrome. W currently struggles with setting up and breaking down his at home dialysis system. W uses his personal walker to transport 10+ lb prescription dialysis bags from room to room, as well as transporting a output bag weighing over 25+ lbs.
YEAR
2024
GENRE
Product Design
Software/HardSkills
Soft Goods Construction/Prototyping, Adobe Suite
DISCOVERY 1
Occupational therapy students and I observed our client educator "W" as he went through the process of setting up his at home peritoneal dialysis machine. It was observed that he needed assistance when Transporting Prescription Bags.
DEVELOPMENT 1
Development 1 began as a bag that lived underneath the walker, big enough to hold W's prescription bags. Development 1 addressed transporting the prescription bags, but had too much sway and was unstable when tested.
DEVELOPMENT 2
Development 2 was reinforced internally with chipboard, giving the bag more rigidity. A scissor lift mechanism was also introduced for assisted lifting.
DISCOVERY 2
After testing development 2 with W, we discovered another problem. Currently there's a Output Bag that lives at the bottom of W’s dialysis cart. After dialysis, it fills up to around 25lbs and he lifts it onto his walker. What if the output bag filled up inside the Development 2, so 83 year old W wouldn't have to lift it?
DEVELOPMENT 3
Development 3 started to take shape as a multi functional bag addressing both Discoveries 1 and 2. The concept was that the unfilled empty Output bag would be placed in Development 3 instead of the bottom shelf of the dialysis cart. After the Drain bag filled, W would wheel his walker to the tub, compress/drain against the walker seat, and dispose of the empty bag. Unfortunately, the scissor lift worked well as a means to help lift the prescription bags but after testing, it was deemed unsafe as drain bag compressor. the scissor lift was a difficult mechanism to compress by hand and dangerous if accidently triggered.
DEVELOPMENT 4
After deliberation with W, the need for an assisted lift wasn't as important as addressing the Output bag. With a safer mechanism like an Air Wedge, W could compress the full Output bag against the bottom of the walker seat without concern for safety.
DEVELOPMENT 4
TO BE CONTINUED...
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