Ergonomics (Product description and Idea Trigger)

~Toilet brush~

i) Describe the product. (Appearance, Color, Function, etc)
A green brush that is small and short so that it is handy and can be brought out of the house.
ii) What are the design considerations when designing this product?
We must consider if the user will feel comfortable while using the brush.
iii) Would an elderly faced difficulty using this product? If yes, what are the difficulties that the elderly would face?
Yes,it is too short in length so the elderly with have to bend down when washing the toilet and they might hurt their backbone.It also has no grip so it will slip easier.
iv) What do you think can be done to improve on the design of the product to suit the elderly? (Sketch the improved design in your sketchbook and take a picture of it. Post the improved sketch at the end of your post.)
The length of the brush should be longer so that the elderly will not need to bend down when they wash toilets.

Ergonomics II

1. What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the study of people's efficiency in their working environment.

2. What are the 5 aspects of Ergonomics?
The 5 aspects of Ergonomics is safety, comfort, ease of use, productivity/performance, and aesthetics.

3. For each aspects of Ergonomics, explain with an example of a product that is designed for the elderly, how the product meet that particular aspect of Ergonomics.

Safety:e.g. Pop-out tiles on the floor that help the visually-impaired people from getting into any accident

Comfort:e.g. Cupboards that are horizontally lined ,compared to the normal full length cupboards,so that it will not cause inconvenience for the elderly when they take things down from the upper cupboards.

Ease of use:e.g. Alarm clocks that have big numbers so that it is easier for the elderly to find out the time.

Productivity/performance:e.g. Tables that can be pulled open and extended to become even bigger than before.

Aesthetics:e.g. A coffee table that is of a material that the elderly feels comfortable with.

Ergonomics I-Summary

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

One workplace is very crowded with stationery and has no place for him to place his wrist when he types, whereas the other one is more tidy and comfortable .The design of the chair in the messy workplace is very narrow for the man and obstructs his movement.It is not able to support the weight of the man.The neater workplace is more advanced than the messy workplace.Example:the man in the messy workplace placed his keyboard on a cup to make it easier for him to type compared to the other man in the neat workplace that used the laptop holder. The chair's headrest allows the user to rest his neck after straining it for long hours. The backrest also allows the user to adjust the chair until the preferred position. The lighting for the messier workplace is stronger, and it cannot be toggled to the preferred amount. The neater one has a lamp that allows him to adjust the position of the lamp, making the light fall on the place that he wants it to.

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

The workplace with different gadgets are more prefered because it is enables the user to do things easier.For example,the screen at the corner of the desk that can be moved forward so that it is easier for the user to look at the screen.The table on the left workplace is very cluttered so it is harder to find the items that the user needs.

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

We must  consider whether the workplace is comfortable,stable and practical for the user.

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

I think that Ergonomics is important as it helps to improve the design until it best suits the user's needs.

Ergonomics I

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

The neater workplace is more advanced in technology compared to the messy workplace.

The neater workplace is able to satisfy the user's needs but the messy workplace is unable to do so.

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

The neater workplace is preferred as it is more practical and convenient compared to the other workplace.

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

We must consider the physical disabilities of the user,how we want to make it suitable for the user's use and how to satisfy their needs.

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

I think that Ergonomics is important when designing because it helps us to further improve our product to satisfy the users' needs.

Room for the Elderly(done using google sketchup)

Personal Reflection (NeWater visit)

 3 key takeaways

• i learnt and remember the four national taps of Singapore (local catchment water, imported water, NEWater, desalinated water)

• i learnt that bacteria is as big as the NEWater factory when maximized.

• i learnt that germs are filtered out of the dirty water before it is ready for consumption    

2 concepts 

• microfiltration 
• Reverse Osmosis  

1 interesting thing 

I found out that bacteria is as big as the NEWater factory when it is being maximized.

What I can do to help with water conservation in Singapore

I can help by reducing the amount of water that I use.

Personal Reflection (8th Mar 2010)

3 key takeaways from today’s lesson:

1.We should be more open to other classmates

2.We should not say anything bad about someone else in front of others

3.I learnt that we need to have research and analysis to support our idea/product.
2 concepts that I've learnt today:

1.FUN theory(we must make a product that is fun so that others will find it interesting and figure out more)

2.We must stand in the users' view and improve the design according to feasibility and appearance.

1 interesting thing that I've learnt today:

1. I learnt that we must learn from our mistakes and improve on our product