Thoughts on Creative Design

The initial design looks promising. I like in particular the way in which it builds on pre-existing knowledge and looks as if it could be used intuitively. Whether or not is intuitive to our target market will only be established after the product has been tested. Experience has show that what may appear as common-sense to the designer is not always so to the user.

Creative Design Prototype: Final

After completing our brainstorming considering the creative design of our prototype the following picture represents the final version of the Automatic Secateurs.

Creative Design Prototype: Durable

I totally aggree. The handles should be strong, since i had to throw away a few of these tools because the handle broke as i was operating them. Take a look at this drawing.



Also another important requirement is that the secateur will have to be maintenance-free. The elderly will find it extremely difficult to reassemble, clean and assemble back the secatuer blade.

Creative Design Prototype: Durable

We should aim at something lightweight. The lighter the tool will be the better for the elderly. We could use an aluminum skeleton, being both lightweight and to prevent rust. Also the plastic handles should be strong and made out of a non-slipping material. A day in the garden can be quite hot and sweating on the hands is a very common thing.. We don't want the secateur to be slipping out of hands. We have to remember that the elderly tend to have trembling hands and it is much more easier to slip.

Creative Design Prototype: Battery and Power Consumption

I like the idea about the way that we can distinguish the charger's plug using the yellow colour. It could be proved quite useful considering the eye sight of the elderly. Small ideas like these can certainly be an advantage as a whole.

Creative Design Prototype: Battery and Power Consumption

As a safety issue we should make sure that the circular blade is cover both during operation so as not to exceed the front part of the secateurs, as well as when the tool is closed to provide a protective cover on the lower front part.

We haven't thought of a place to put the battery. Since we are aiming for a simple tool, i believe that there is no need for the elderly to change batteries all the time.

The tool should have a rechargeable battery that can last multiple tasks. Also there should be a clear and bright color on the place where the charge should be plugged in. A bright color around the hole that the plug will be place will be useful.



I have placed the battery to be on the uppen handle. The battery should be as light as possible, therefore as far as I know the lightest batteries are the ones made out of Li-Ion. Light-weight is an another advantage to maintain. I hope you agree on the design I have uploaded. Let me know about your opinion regarding this feature.

Creative Design Prototype: Safety features: Safety Catch

After considering both designs, I prefer the first one. I used this design to draw another feature that we should implement. We need to provide a way to keep the automatic secateurs closed when the user is not using it, so as to prevent any accidental cuts from the blade. A safety catch is the most suitable solution.



Another feature we have to consider is power consumption and the battery.

Creative Design Prototype: Convenient handle

I agree. it's another good design. What do you think? Which one is the best?

Creative Design Prototype: Convenient Handle

I find it really good. You should take a look at the design I have in mind. It is another way to provide a good handle on the secatuer.

Creative Design Prototype: Convenient handle

What do you thing about this. Is it good enough?

Creative Design Prototype: Convenient handle

Yes you are right, I remember that my father had one which didn’t had an easy to grasp handle and he was complaining that it is not easy to use since it doesn’t have something to hold it tight. It is also dangerous to harm your self. I believe our product should provide this feature.

Creative Design Prototype: Discussion

Let’s focus on the features that we need to implement. To start with, I know from experience that this tool is more convenient to use when it provides you with an easy to grasp handle. I have two secateurs at home, one with a curved handle and one with a straight one. I find it easier to use the curved one.

Creative Design Prototype: Discussion

Indeed! This is a great advantage. As it is well known the elderly prefer to stick with things they are already familiar with.

Creative Design Prototype: Discussion

After thorough consideration and voting between the group members we decided to implement the fist design for the Automatic Secateurs.

The first design is simple and almost everyone is familiar to it. Gavin's design although much simpler, it doesn't suit the purpose we intend to fulfill. A longer handle could be quite a nuisance for the elderly. That type of secateurs could be mainly used for high branches on trees. Usually the elderly deal with small and short plants or trees. A longer handle could also be proved difficult to handle.

Eliana's design is also rejected mainly due to technical problems arising from the fact that the elderly will have to place the plastic around the branch each time they want to use it. If we take it from their point of view, this step means wasting time to pass the tape through the hole. For most of them it can be a very difficult task considering the poor eyesight. Also it is radically different from the classical designs and elderly will not be willing to adapt to totally new ways of thinking.

I believe that this is a good point to start. As I can see this secateur maintains the classical secateur design.

Creative Design

This is the initial prototype design.

Scenario: A feel with the problem in hand

Kathrin cutting a branch

Kathrin wakes up and as usual has breakfast with her husband. Today is an exceptional sunny day, so she decides that it’s about time to cut the old branches of the rose plants in the small garden of the building she is living. She takes her dog for a quick walk, and then heads down to the back yard. She has with her the plastic toolbox that contains all her gardening tools. She takes a deep breath of fresh air, wears her gardening gloves and picks up a saw with wooden handle.

Moving towards the rose plants, she selects the first branch to cut. Kathrin places the saw in the right position, and with her left hand she holds the branch. Trying to move the saw back and forth, she sees that the branch moves as well, but she cannot hold it any firmly as the thorns of the rose plant will penetrate her gloves. “This is not working” she thinks, as she decides to use the secateurs in her toolbox. These secateurs pretty much work as scissors do, so she puts the blades around the branch and by using her right hand only she tries to squeeze the handles to bring them together.

Kathrin realizes that it will require much more strength to do that, as her hands are not as strong as they used to be. She takes the secateurs with both hands and presses the handles. The secateurs seem to be closing but not as much as she would like to, certainly not enough to cut the branch. She starts to get annoyed by the situation, so she turns the secateurs left and right, slowly damaging the branch. Finally the blades close and the excess piece of branch falls to the ground. Kathrin looks at the result disappointed. Not quite the clear cut she was wishing for. She puts her tools back in her toolbox and thinks to herself: “There are better and more fun things to do on such a lovely day”.

Problem Scenarios Definition

Problem Scenarios:

A problem scenario tells a story of current practice. These stories are carefully developed to reveal aspects of the actors and their activities that have implications for design.
Other members of the project team should be able to read the problem scenarios and appreciate the work-related issues that the field study has uncovered.
It is called "problem scenarios" not because they emphasize problematic aspects of current practices, but rather because they describe activities in the problem domain. In Senario Based Design new activities are always grounded in current activities.

"Usability Engineering: Scenario-Based Development of Human Computer Interaction"
by Mary Beth Rosson, John M. Carroll
http://ldt.stanford.edu/~gimiller/Scenario-Based/ProblemScen.htm