Innovating through Inclusive Design Workshop
Hong Kong, 31 August 2008
Team A
Issues
Ben has one arm and is a natural left-hander. He is a sportsman and can manage most daily activities. He travels by public transport and needs an efficient way to carry and access possessions.
A conventional shoulder bag can slide off his shoulder causing back pain and restricting movement. Using a rucksack is not feasible and can be hot in Hong Kong's humid summer months. Ben dislikes bum and hip bags because he feels they draw attention to his disability. He also dislikes the restrictions of bags and straps and would prefer a hands-free solution to his mobile storage problem.
Concept
Although Ben likes bags with a single strap, they slip off his shoulder easily. The team focussed on the potential of redesigning pockets to accommodate Ben's storage issues.
He has a problem accessing the right-hand pocket on a garment as items can slip out when he sits down. The team brainstormed and made prototypes of a range of pockets as simple paper mock-ups and they eliminated the impractical ones.
They explored:
Their final concept was one that sat on the hip, could be accessed with either hand, was adaptable and suitable for both standing and sitting positions. Its simple structure would allow it to be manufactured easily.
Not only would it be easy for Ben but for any scenario where people use one hand and need to extract something from their pocket.
