Robert Brown / Industrial Design Engineering

green and pleasant:
inclusive design for garden power tools

Gardening is an important leisure pursuit for older people. According to the Future Foundation's Changing Lives survey, four out of five retired people are gardeners, compared to less than one in five people aged 16-24.

However, many garden power tools on the market - such as hedge trimmers, pressure washers, leaf blowers and shredders - are difficult for older people with reduced grip, strength and eyesight to assemble, operate and maintain.

B&Q, Europe's largest home improvement retailer, recognises the importance of developing products that are inclusive in design. "By designing power tools from the viewpoint of the needs of older gardeners, product innovation will create better products for everyone," says David Roth, B&Q Director of Brand & Marketing.

To innovate in this area, B&Q again teamed up with the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre following a successful collaboration that resulted in two home power tools - the Sandbug and Gofer, a cordless screwdriver - reaching the market for Christmas 2002.

Performance audit

Robert Brown, a graduate of the joint RCA-Imperial College Industrial Design Engineering programme, was selected to lead the project. He explains: "I started by looking at existing products in the garden power range and evaluating their performance with a group of mature gardeners in Somerset."

Brown's initial round of user research highlighted a range of ergonomic and cognitive problems in using the power tools - and generated a series of new concepts to address them.

These included a hedge trimmer with an extended reach; a garden multi-tool with motor worn as a back pack to reduce weight; a long pressure washer 'lance' to extend reach and improve posture when cleaning patios; and a rake attachment for a garden vacuum for easier collection of leaves and other debris.

Chosen for development

The pressure washer lance and rake attachment were selected for development with a view to manufacture and taken to full-size test rigs with further user input. "We see the Research Associates at the RCA as ideal innovation partners in our bid to give B&Q customers more innovative products," says David Roth.

The project also generated a series of inclusive design and green design guidelines to influence product development and purchasing, not just within B&Q but right across the parent Kingfisher group.

This work resulted in two publications which Robert Brown helped research, write and design. These set out practical advice on how to design products that are for everyone and environmentally sound. "The purpose of the project," says Brown, "was not only to take user-centred new products into production but help steer design policy at group level towards a more socially responsible approach."

more about Robert Brown

research partner: B&Q

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