A hassle-free solution to baking with one armI was part of a team of engineers that was tasked to design a working device to help hemiplegic patients bake with one arm. My team and I designed a baking tool prototype to address the needs and requirements set out by our client, the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Through a user-centered design process, we created the Kitchen Kradle, a device that users to pour and subsequently scrape batter from a mixing bowl using only one hand.
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Key Skills
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Design ChallengeThe client's hemiplegic patient had full control of only one side of their body. The patient wanted to bake independently but had trouble scraping out batter from the mixing bowl due to their limited mobility.
Our challenge was to create a device that would enable the user to comfortably transfer all the batter from a mixing bowl into a baking pan with only one arm. We adopted a user-centered design approach, focusing on ensuring our final prototype met the user's needs requirements shown on the left. |
Design ProcessWe started by researching different existing assistive aids in the market, as well as products designed for usage with one hand. After understanding the client's needs and requirements through interviews and observation sessions, we ideated and built different orthogonal mockups.
Through user-testing sessions with our client, we obtained feedback and assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of our mockups. The Failure Modes and Effects Analysis of our designs also informed our final prototype design. |
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