Overview
I identified an unmet need for an assistive grabbing device that can be used for a wide range of tasks for wheelchair users living semi-independently. I conducted user research and designed a prototype for a new device which can increase self-sufficiency and improve the safety of living alone.
Defining the Problem
While working as an intern for Includesign, I analyzed the transcripts of 40+ user interviews from the generative research phase of their LapSnap product. Through this analysis, I identified a potential unaddressed need for wheelchair users: an assistive grabbing device, often called a “reacher” or “grabber.”
Interviewees reported finding reachers inconvenient, “not sexy,” and embarrassing to use in public. They reported using them extensively inside of the home for daily tasks. Some people have multiple types of grabbers and use them very regularly, while others only use a grabber infrequently or only for specific tasks.
Guiding Research Questions
1. In what situations do wheelchair users use a grabber, if at all?
2. Do grabbers benefit wheelchair users?
3. Which factors are most relevant to whether or not someone benefits from using a grabber (e.g. cost, size, function with no finger-pinching ability)?
Recruitment
At the recommendation of Brown Professor Sarah Skeels, I reached out to the United Spinal Association to advertise this study, and I was connected to Debra Poli at NYC Spinal. She shared the information for the study, and from the responses I set up the five in-person usability tests and five virtual interviews.
INSIGHTS
Some interviewees described living independently, while other interviewees had help from a caretaker or family member. These two types of users had very different experiences with grabbers. By creating empathy maps I was able to understand two distinct kinds of lived experiences and visualize people’s beliefs, actions, and attitudes, drawing on direct quotes and observations from my interviews.
The interviewees who live independently described grabbers as tools that they use constantly and couldn’t live without. That being said, many people found drawbacks. One interviewee had 5 or 6 different brands of grabber, each of which he kept in a different location around his house because “nobody seems clever enough to have designed a reacher that does everything,” and said that he wished that such a product existed. Many interviewees also mentioned durability as a problem.
“nobody seems clever enough to have designed a reacher that does everything”
For interviewees with caregivers, many expressed frustration with using grabbers. Many of these people had very limited mobility or strength, and found it difficult to use grabbers. When doing usability testing with one interviewee, she dropped an item on the floor and she then remarked: “see, this is why I don’t cook.” Using a grabber was not a major part of many of these people’s daily routines.
Usability testing with competitor grabbers yielded important information. People found it easy to use the Luxet suction cup grabber because the suction cups at the end made it good for both small and delicate items as well as big items with flat sides, and the grabbing mechanism was durable and gave the users more control. Many participants also had the Duro-Med grabber, which they reported malfunctioning and not working on most kinds of items.
Duro-Med Grabber
Luxet Suction Cup Grabber
Prototyping
Must/Should/May Diagram
A grabber must be able to grab items, extend in length, and carry weighted objects.
Diana and I added to a Venn diagram of everyday items with those features in order to serve as a source inspiration for a product redesign.
To create the design, I aggregated the important features from the ideation phase, using insights that I gained from the interviews and usability testing.
The prototype was created iteratively over the course of a month. I emailed with research participants who agreed to participate in the design process to solicit regular feedback on the prototype.
Changes that the interviewees recommended included making the grip area on the handle wider, and adding a finger loop to make the retraction of the grabber easier. A final version of the prototype was assembled.
IMPROVEMENTS:
- Grabs small, medium, and large sized objects - "stepped" design of head is shaped to fit around many sizes of object.
- Collapses down to 24" and extends to 32" for portability and reach
- Wide grip surface on trigger improves hand comfort and stability while grabbing
- Suction cups improve grip on paper and other small objects. Also improve strength of grip on heavy objects
Features that would have been implemented given more time and materials included a swiveling head, a grippy trigger surface, and a ratcheting mechanism for the internal cord so that the grabber not only adjusts to multiple lengths but also retains its ability to grab at all lengths.
Business Impact and Next Steps
This assistive grabbing device will help wheelchair users who live semi-independently do more daily tasks alone, which can increase self-sufficiency and improve the safety of living alone.
There is a clear market need for an improved assistive grabbing device among wheelchair users who live semi-independently. There is a business opportunity for Includesign to develop and sell this product, and they already have access to the target customer base through the sale and promotion of other Includesign products such as the LapSnap.
