Airhug
Summary:
Our team was challenged to create a device for our client Joey, a boy with severe cerebral palsy. The device had to keep him upright in an airplane without bothering the passenger in front of him or behind him.
We created Airhug, an angled, non intrusive, supportive cushion.
Our team was challenged to create a device for our client Joey, a boy with severe cerebral palsy. The device had to keep him upright in an airplane without bothering the passenger in front of him or behind him.
We created Airhug, an angled, non intrusive, supportive cushion.
Role
User Observation & Prototyping Lead- I led initial client interviews and observations, as well as creation of the final prototype |
Skills
Sewing Prototyping User observation Creating mockups Conducting User interviews |
Meet Joey
Motivations
Joey is an 8 year old boy from the Chicago suburbs He loves to play with his 2 brothers Joey loves musicals, and loves to sing Joey wants to be able to be supported, and play games with his brothers while on airplanes. Frustrations Joey has Cerebral Palsy, a condition that causes him to have very little upper body strength. As a result, Joey uses a wheelchair with a chest harness to support his weight. Joey has a lot of family in New York, so his family often flies out to visit them. On the airplane there is nothing to support his upper body in the chair. Before Airhug, Joey's Mom would use pillows, or her arm, to support him. |
Design Criteria
1. Comfort: When we spoke to our client and his mother, they stressed that comfort was the most important criteria for an effective design
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Mockups
Design is a windy road. On the way to developing a solution, we created a number of mockups which were great learning tools for our team. By testing these mockups with Joey, and getting his feedback, we were able to learn what worked and what we needed to improve for the next iteration
Mockup #1
We created this mockup to test whether under the armpits was a comfortable, secure location to secure Joey's upper body.
We created this mockup to test whether under the armpits was a comfortable, secure location to secure Joey's upper body.
Mockup #2
The goal of this mockup was to test the comfort and security of a single strap across Joey's chest.
The goal of this mockup was to test the comfort and security of a single strap across Joey's chest.
Mockup #3
Our third mockup, the one which became the basis for our final design, tested the supportiveness of over the shoulder straps that connected to a seatbelt, and the effect of a tilting surface on the bottom of the chair.
Our third mockup, the one which became the basis for our final design, tested the supportiveness of over the shoulder straps that connected to a seatbelt, and the effect of a tilting surface on the bottom of the chair.