The second core design course at the Glasgow School of Art during my masters was Human Factors. We were tasked with analysing and evaluating an existing product from a human factors perspective and to record and assess usability, ergonomics and anthropometrics.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was cut short and resulted in no submission or proper assessment. Had the semester continued as planned, I would have had several 3D printed prototypes, and an in-depth Design Process Journal.
I continued with the project on my own, and created a 3D model to showcase my findings. On this page you may view some of my process work, including sketches and notes from User Interviews.
The product I had to re-design was the Kenwood CH180A Mini Food Chopper. It is a small, two-speed food processor aimed at preparing smaller quantities of food, for use by users with a casual interest in cooking.
In groups of three, we were tasked with testing out the product ourselves, then reaching out to potential users to learn as much as we could about the strengths and weaknesses of the product. With sufficient feedback, we would then re-design a component of the product and improve upon the original design.
The above models were created and rendered in Fusion 360. Key improvements to the Kenwood appliance are the buttons and bowl. Users noted the awkwardness in pushing the button, along with difficulty distinguishing between speeds. In addition, there was much frustration in replacing the bowl and lid, leading me to simplifying them with a magnetic attachment that allows for assembly in any orientation.
Had the project continued and resources were available, I would have liked to focus on the button by making a test board that allowed the user to experiment with different button feedback.
