Final Project

For our final project, my team chosen to further develop on locks as we have long observed the issue of residents leaving their keys and their locks unattended, thus making their homes vulnerable to crimes.

From that direction, we further interviewed respondents from various age groups to further confirm their need for safer and more conveniently used locks. Similarly, from the research method, we have found a common need among age groups for safety and easy to use locks in terms of reduced steps needed to enter homes. However, it is also noted that youths are more likely to expect sophisticated designs (visceral) as they are concerned with the first impressions visitors to their homes may have (emotional).

Defining Users

From our research in the first phase, my group was drawn between choosing youths and elderly as our main users. Eventually through our statistical assessments on the likely problems with age groups; we decided to narrow down our focus to elderly as Singapore is expecting aging population and more elderly would be living alone.

As such we came up with our following category of users for the product which we would develop:

- Primary users
- Elderly aged 65 and above
- Secondary users
- Family members living with elderly
- Non-users
- Students living in hostel

Problems in which they face:
- Forgetting to remove keys from padlocks
- Forgetting to shut the shackles of their metal grilles
- Physically strained from having to grab hold of the heavy padlocks
- Many steps involved when accessing home

Their perceptions:
- Resistance to change (both product functions and features)
- Uncertain towards technological goods
- Price sensitive
- Place more trusts on advises from immediate family, professionals (e.g. social workers) as well as friends.
- Psychological barrier
- They see metal grilles as an additional protective layer for their homes aside
from having a wooden door. (In fact, all age groups have such psychological barrier)
- Some elderly also have the perception that more locks equates to higher safety

Need Observed

As mentioned earlier on, interviewed elderly tend to claim their main need from our product is a lock that would provides them with safety. However, my team eventually agreed otherwise.

From our ethnographic research, we observed elderly then tend to be physically weaker, thus they took quite some time searching keys, getting hold of their pad locks, finding keyhole, etc. It would be especially inconvenient if they were to come home with heavy groceries. Reviewing their perception on more locks = more safe, my team identified ease of use to be their core need from our product.


Experience strategy

- Sense of ease due to reduced steps involved to enter/exit house
- Safety

Marketing plan

- Coordinating with HDB to implement such metal grilles in all studio flats for elderly
- Coordinating with social workers in providing advise to elderly on the features of
our product
- Government subsidies could also be provided

Final product

Our product concepts have various stages of evolution after every critique session. Through continuous self-reflections and revisions, we have finally come up with our final product- sliding metal grilles and wooden door with tapping key and push button functions.

Sliding metal grilles would provide wider door entrance for elderly, especially those with disabilities or wheelchair-bound. Additional shackles would be installed at the center of the metal grilles to attach to the grilles to its frame so as to prevent easy break-ins through forceful pulling or pushing against it.

A push button would replace a lever as we have taken into consideration of joint problems elderly may encounter. Thus having to push the lever could be straining on them. The push button idea is implemented to be attached on the metal grilles as well as the wooden door.

Motion and proximity sensors would also be integrated. Motion senor detects the entrance/exit of home owners by sensing their key (attached with a chip similar to ezlink technology) to activate auto-locking system. A loud “clucking” sound would indicate the locking of the metal grilles or gate. Proximity sensor attached to push button where users unlock the system by tapping their key onto it.

Conventional key would be the backup plan in times of power failure.

User evaluation

- Easy to use
- Enhance usage in terms as they are able to enter home using one hand
- Willing to purchase the product for its functions
- Satisfied by both functions and appearance
- However
- The appearance is no different from other metal grilles, hence nothing interesting
- Intimidated by the technology involved

Problem we have faced so far in this project

• Tendency to come out with a design idea right before we even go through enough thorough researches
• We were unable to think out of the box due to our over-emphasis on the things elderly told us with regards to their low acceptance to technology. Further interviews are required to confirm that statement as our eventual finding showed that they are in fact able to accept technology that is simple. However still, we should not ignore the small level of uncertainty felt by them towards an electronic metal grille.
• Some elderly would reject our interview
• Those who accepted our interview are very camera shy. Thus not only we are unable to shoot enough pictures of our interview process, we are also unable to keep a video documentation.
• Language problem is another problem I personally faced as I do not know how to speak dialect. I was fortunate enough to be able to interview my neighbour who is english educated.

Reflection

Our team has gone through a lot of uncertainties when developing our product as we were somewhat trapped in the realm of coming up with design before finding out the true needs of our target users. This project has shown me how tedious it is when developing a product. Weekly interviews were conducted with elderly by us as we were very cautious with their acceptability to our product. I am so glad my neighbour, Mdm Lee was helpful enough to not reject my frequent interview requests. However, it had definitely widened my perspective towards product development as I have learned to look more into details when developing ideas.