From DDL Wiki

Revision as of 22:52, 5 October 2008 (view source) Mfuge (Talk | contribs) (→Team Member Roles) ← Older edit		Revision as of 22:58, 5 October 2008 (view source) Bberkowi (Talk | contribs) (→Concept 2: Adjustable Ring Umbrella) Newer edit →
Line 71:		Line 71:
	== Concept 2: Adjustable Ring Umbrella ==		== Concept 2: Adjustable Ring Umbrella ==
-	Problem Description: The standard umbrella suffers from a key deficit with respect to storage: its cylindrical shape in the collapsed position is not well suited to storage in briefcases and bags. This is because these storage items are designed to hold papers and folders with a flat profile and large surface area. When standard umbrellas are introduced into this space they often prevent the storage of full sized papers or cause damage to the papers stored in this space. <br /><br />
-	Concept Overview: This proposed design features a flexible ring around the perimeter of the canopy which can be folded into a more compact circular shape. This is based on the design of foldable Frisbees: [http://nbtaida.en.ec21.com/product_detail.jsp?group_id=GC00514700&product_id=CA03049613&product_nm=Foldable_Nylon_Frisbee | Foldable Frisbee] In order to maintain the compact nature of this umbrella the shaft is comprised of multiple short locking segments. These segments are strung together by two strings which are connected opposite to one another to the outer ring of the umbrella. This feature causes the string to become taught when the umbrella unfolds, pulling the shaft segments together into a complete shaft. Additionally, the umbrella is kept stable by strings connecting the outer ring to the shaft. These will ensure that the canopy remains centered on the shaft during umbrella movement and wind.
-	There are several issues that must be addressed before this system becomes viable.  These are:
-	* Convenience: the system must be easy to use and not take an excessive amount of time
-	* Availability: enough devices must be installed, and they must contain enough umbrellas, that a user can reliably expect to be able to receive an umbrella when needed
-	* Durability: the device should have some mechanism to identify damaged umbrellas an remove them from circulation
-	* Sanitation: the umbrellas should be cleaned, specifically the handle and rider, since they are touched by multiple people
-	* Robustness:
-	=== Sketches ===
	== Concept 3: Velcro Umbrella ==		== Concept 3: Velcro Umbrella ==

---

Revision as of 22:58, 5 October 2008

Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Research and Observations 2.1 Design Problem 2.2 User Studies 2.2.1 Survey Questions 2.2.2 Observations 2.2.3 Selected Responses 2.2.4 Pictures 2.3 Conclusions 2.3.1 Identified Needs and Opportunities 2.3.1.1 Updated Stakeholder Needs 2.3.1.2 Customer Focus Areas 3 Design Concepts 3.1 Concept 1: ID Takeout System 3.1.1 Sketches 3.2 Concept 2: Adjustable Ring Umbrella 3.3 Concept 3: Velcro Umbrella 3.3.1 Problem Description 3.3.2 Concept Overview 3.3.3 Advantages 3.3.4 Disadvantages 3.3.5 Sketches 3.4 Concept 4: Adjustable Shape Umbrella 3.4.1 Sketches 4 Concept Evaluation 4.1 Pugh Chart 5 Development Timeline 6 Recommendations 7 Team Member Roles

Executive Summary

Research and Observations

Design Problem

User Studies

Survey Questions

The following information was collected from study participants. The questions were asked and recorded by one of the team members, along with usage observations.

• Demographic information
• What do you do when it rains?
• What do you do once you get out of the rain?
• How much did you pay for your current rain protection device, how long have you had it, and what happened to your previous one?
• What other options have you tried?
• Why did you choose what you currently use, compared to the other options?
• What’s your favorite feature?
• What’s your least favorite feature?
• If you could improve some aspect of the product, what would it be?
• If you could have the perfect rain protection device, what would it be like?
• Please rate the following categories from 1 to 5, with 1 being something that is unimportant to you and 5 being very important:
  • Durability
  • Aesthetics
  • Weight
  • Size
  • Coverage
  • Ease of use
• What about your device is difficult to use?
• Do you have any workarounds for these difficulties?
• The participants then were asked to use the standard umbrella, golf umbrella, purse umbrella, and auto open/close umbrella. Observations were recorded by a team member.
• What did you like and dislike about the sample umbrellas?
• Other remarks or comments?

Observations

Selected Responses

Pictures

Conclusions

Conclusion Paragraph

Identified Needs and Opportunities

Updated Stakeholder Needs

From talking with users and cross-referencing it with our stakeholder needs from the first report, we have generated a new list of stakeholder needs:

List goes here

Customer Focus Areas

From these needs, the areas most widely requested by customers can be broken down into 4 main categories:

• Umbrellas are too easy to lose
• Should be as easy to open/close as possible
• Need to be portable
• Increased coverage is always better

We took each one of these needs and generated various concepts designed to satisfy those needs. These concepts are discussed in more detail in our Design Concepts section

Design Concepts

Concept 1: ID Takeout System

Problem Description: An umbrella is in use for a relatively short amount of time, relative to its overall life: an umbrella will keep you dry on a five-minute trip between buildings, but then sits unused inside a backpack or on the floor. Umbrellas are also carried when it isn't raining, but there is a chance of rain. Many people carry small umbrellas that are more difficult to use, or reduce coverage area, to diminish the inconvenience of carrying an umbrella when it is not in use.

Concept Overview: This concept is a system of communal umbrellas. It could be implemented in a college campus, hospital complex, or any facility with multiple buildings.
The device to achieve this contains three major components: a location to deposit umbrellas, an ID scanner, and a location to receive umbrellas. An ID swipe allows the user to get an umbrella. The umbrella is used while in transit from one building to another. At the second building, the umbrella is deposited at a second device.

This concept has several advantages. These are:

• Reduced umbrella usage: instead of each individual having an umbrella, a relatively smaller number of umbrellas can serve a community of users
• Standardized umbrellas: umbrellas can be purchased in bulk directly from a single manufacturer, resulting in reduced unit cost compared to retail
• Full-sized umbrellas: the system would most likely use full-sized umbrellas, which are significantly more durable and easier to operate for a wide variety of people compared to compact umbrellas
• Reduced umbrella breakage from storage: umbrellas are in general fairly strong when in use, but umbrellas, and compact umbrellas in particular, are subject to abnormal stresses on the canopy and linkages not accounted for in the design when the umbrella is put into a backpack

There are several issues that must be addressed before this system becomes viable. These are:

• Convenience: the system must be easy to use and not take an excessive amount of time
• Availability: enough devices must be installed, and they must contain enough umbrellas, that a user can reliably expect to be able to receive an umbrella when needed
• Umbrella end-of-life: the device should have some mechanism to identify damaged umbrellas an remove them from circulation
• Sanitation: the umbrellas should be cleaned, specifically the handle and rider, since they are touched by multiple people
• Robustness: the device must be able to withstand moisture from the returned umbrellas

Sketches

Concept 2: Adjustable Ring Umbrella

Concept 3: Velcro Umbrella

Problem Description

Regardless of the type or size of an umbrella, the portability of an umbrella is a fundamental need. This portability is not only a function of the weight and shape of the umbrella, but also relates to how the user holds and interacts with the umbrella. These concerns do not apply just during operation in the rain, but also when the user is walking inside or during non-raining periods. Portability is such an important issue that users are willing to sacrifice critical features like coverage in order to make an umbrella easier to handle. The development of the purse umbrella is a distinct embodiment of this line of thinking.
Another major issue exists in umbrella storage after operation. In this case a partially wet umbrella must either be carried by hand or placed in a bag or backpack. Either one of these current solutions is sub-optimal. In the first case, the user has to hold onto the umbrella by hand, limiting the user's mobility and forcing them to carry the umbrella. In the second case, the user is forced to place a wet umbrella into their backpack or purse, potentially damaging other objects that the umbrella comes into contact with.

Concept Overview

The Velcro Umbrella seeks to alleviate this problem by allowing the user a hands-free way of transporting an umbrella, post use. The basis of the concept lies in transforming the standard umbrella strap, currently used to wrap the umbrella, into a velcro interface for increased portability and ease of use. The umbrella strap, which would feature the male side of a velcro strip, would be partnered with a matching female velcro strip that could be attached to the outside of a backpack or jacket. In this way the umbrella can be easily attached and removed to a backpack, enabling the user to use his or her hands, but without the disadvantage of having to store the umbrella on the inside of a bag.

Advantages

• Easy and visual storage mechanism for umbrella when not in use
• Fast access to the umbrella - No need to dig through a bag
• Can attach an umbrella to anything that can have a velcro patch sewed to it
• Minimal redesign to existing umbrellas
• Can fit any umbrella design
• Low implementation cost

Disadvantages

• Easier to steal
• Possibility of loss if incorrectly attached
• Female velcro side can degrade over time
• Male velcro is not the most ergonomic material to hold on to when grabbing/holding umbrella

Sketches

Concept 4: Adjustable Shape Umbrella

Problem Description: To ensure adequate coverage for a variety of wind conditions, umbrella canopies are larger than the people that the umbrella shelters. This becomes an issue in crowded areas, such as sidewalks, because sidewalks are sized to accommodate a given volume of foot traffic but generally are not sized to accommodate each person having an oversize umbrella. As a result, umbrella usage increases congestion on sidewalks during rainy days.

Concept Overview: This concept is an umbrella that can reduce its canopy size while in use.
The standard umbrella has two locking position for the rider: up and down. These positions correspond to the umbrella being fully open or fully closed. Additional locked rider positions allow the canopy to maintain a partially open position. Also, elastic bands are used around the circumference of the canopy to reduce the slack in the canopy when the umbrella is partially open.

This concept has several advantages. These are:

• Reduced umbrella usage: instead of each individual having an umbrella, a relatively smaller number of umbrellas can serve a community of users
• Standardized umbrellas: umbrellas can be purchased in bulk directly from a single manufacturer, resulting in reduced unit cost compared to retail
• Full-sized umbrellas: the system would most likely use full-sized umbrellas, which are significantly more durable and easier to operate for a wide variety of people compared to compact umbrellas
• Reduced umbrella breakage from storage: umbrellas are in general fairly strong when in use, but umbrellas, and compact umbrellas in particular, are subject to abnormal stresses on the canopy and linkages not accounted for in the design when the umbrella is put into a backpack

There are several issues that must be addressed before this system becomes viable. These are:

• Convenience: the system must be easy to use and not take an excessive amount of time
• Availability: enough devices must be installed, and they must contain enough umbrellas, that a user can reliably expect to be able to receive an umbrella when needed
• Umbrella end-of-life: the device should have some mechanism to identify damaged umbrellas an remove them from circulation
• Sanitation: the umbrellas should be cleaned, specifically the handle and rider, since they are touched by multiple people
• Robustness: the device must be able to withstand moisture from the returned umbrellas

Sketches

Concept Evaluation

Pugh Chart

Description		Standard Umbrella	ID Takeout Deposit System	Collapsable Ring Umbrella	Customizable Bag storage	Adjustable Size Umbrella
Sketch
Criteria	Weight	Datum	Design 1	Design 2	Design 3	Design 4
Durablity	1	0	0	-	0	0
Asthetics	1	0	0	0	0	-
Weight	2	0	0	-	0	0
Portability	3	0	++	+	+	0
Coverage	2	0	0	0	0	+
Ease Of Use	3	0	-	0	+	0
+		0	6	3	6	2
0		0	6	6	6	9
-		0	3	3	0	1
Net Score		0	3	0	6	1

Development Timeline

Recommendations

Team Member Roles

Ben Berkowitz - Ring umbrella description, Pugh Chart, Gantt Chart
Michael Cushman - ID takeout concept description, Adjustable shape umbrella concept description
Mark Fuge - Velcro umbrella concept description,
Changho Oh - Sketches
All - User studies