JAKARTA
March 2018
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Story:
During my study abroad, I collaborated with product development students at Swinburne University in Melbourne. I was expected to come up with human-centered designs for the Jakarta people in Indonesia who need a new product for the flood seasons. This product also needs to be sustainable in terms of function and environment.
My Impact:
While I was partnered with two students at Swinburne University, I had to come up with my own designs to give to the students by the end of this study abroad, so I Researched, Analyzed, Sketched, and Prototyped the final deliverable.
PROCESS
Execution: What I either participated in or I took sole ownership of for this project
Objective: The goals or purpose of what I executed
Result: What actually happened from the Execution
EXPERT RESEARCH
Execution: Read a lot of literature of current flooding situations in Jakarta
Objective: Learn what these people are going through and their current workarounds as well as figure out what it is that these people actually need during the flood seasons
Result: Need to keep in mind of sanitation, infrastructure, and health issues these people go through. Additionally, there is a specific culture that I need to respect, so their perspective matters enormously in the final design
BRAINSTORMING
Execution: Sit with the product design students and after discussion of the problem come up with as many ideas as we can in ten minutes
Objective: See if we can come up with any good ideas as well as see what aspect of this project we want to focus most on
Result: Majority of ideas were based on the basic needs of the people of Jakarta but enhanced for multipurpose
SKETCHES
Execution: Sketch up the favorites of the ideas from brainstorming as well as highlight specific properties of the product and write descriptions of the form and function
Objective: Figure out the logistics of the ideas to see if they are actually feasible and fit the needs and culture of the Jakarta people
Result: Readable “blueprints” that let myself and others see better the ideas on paper so that others can see my translation of the design
CHOOSING ONE DESIGN
Execution: Discuss with professors to narrow to one particular design based on criteria of the Jakarta people as well as upholds sustainability standards
Objective: Present a design I felt most confident in and pursue to add more fidelity to a prototype
Result: Chose a design that focuses on the mother and child because without sanitation for the mother and child, children are more susceptible to diseases and mothers have no clean place to change their children’s diapers.
RAPID PROTOTYPING
Execution: Twenty minute spurts of low to medium fidelity prototyping with ordinary craft supplies and materials (tape, cardboard, paper, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, etc.)
Objective: Get a 3-dimensional visual on the object (not to scale) to see how functional the actual product can be and further iterate out kinks of the design
Result: An expandable and insulated “diaper box” prototype model made out of paper, tape, and plastic table covers
FINAL SOLUTION
In the end, I designed a very basic box that can expand and collapse to increase and decrease volume depending on whatever the mother needs to keep clean and away from dirty water. The inside is also insulated that folds when the hard outer shell expands and collapses. Additionally, on the hinged lid is an inflatable rim that can be blown up and act as a barrier for mothers to put their children in when they need to change the children’s diapers, making the lid as a pseudo diaper changing station. The design as a whole is easily transportable and, when needed, float in the water.
SKILLS
Communication and Presentation
User Experience Inclusion
Rapid Lo-fidelity Prototyping
TAKEAWAYS
I learned that not only do I need to remember the perspective of the user group I am serving but also the culture and perspective of the people I’m working with. Even though the product development students and I both speak English, they have a different set of vocabulary than me. When I gave my final presentation of my final design, it turned out they were so confused on what my solution was because they didn’t know what a “diaper” was. Turned out that a “diaper” to me was a “nappy” to them. Once they realized what I was talking about they had a lot more feedback and understanding to my solution.