This week we had one of the coldest days of my lifetime. We experienced the polar vortex. Temperature dropped so low that the Chancellor of the University canceled classes campus wide. Being the doers we are, the cold front didnt stop us from innovating. We held course digitally and got to get to know the creatives at Milestone Studios. They told us a bit about what they do. Each team was required to present the areas of opportunity gained from our mentors stories. Each team was given feedback and later went into an extensive brainstorming session.
We broke into breakout sessions with the mentors we met the week prior. The task was to really hone in on the problem statements. We did this by completing the challenge sheet provided by Milestone studios. After this activity we had a clear vision of specified areas we’d like to innovate.
My team and I were very moved by Jenna’s story. We really want our design to be driven by affordability and accessibility. We decided to move forward with the idea of designing a shoe tread that gives prosthetic users the ability to safely walk through snow, rain, and other inclimate settings. A tread for all terrain. Jenna stressed the complications of using her prosthetic even further. She was really behind our idea. The thought of a detachable thread for prothstetics could make all the difference for its users. Our opportunity statement is: “To create detachable tread attachments that can be used to travel in a variety of terrains.” Our device won’t be limited to just snow but all inclusive for users to maneuver through sand, uneven ground, and pretty much any terrain as previously mentioned.
I personally feel that we can create rea value for people with this potential product. Nearly every single one us of have experienced the inconvenience of issues with daily mobility. We all face a multitude of difficulties that surprisingly could benefit from such a product like the one we are developing. We have to do more research on a few things, and possibly some case studies, but we are in a good place. We plan to meet and get a few concepts down on paper. We’re designing with the user in mind and at the forefront. In the weeks to come we’ll work towards having fidelity models ranging from low-high. I’m excited for the future potential applications of this device we are developing.
Hi Trevor, I really like your team’s idea. Just like the wheelchair, prosthetic implant needs to consider how it functions in different road conditions or weather conditions, and I see great potential in the detachable tread attachments. I think this would allow users to travel to more places. At the same time, if appropriately designed, it’s possible to lower the adoption cost for the user. When one attachment gets damage, the users can just replace the attachment instead of buying a new prosthetic implant. Here I emphasize adoption cost because that is what is meaningful to users. Many designers or sellers merely consider the prices. However, in reality, what users care about is the total cost including other costs such as shipping costs, and installation costs. I think as your team goes further, you could consider this area to make the design more affordable to users.
Hi Trevor, really great job on yours. I really like what you said at the beginning of the last sentence when you said you wanted to create real value for your users. I believe that is one of the most important factors to consider when looking at the user. This is so important because if your product is not actually creating some tangible value for the user then why would they use it. Really nice job on the post. I could clearly see the amount of thought and depth you put into thinking of brainstorming for your project.