Week 5 Reflection

This week is the phase where we collected our research and turn them into ideations. As a group we collaborated together and answered a few questions of how to transition from research into ideation. First we wrote down the words related to the questions and then tried to categorize them into groups. I feel like this step is very important, because this way we can always come back whenever we are stuck during ideation, we look back what we prioritize the most. Also, this step has given us a great head start on what we are looking in our “knee pad”. It’s like a check box that we can tick off along the way of our ideation.

We had to watch the video about Professor Weightman talk about how what is a good design. First, he talked about the three key points. He said, a good design consists desirability, viability and feasibility. He said, the environment, business and responsibility of the product should co-exist for a product to be in the market. In order to succeed, first we need to identify what the people want. So, we ask people what they do and what they need. Then after collecting data, designers will creating empathic models based on their research. This model is where designers will conduct experiments where they try to understand the user’s emotions and feeling using a product in a certain environment. And then with all the data collection, the designers will dilute them and decide which are the most useful one. As a person who learns best from experience, I like how we, as the designers, are conducting experiments based on our users. This way, we can critically pin point down how our knee pad should be designed as.

This week, we had the honor to meet author, John Hornick as a guest speaker. He told us about 3d printing for health innovation and products for people with special needs. He featured various 3d printed products that seem to be impossible about a decade ago. And now, these children in Miami are getting heart treatment by the doctors studying a 3d printed model of the child’s heart. This may sound unethical to some people. But John told us that we are improving the products as we move one. His speech inspired me to persuade along with my research. I feel like I have been limiting myself when I was ideating ideas. I felt like the technology wasn’t there to support my ideas. However, like John told us, I need to go outside my comfort zone. I will need to put my foot in our mentor, Jenna’s shoe, by scanning her knee. In the future, I will try to scan her knee and create a quick mock up of a knee pad and try all on them. As our group, we will try falling on different terrains to find which parts of the knee needs the most cushion to minimize the impact. And we will test them using various of materials as well.