Summary
I helped to co-create two projects with three other people in my course. The two projects that our group created offer innovative solutions to pressing global issues.
Project 1, the Accessible Emergency Preparedness Kit (AEP Kit), addresses the need for accessible emergency supplies, particularly for individuals living in urban areas with limited space. The design is compact, sustainable, and user-friendly.
Complementing this, Project 2 focuses on environmental sustainability by developing biodegradable and edible packaging alternatives to traditional plastics.
Together, these projects demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. They highlight the power of innovation to address critical issues and create a more sustainable and equitable future.
Description
The first project addresses the issue of not having an accessible emergency kit. Most of them out there are bulky and hard to store and carry around. We decided it’d be best to make a more compact one using lighter materials and adding some accessibility features, like braille or sound for the visually impaired.
The second project addresses the issue of plastic waste. As so many foods and drinks are packaged in plastic, we wanted to come up with a packaging brand that would be biodegradable and edible. This would help solve the plastic crisis we are in and diverge at least most of it from the landfill.
It wasn’t easy to address these issues. As a group we had some challenges with making the prototype. Figuring out how it should be put together. Our second project fell a bit short cause we didn’t have a full prototype, more just talking about the materials and we brought in some packaging to present that was already out there. Next time we should try putting together a more complete prototype and add the features to see what works.
Review
The design process started out with brainstorming ideas for our projects and doing a quick search to see what was out there already.
We then choose to do the emergency kit for our first project and sustainable packaging for our second. We did more research into materials, some ideas, and user behaviour. See what the issue is with these products currently.
Next was the prototype and development. Our group did a few very rough sketches and labeled them so that we have a good idea and then got to prototyping. We used simple materials like cardboard, some rope and duct tape for the emergency kit. For the packaging, it’d be made from possibly bamboo, rice paper, and banana leaves.
Lastly, we presented our prototype and findings to the class. Got some feedback and questions so we could make the design better.
The aspects of the design process that did work was our problem identification and research. We came up with strong points and a clear goal for these projects. The aspects that didn’t work was the resource limitations and some material constraints. We had limited access to more advanced tools which restricted experimentation of a better prototype. Also finding the right kind of materials is difficult. I learned that the design process isn’t linear and that you most likely will have to circle back to fix something or even start over and that’s ok. I also learned how valuable feedback is and collaborating with my peers.
Conclusion
The designs were good in terms of sustainability and accessibility. For our emergency kit, we thought about the materials used to make the actual kit and accessible features for anyone with physical limitations. Our sustainable packaging could really help the environment if lots of different foods or drinks were put in them. We need to improve the functionality of both these projects and make sure it’s going to work as intended.
I have accomplished a lot through my involvement in these maker projects. I was able to go through the design process from start to finish and create something tangible to present at the end. The design process has contributed to my evolution as a UX designer by deepening my understanding of problem-solving, improving my skills in prototyping, and being able to refine my projects based on feedback.
There is lots of room for growth and potential for each of these projects. It would be best to do some deeper research, build more refined prototypes, and get user feedback.
