Product Design research: Kitchen Product Inclusive Design Insight

Sam_wj

Hi, my name is Samuel Jones and I'm a third year Product Design student at Ravensbourne College in Greenwich. For my third year final major project, I chose to pursue inclusive kitchen equipment as it's always been an area of design I have been interested and passionate about. I was wondering whether anyone would be able to share their experiences in their kitchen. Are there any struggles or difficulties you experience in on a daily basis, in the kitchen, or things that could be changed/adapted to make performing any tasks in the kitchen more enjoyable? Any help you could give me and would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Sam

htlcy

Hi there Sam, that sounds really good and it's fantastic that you're wanting to contribute in that way! Well for people with cerebral palsy things can differ greatly as the condition affects people in very different ways. Because I have hemiplegia I struggle with cutting things on chopping boards (it affects one half of my body) and my back problem makes standing for long periods very painful. I also have a gas hob and I find it very difficult to press the ignition and hold the dial down to turn the hob on! Opening cans is a nightmare and I cant do it very well. Basically anything that's used with two hands is a real challenge! I just find things take a lot longer and I use more energy, and by the time I've prepared a meal I'm absolutely exhausted. What kind of things were you thinking of creating? Maybe have a look at creating a survey or something similar somewhere to get more opinions as that could be useful for you. Let me know if any of this is useful/if you need to know anything else!

Heather

Sam_wj

Hi Helen! Thanks for the response, I found it extremely helpful!
At the moment my research has lead me towards maybe developing a range of pots and pans that make it easier to hold and drain. Other people with physical disabilities, such as arthritis and parkinson's, have said that they struggle to hold pots and pans, especially when filled with water or contains food. What would you think about this? You mentioned before that uses two hands is a challenge. Would something that can be used with one hand be more useful or more of a struggle for you?

Thanks,

Sam

Sam_wj

Hi Helen! Thanks for the response, I found it extremely helpful!
At the moment my research has lead me towards maybe developing a range of pots and pans that make it easier to hold and drain. Other people with physical disabilities, such as arthritis and parkinson's, have said that they struggle to hold pots and pans, especially when filled with water or contains food. What would you think about this? You mentioned before that uses two hands is a challenge. Would something that can be used with one hand be more useful or more of a struggle for you?

Thanks,

Sam

Feeflahoobla

Hi Sam,
I am an occupational therapist working in stroke. I've often thought about studying product design as I identify unmet needs in all daily activities often. I think a range of pots and pans for hemi/single handed people would be fab! In tge NHS we issue a very basic light wieght drainer, aimed to allow patients to boil veg and pasta etc. It's life changing for some but so i'm sure your designs will do well.
Kind Regards
Fiona

Sam_wj

That sounds like a good idea. I've identified that lifting pots and pans filled with water is difficult and dangerous for people living with certain mobility issues. I've also noticed that chopping, peeling and grating are also an issue, so these are all problems I'm trying to design for. Are there any other unmet needs that you've encountered? It would be really interesting to discuss them.

Thank you for your help and support,

Sam