BABY BOOMERS
- About 40 million people aged 65 and older live in the U.S.
- Early adopters in this population - High Earning Baby Boomers - with annual incomes of $100,000 or more.
- Women control a majority of purchasing - is estimated that 80% of household purchases, from food and finance to travel and technology.
- The live in large cities with high earning potential.
- They are educated, unusually design-oriented, and extremely conscious of the experiential and social implications of their purchases.
- They want their consumptions to make them feel good about their personal choices, their identities and their families.
- Early adopters in this population - High Earning Baby Boomers - with annual incomes of $100,000 or more.
- Women control a majority of purchasing - is estimated that 80% of household purchases, from food and finance to travel and technology.
- The live in large cities with high earning potential.
- They are educated, unusually design-oriented, and extremely conscious of the experiential and social implications of their purchases.
- They want their consumptions to make them feel good about their personal choices, their identities and their families.
CUSTOMER PROFILE | Baby Boomers
RESEARCH
While researching other cutting utensils in the market, I decided to focus on the ones that are for people with arthritis. Things like how to comfortably grab the knife, cutting position, cutting movement and materials were some of the inspiration points.
RESEARCH | Cutting Tools
RESEARCH | Reachers
By looking at the kind of products that are out there in the market, I was able to determine what kind of handles, gripping clamps, lengths, mechanisms and materials are the most commonly used.
RESEARCH | Canes
During this exploration it was interesting to contrast the very medical looking aid to the very modern, even futuristic type. There’s definitely been more exploration on the aesthetics of this product. Ergonomics, foot mechanism and materials were looked upon.
IDEATION | Sketching concepts
CONCEPT | Cake/Pie Cutter
Has an ergonomic two way handle that supports both cutting and scooping movements. It’s thought to fit all hand sizes (both 95 and 5 percentile). The handle’s form has been elongated to make it look more elegant and more refined. A knife blade was added to communicate that the tool could serve as a knife and a scoop.
CONCEPT | Reacher
With an ergonomic handle that supports the user’s hand when pulling to reach and grab. A second handle was incorporated in the top mid section of the stem to create an extra pull support for the user. This elongated knob will be able to slide back and forth supporting the pull action created by the top handle. It’s thought to fit all hand sizes (both 95 and 5 percentile), as well as left and right handed users.
CONCEPT | Cane
With an ergonomic handle to support the user when walking, a knob on the upper side of the cane’s stem to help the user hold on to it while standing up and finally, a rubber shoe that ends with a suction cup form to prevent the cane from falling over.
CONCEPT | Walking Cane Specs