Interview with Participant
Co-design Methods
During the meetings it is important to get feedback about the ideas which are generated. Therefore it is important that on beforehand is decided what questions are going to be asked. It is also important to keep the user at the center of every decision. For the process it is easier to have physical prototypes. This way it is a lot easier to visualize our ideas for the participant. After testing out prototypes brainstorm sessions are held together with the participant to think about ideas of adaptations to the design.
First Interview with Participant
Approach
Before meeting the participant for the first time some research about multiple sclerosis has already been done to have a basic understanding about what physical limitations might be there. The goal of this meeting was to get to know the participant and try to define a problem to use as a starting point for the design process. The meeting was held in the house of the participant which added the extra personal touch. On beforehand some questions were formulated to get a basic understanding about the whole situation and lifestyle of the participant.
Questions to ask the participant:
What type of MS (multiple sclerosis) do you suffer?
(Relapsing / primary progressive / secondary progressive / Progressive relapsing)For how long did you suffer the MS?
What are the symptoms?
What are the main inconveniences in your daily life?
Do you miss something in your life you used to do before you suffer MS symptoms?
Which medical equipment are you using?
What are the inconveniences of using the current equipment?
Do you want any specific development for that equipment?
Do you have any ideas for other equipment which can enhance your convenience?
Condition of Participant
The participant is suffering secondary progressive MS. This means that in the future only more symptoms occur or current symptoms get worse, also medication has no influence anymore. In 2002 the participant was diagnosed with MS and the heavy symptoms started in 2006.
The participant uses a wheelchair and has stopped working, however they are still able to do voluntary work. They like to paint and their beautiful paintings are shown all over their house. To still be able to paint the participant uses special tools. Also their house and car have been adapted in many different ways to make life easier. However help from others is still always welcome.
Participant's limitation
The participant has problems exercising force in his/her hand, and this act can be quite tiring for him/her (and to do this he/she uses her full arm to perform a power grip)
The participant has a limited sense of touch in his/her hand, she’s mostly reliant on visual cues to inform her of the state of her hands
Fine detail movements that require dexterity with her fingers are nigh impossible
Flexing her palm is difficult and due to this her hand is most of the time in a relaxed muscled state
From the picture below I'll state what were the movements that seemed to be possible for her now
Abduction of her hand muscles seemed to be what she struggles with the most
Adduction is easier in comparison but it’s still getting tiring
Defining the Problem
Problem 1
The participant struggles to retain a sturdy hold of the handle of her e-bike as she’s driving it. And due to how her e-bike functions the velocity depends on how sturdy the grip of the handle is. As her grip occasionally gets weaker her velocity also drops with it, which results in her traveling experience being quite erratic as she speeds up and slows down as her muscle fatigue plaques her. This also could become quite problematic for traffic safety if she has someone driving behind her and these episodes occur. And even if the safety factor isn’t of concern, it could probably be frustrating for people driving behind her if this happens.
Problem 2
The participant has difficulty to leave their hands on the steering wheel because this requires a great amount of effort. The result is that their hand slides off while biking. There is no real direct danger but for the participant it is quite annoying to keep attention to it. The problem is that their hand should not be completely fixed to the e-bike. Apart from the danger this brings the participant must also stay able to put out their hand to indicate which direction they are going for other traffic.
Problem 3
The participant does not feel anything in their hands. This also means that they cannot indicate whether their hands are cold or not. This means gloves are essential to have, but because of their fingers cramping together the current gloves are hard to put on, most of the time it costs a couple of tries. Also, whenever a glove is on the participant is not able to feel if their fingers are in the correct position, therefore they check with its teeth if their fingers are placed correctly. The participant has a tool which should help to put on a glove easier, however this tool does not work because when their hand is in a glove it is very hard to remove. The participant already indicated that a mitten is not an option because of personal preference.
Second Interview
Approach
During the first meeting the participant indicated there are a lot of tools for people suffering MS. The participant said that a lot of times they buy a product which looks very helpful but in the end it does not work out the way they hoped. Therefore it is important to actually make mock ups or prototypes for the participant to test out instead of showing pictures and drawings. Based on ideation and brainstorming a mock up was created using an old glove. The plan is to let the participant test out the prototype and ask them what they think about it and brainstorm together about adaptations. Also during this meeting a few options for attaching their hand to the steering wheel will be discussed like the use of magnets or velcro.
Results
First of all when testing the prototype the participant showed enthusiasm. The prototype already made it a lot easier to not only put on the glove but to also see where the fingers are going. Therefore there is no need to check with teeth if the fingers are in the right place. However for this glove the right hand glove was used and the participant now showed that the most problems lie within their left hand.
The used glove has been cut at the bottom part, but the participant gave feedback that it is easier to slide in their hand when you can use support. So they suggested it might be better to have the opening at the top, this way both the glove and their hand can be layed down on the table which makes stretching their fingers easier.
After testing the prototype there was a short discussion and brainstorm session with the participant to think about adaptations to the glove. This led to the following results:
In the prototype velcro was used but the design team asked if other possibilities might be easier like using a zipper or magnets. The participant indicated that actually velcro is the best option and is used in a lot of their current tools.
To actually take of the glove it is hard to tear of the velcro because you need to grip the end. A solution for that which the participant also uses in other products is a strong ring where their finger can slide through to pull.
The option of a transparent part in the fingers was discussed to actually being able to see if the fingers are in the correct place. The participant liked the idea, however with this new method of putting on the glove it is not necessary anymore because it is already visible.
The difficulty that was stumbled upon was the fact that if the participants right hand would be fixed to the steering wheel it would be quite hard to still hit the throttle. However, hich was not clearly communicated during the first meeting but already mentioned before is that most problems are in their left hand and therefore this mechanism is only needed on the left glove. This still left open the problem on how you brake with your left hand, but also this is not necessary because the participant only uses the brakes on the right side.
A couple of options to attach their glove to the steering wheel are magnets, velcro or a comparable system a racing bike uses.
- The problem with velcro that it is too strong, it is really hard to detach your hand from the steering wheel with the amount of strength the participant still has.
- The participant was enthusiastic about the idea of using magnets. A few options were mentioned of were to place them, but then safety issues were discussed. Parts of the wheelchair like the spokes are made out of metal, this is not only dangerous but is also really inconvenient.
- The racing bike system is a system were a great deal of strength is required to click out of the pedal. This might not be the best solution for a wrist. However maybe a simplified version could be implemented.A new occured system is to make some sort of hook so that they can put their glove in from the top and slide it of the hook by putting their hand up. But the movements should be easy to do because the participant's control is not great. Another option is to use non-skid mats on both the steering wheel and the gloves, which can be tested out. For this system it is important to keep into account that there should be too many attachments to the palm their hand. This might irritate after a while.
Updated Requirements
The gloves must be waterproof
The gloves must be temperature insulated
The gloves must facilitate/ compliment the act of her putting it on with custom assistance or visual cue
The material must be strong enough to be able to manage her using her mouth without being damaged by her teeth
The left-hand glove must have features to help her hold/grip the steering handle
The option to indicate direction by extending the hand must be possible
Getting the gloves on and off should feel comfortable and natural without too many troubles (Based on participants feedback)
Due to safety regulations the user should not be completely fixed to the vehicle with its hands
Third Interview
Approach
For the third meeting two new glove designs were brought to test out with the participant and receive feedback. Also a 3D printed mechanism was brought to test out if the participant liked the idea. The two new gloves were based on the feedback from the participant during the second meeting. Also this specific clicking mechanism was a completely new idea and therefore it is 3D printed to get a good understanding of how it works.
Results
The meeting started off with testing the new prototypes. The participant directly said there was improvement. However, the glove size was too small which made it a lot harder to get in. From both of the new prototypes the one with the flap attached to the side was the better option. This way it is easier to close it because you are pulling the velcro strips instead of pushing them. However right now the prototype was made in such a way that the participant had to pull the velcro strip away from them. It is much more preferred to pull the strip towards you.
The participant mentioned it might be even easier to have the inside of the fingers a different material like silk or satin. This material is more smooth and could be easier to slide in. However to make a final prototype with this option in this short amount of time might be a bit too ambitious. Another option could be to have a smaller glove which only covers the fingers to help slide into the winter glove. During the meeting the participant showed a nylon bag which slid well over the soft material.
After discussing about the gloves we moved further with the sliding mechanism. For the participant it was easy to visualize what the idea is. To see if the size was alright the discussion proceeded in the garage where the participant's E-bike is stalled. The participant liked the idea but was not super excited at first. Problems about the mechanism are:
It might irritate the handpalm
The grip might be less strong because the fingers are not fully around the wheel
It is not visible where to slide it in because it is beneath the hand
For safety issues, when something happens it is difficult to automatically get the hand out of the lock
However the participant was not convinced, there was a discussion about how the system might still work. Out of this discussion came that the system can also be attached to the upstanding part of the steering wheel. This way it is visible to see where to slide in and also nothing is beneath the hand palm that could irritate. To cover the safety issues the sliding disc can be attached to the glove by using a snap fastener. This is commonly used within clothes and can be detached easily. This way when the force becomes too strong the hand will automatically get loose from the steering wheel.
The participant also mentioned that somewhere in the future they could buy a new E-bike so a plus would be if the mechanism could be removable and reattached to another steering wheel. When implementing these new adaptations the participant felt like it could be the solution and it would definitely be better than the current system they are using.
Fourth Interview