Grip Curl

GripCurl was the result of a project undertaken as part of the Application of Product Design module by a team of six students, including myself.

An initial brief was delivered at the start of the project by Sagentia, a technology consultancy. The brief was to design and develop a product that aided independant living for the less able elderly generation. Once the project was complete, all products were to be presented to Sagentia by the six teams in the module.

The groups research found that many elderly citizens struggled when it came to gripping cylindrical products with small radii, e.g. Tooth brushes, broom handles, washing up brushes, pens etc. The group set about creating a product that would help universally with this problem.

A range of concept idea’s were produced and evaluated against the product design specification. A concept that involved surrounding cylindrical products with a hinged clam shell, to increase the diameter of the product and provide a smoother and larger surface area for gripping was chosen for development.

Aims:

A gripping aid suitable for mass production that provides a larger, easier to hold grip when attached to a range of handles in a broad variety of shapes and sizes.
A product that is easy to attach and remove from items, as well as being durable, easy to clean and reliable.
A product suitable for many different situations, whether in the bathroom, around the house cleaning, or in the kitchen.
The ability to hold toothbrushes, shower brushes, mops, brooms, knives, forks and more.
Suitable for semi-permanent or temporary attachment depending on the use it was intended for.
Furthermore, being desirable due to its pleasing aesthetics, it will have a wide appeal beyond its primary target market of the elderly – for use with toddlers learning to brush their teeth or use a knife and fork for example.
A final production model would be completely sealed for use in the bath or shower, it could also be cleaned using water or in a washing machine. This would be hygienic and reduce the health risks associated with bacteria

As a result of the final presentations to Sagentia, the GripCurl product was judged to have the best concept with the most potential. This was a great result for the team. The presentation poster for the product is shown below.