Garden Hoe Redesign
A study in Human Factors and Universal Design
Introduction
In this project, completed in our Human Factors in Industrial Design class, we used methods and practices related to usability testing. We worked with existing products; specifically a standard garden hoe, identified problems with its usage and design, and came up with several design ideas that we felt would improve upon the use of the original. With these new designs, we conducted tests and surveys and used the results to decide which of our test models was the best improvement upon the original garden hoe. Our redesigned hoe addresses the principals of universal design, and allows for any user, regardless of age or size, to comfortably use it for extended periods of time.
This project was completed by myself, Griffin Mullins, and Jyh Chen
Problem
The traditional Garden Hoe utilizes a straight, tubular shaft; usually made of wood or fiberglass. The straightness of the shaft in this design causes the user to bend over and put strain on the lower back and shoulders, and can cause injury after prolonged use.
As you can see, the user is bent over uncomfortably during use of the traditional garden hoe
Prototype Development and Testing
For this phase of the project, each member of the team made several ideation sketches. As a team, we talked through each of the designs, and chose the best 6 to move on into the prototyping and testing phase. We then built each of the 6 final designs to be tested.
The test models were made by heat bending PVC pipe, using play-sand as a mandrel to stop the PVC from creasing when bent.
The final 6 shaft designs. The Hoe blade is removable so we could use one blade for all 6 shafts.
We then had a large group of people test each of the 6 designs and answer a short survey about the test (We made sure the group varied in body size, age, and gender).
Final Design
After all the testing and surveys were completed, this is the design that was rated the most highly. So after making some changes and improvements based on our testing feedback, we built the final model.
The final design allows the user work while keeping them upright. This significantly lessens the strain on the back and shoulders. This design would allow the elderly as well as people with back problems to enjoy gardening without significant risk of injury.
The circular fore grip design also makes the tool ambidextrously usable. We added brightly colored synthetic cork grips to the touch points of hoe which allow for more comfortable use for extended periods.
