Background info:

The power in community module of this corner stone design course is just that - a cornerstone of our learning experience. Each year, Mcmaster interviews a different member of the surrounding community who is living with a disability, we as the students then develop a design that will improve their quality of life in some way. This teaches us empathy, problem solving, and user-centered design processes that are key to our success in our engineering careers.

This year the Mcmaster interviewed a lovely women who is living with Usher Syndrome, resulting in high levels of visual and hearing impairment. One issue that she faces in her day to day life is the ability to line up pots onto the burner of her electric stove top, as unlike traditional coil stove, it lacks texture.

Project Narrative

Let me introduce our final design - the Corner Intutive Assist (C.I.A). This design aims to provide a physical cue for the client to line up pots on an electric stove with a burner. The CIA is:

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a User centered design, using high contrast colours designed with the client in mind

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a Non-Invasive stove guide, using silicon suction cups easy installation and removal

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Made with ABS and silicon for optimal heat resistance

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Our design process:

• Each team member first made a possible prototype before we discussed solutions. This was to prevent possible design bias, and get the widest range of solutions
• We then took each design and put them into a desicion matrix to determine which aspects were best suited. The aspects we wanted to include in our final design were:
  • [x] Raised legs to minimize heat transfer
  • [x] Suction cup attachment (stove wasnt magnetic)
  • [x] Corner placement, with semi-circle face
• We then started developing prototypes:

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Cardboard prototype to determine dimensions

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PLA 3D printed prototypes for suction cup attachement

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Full testing prototype to determine possible melting points

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Team’s Work and Personal Contributions

My primary contribution in this project was in prototyping and testing of the design. I created accurate CAD models of the suction cup attachment pieces, ensuring that the geometry was optimized so that they would fit snugly against flat surfaces and corner edges. I 3D printed several iterations to ensure they fit snug into the design, and held no risk of falling off.

Throughout the process, I performed qualitative testing of the design. I organised 20 of my peers during a work period to test our model, and respond to a questionnaire regarding its effectivness, which guided many iterations of the design. This hands-on experience allowed me to prototype the guide rapidly and improve the usability and functionality of the guide. This also advanced my understanding of how form, material, and user interaction intersect in functional product design.

Reflection

This project taught me again the influence that small choices can have on usability.

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Iteration is crucial: I originally envisioned that a successful print and a sufficient CAD model would be enough. But user tests revealed defects I hadn't anticipated—like rotation during usage and unclear orientation.

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Beyond specs: Testing reveals: Peer testing organization introduced us to surprising results. It served as a reminder that real users use designs differently than engineers may expect.

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The most important thing to take away: build fast, test regularly, and think feedback is part of the design—not a validation step.

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If I were to do it over, I would attempt to use more materials and test earlier. This exercise made me realize how crucial user feedback and flexibility are when producing successful designs.