Childproof Containers
Notes: Rich’s first instinct to unscrew the cap was to use his legs as a clamp, obviously it did not work out very well, spilling the medicine everywhere. Spectators suggested afterwards to use feet as the clamp or push it in a corner. Spilling the medicine is one of many frustrations that our users encounter everyday.
Water Bottle
Notes: Rich’s second task did not go smoothly either. Using the same tactic (knees as clamps), Rich successfully got the cap off the water bottle but ended up spilling water and leaving the bottle dented. Spectators suggested afterwards to use their teeth or try it with one hand as it is planted to a surface.
Flossing:
Notes: Flossing appeared to be one of the most difficult of our tasks. Neither Hunter or Tyler had success. Many other participants wanted to try it themselves after watching the two struggle in frustration. There was an effort to tie the floss around the thumb, then around the index finger and proceed to try and get some stable friction between the teeth. Not only was it hard to try and get the floss in the correct position but sticking fingers and a hand into your mouth in order to have the correct position is not the easiest either.
Toothpaste
Notes: A common theme of leg clamps in order to stabilize the product starts to surface. Both Ridhwan and Rich did not have fun completing a simple task like laying down tooth paste. We all agreed that the frustrating event of the tooth paste falling off the tooth brush happened to us some mornings and predicted the frequency would be higher for those without a hand/arm.
Nails (Clipping+Painting)
Notes: Nail filing and nail painting are a one-sided story. Ridhwan took the route of setting the clippers in his mouth in order to clench and keep them still. He did not get a very clean cut file. It takes more strength and balance then we thought to clamp down clippers. Julia’s nails turned out a bit sub-par then she was hoping for. Starting off well, she got the cap off and removed the brush no problem. Her pinky finger managed to get fully but messily painted. Difficulty increased the more inside Julia had to paint. It went from good to OK to messy to impossible for her index and thumb.
Shaving:
Notes: Hunter did a suburb job with the task. He planned ahead and ran the sink water so we was easily able to wash the blade. He removed the cap and successfully dispensed shaving cream into his hand thanks to modern day air pressured technology. Hunter was able to reach both sides of his face with ease. He elaborated that he did not get the best of shaves because he did not have another hand to stretch and pull the skin to maximize the surface area shaved. He often used facial movements to stretch the skin as best he could. Julia had the more difficult task of armpit shaving. Like Hunter, she drew the water and removed the shaving cream cap and dispensed the cream. One of the biggest problems Julia faced was lack of vision. Luckily her mirror guided her. She incurred some pain as it wasn’t the cleanest of shaves. Surprisingly she managed to clear all areas of her underarm.
Tissues
Notes: Redundantly easy. After pulling one of the tissues out from the easily dispensable rectangular box, Tyler was able to bring the tissue to his nose and blow in it without the tissue slipping away. The only problem was that Tyler complained about not being able to see his boogers.
Hair:
Notes: With four of our researchers studying hair, we were all able to conclude that the shorter your hair is, the easier it is to manage/take care of. Julia, having the longest hair of the team, attempted to brush, pony, and clip her hair. Julia managed to be able to brush her hair on all sides of her head but really struggled once the brush reached about halfway down. There was not any support to hold the rest of it and therefore could not completely brush her. Julia also failed in attempt to put her hair in a pony tail. It was nearly impossible to expand the band large enough to put her hair through and simultaneously have enough control to direct her hair through the hole. Luckily she had a clip and seemed to execute a decent pull. The other three male researchers had short hair, facing their hardest task of taking off the lid to the pomade or dispensing the shampoo. From there they were able to fully engage in their hair styling and washing.