Team: Me, Dharam Lokhandwala and Chia-Yun Yen (Harper)
Personal belief: I believe that disability is not a single person's issue, but is everyone's problem.
A significant portion of the population in the United States consists of individuals with disabilities. Approximately 27% of Americans have some type of handicap, with 12.1% (40,327,794) experiencing severe mobility issues. Additionally, 7.1% of these individuals face challenges in living independently. While there are countless products available to enhance the physical convenience of wheelchair users, our objective was to provide them with a sense of fulfillment during grocery shopping, promoting independence and inclusivity.
Primary Research
The Initial Puzzle
🤔 How might the in-store experience for wheelchair users be improved?
Early Research
We carried out standard observations at a variety of Bloomington, Indiana, grocery stores to peel back the layers of this challenge.
We watched them get a sense of what persons with both temporary and permanent mobility difficulties experienced when they went shopping.
Images taken during conventional observations are available here, along with the observation technique and insights.
Initiated the project with comprehensive market research, analyzing competitors and identifying gaps in the social dining app market. Conducted surveys and focus groups with potential users to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points regarding dining out and socializing.
Synthesized research findings to develop a clear value proposition for the app, focusing on unique features such as group dining options, personalized restaurant recommendations, and event planning capabilities.
We made use of Affinity Mapping and grouped observations according to how similar the situations were.
Highlighted Issues
Secondary Research
To further explore the complexities of this issue area, we used desk research in addition to observations. We looked into:
Reddit and Quora forums
YouTube vlogs
Digital ethnography
Fig: Email from mother of 28-year-old with Cerebral Palsy
Other comments that demand focus
Essential requirements of wheelchair users
Due to their mistrust of leaving their pricey wheelchairs with strangers, wheelchair users prefer to shop in their chairs personally (instead of using the motorized cart).
Wheelchair users must lay a bucket on their lap to avoid using a large trolley for a limited number of products.
Wheelchair users must exert significant force to push the cart since its weight might occasionally make it difficult to handle.
Sketching Solutions
Visual Thinking: Unveiling Thoughts and Ideas
Exploration 1: Attachable rods on a normal cart
Fig: Exploring the idea of attaching rods to a traditional cart
Design issues: The considerable distance between a person using a wheelchair and a shopping cart can hinder their ability to reach and retrieve items easily.
Fig: Large distance between the cart and the person
Fixing the problem: Lowering height & minimizing the distance
How did we cut down on the distance?
A cart that slides to the top
👉 During self-checkout, it can be difficult to put things in the cart and take them out again, especially if you're in a wheelchair. What if the cart took care of everything?
Queue-less, Attachable, and Smart Carts for Wheelchair Users
Fig: Ideation of smart-carts
The more weight and capacity a cart has, the less maneuverable it gets. This implies that it takes even more effort for people to move the wheelchair and the filled cart. To solve this issue, a function like power assistance could be a useful addition.
