🔌 Let’s hide those CHARGERS !!!
Recently, I completed my Design Thinking Project and it changed my way of thinking completely. Design Thinking Project was the first assignment given to us in a course that I have started with Growth School. For this assignment, we were divided into groups and rooms were allotted to each group member individually as our topics. My topic was Bedroom, and my group mates had other rooms as their topics. Starting without a problem statement was a new thing for me. Starting with the topic using The Design Thinking Process made it super easy.
You must be wondering what exactly is the Design Thinking Process?
Well, it has 5 stages -
📞 EMPATHIZE
We had to consider 5 of our group members as our users and understand their perspective by taking their interviews individually
📝 DEFINE
We had to define the issues that the users were facing depending on the interviews and understand why they are important for them -
🤔 IDEATE
Why not hide those ugly charger ?!
I realized that most of the users were using extension boxes for charging their devices since the switchboards were not near their bed/ side table/ study table. The use of an extension box made sure that they had multiple charging points, but at the same time added to the mess on the table by having multiple charging cables. I felt the need to clear the mess of wires created due to the use of the extension box by concealing the extension box inside the table.
💡 PROTOTYPE
The prototype has 2 parts -
- Part 1- CONCEALED EXTENSION BOX inside the table with wireless charging point.
Part 1 of the prototype is designed in such a way that it can be installed on any existing table with minor modifications.
- Part 2 - CONCEALED SWITCH + SOCKET inside the open-able false tile.
Part 2 of the prototype needs civil and electrical changes in the existing layout of the room and can be considered while renovating the bedroom.
Part 1- Concealed extension box
Part 2- Concealed Switch + Socket
📝 TEST
In this stage we need to take feedback from our users, solving the problem is just not enough, it is important to see if it works.
Changes made in the prototype after getting feedback from the users -
- The users can modify the arrangement according to the space available on the table.
- The box section has more added space for keeping laptop charger adapters and extra cables.
- The users can choose to implement only the concealed extension box if they are not willing to invest more money in civil and electrical work for concealing the switch and socket in the false tile.
- The size of the lid can be custom made according to the size of the table, space available and size of the extension box.
📝 SUMMARY -
Hiding the chargers was my main aim when I started working on the prototype. After receiving feedback from the users I realized that I need to make modifications in the prototype by adding more space for hiding the chargers, extra wires and adapters too. So LET’S HIDE THOSE CHARGERS, CABLES & ADAPTERS TOO !!!! 🧑💻🔌
I learnt that I am not the user, no matter how much the solution works for me, it might not work for the user. I learnt how to understand the user problems by having casual conversations with them. I understood the importance of user feedback in making the prototype better. I realized that designing for others is super fun and less complicated if we follow the process.