Arthur Cutlery
Arthritis Cutlery
For my Arthritis project I wanted to make the kitchen a
more approachable place and bring together everyone into the social kitchen atmosphere. Making it easier for people who have difficulties cooking and eating due to their disability, rebuilding their confidence in the kitchen.
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Learning about the issue through my client who had arthritis in the hands and wrists limiting her mobility around the kitchen, and she also has difficulties seeing, only being able to see shapes and colours.
Asking her questions and understanding her disability in a comfortable and familiar atmosphere.
Producing a products that is easier to grasp and hold with coloured bottoms relating to the danger each utensil involves. all of them being placed into a holder that has large holds so they cab easier placed and picked up suiting my clients needs.
Researching the problem to get an initial idea on the issue I was basing my project on. Learning on where the effective areas are in the hands so I can further develop my understanding on the problem.
Initial drawings to get some ideas down onto the page. Visualising my first thoughts to see which ones stand out to start prototyping them. These
drawings help me get the ball rolling to start making the designing.
Prototyping my drawings to see which ones work and can be developed further.
Experimenting with materials to see which ones work well and is suitable for the product. Exploring in the functionality to find easier ways to hold and use the utensils. Looking into ways to make it easier to pick up mugs and bouncing back bottoms to stop spillages. Experimenting with hand exercises to warm up the hands before cooking.
Understanding my clients disability by making some glasses the make my vision blurry and seeing what colours and shapes I can distinguish. Understanding how she sees so I can make a more effective and developed piece that will improve her quality of like in the kitchen. Trying to outline which colours stand out more and indicating different dangers each piece of cutlery holds. Making the handle green so that she knows which end is the save side to hold and keeping the danger orientated colours on the end.
I wanted a easier place to store the cutlery, as my client said that she struggled to open drawers and pick her cutlery up. Making a 'knife block' for all her cutlery so she can store them safely and they are easy to pick up. Having the colours on the bottom so she can see which one is which when they are in the block. The block is tilted at the front so that she doesn't have to bend her wrist that much to get a grasp on them with the dangerous side in the block. Making the block by cutting the holes into sheets of plywood, gluing together and then cutting and sanding to size.
For the final cutlery I used ply wood to fit in with the block so they look together as one product. I also used wood so it would feel like a familiar material to my client so she would be comfortable using the soft comfortable handles. I made the knife handle different from the rest to distinguish it more. I then cut them in half to so I can add a line of colour down the middle and on the end. Then adding the utensil on the end with a gap to glue it in. Slowly adding the wooden cocktail sticks for the knifes to be put into place. Adding a coat of vegetable oil varnish to both wooden block and handles so the texture of the wood can be felt and can be washed up.
The Final Design
In the final design of the Arthritis Cutlery I wanted to make it easier for my client to eat and use her cutlery and rebuild her confidence in the kitchen. The larger handles with the wooden finishes, make it not only easier to hold but gives it a familiar feel and grip from the slight groves down the handles. The line of colour down the middle and on the end makes the handles easier for her to see and distinguish from the rest. Having the Block so that she can store them into safely also means that they are easy to store and pick up safely, with the coloured ends visible distinguishing each one.
These feature have rebuilt my clients confidence in the kitchen being able to eat and prepare more meals without struggling. She can now feel more comfortable joining in on the social kitchen atmosphere with family and friends.