Design Excellence Award Spring 2014

An average american sits 9.3 hours a day. With increasing applications of computers and development of new software applications, more and more jobs require prolonged sitting. This may lead to obesity, stress and cardiac problems over a long period of time. But in a short period of time this can lead to muscle crams, joint aches and bed sores due to lack of neuro-physical stimuli to certain parts of the body.

The process of resolving this issue started with an extensive mind-map and competitor analysis of related products.

The mind-map was narrowed down to a conceptual framework to identify the crucial topics that needed to be addressed

Products on the market that attempted to resolve the issue of inactivity at desk jobs were identified from the competitor analysis.

Aeron PostureFit Chair

By Herman Miller

Known for its excellent lumbar support, comfort and adjustability

VQ Action Chair

Folding chair with resistance bands for exercising, a cycling attachment and back stretcher block

GymGym office chair

A regular office chair with bungee cords that allow one to perform various stretching exercises

Problem statement: To design an office chair that is NOT a workout machine but a flexing and stretching aide that provides relaxation and guided meditation for short durations to rejuvenate mind & body

An online survey was conducted to gather ethnographic data for this project

Professionals working on this issue and individuals who have faced problems with prolonged sitting in their life were interviewed for this project.

““Spine structure presses on nerves, compresses them causing pain in hips and legs.
Stretching and twisting every 30-45 minutes and drinking lots of water is recommended”
”

— Physiotherapist at Select Physical therapy, Tempe, AZ

““Headaches and muscle spasms are common due heavy use of computers.
Don’t wait till it hurts. Be aware of your body and its needs””

— Chiropractor at Extreme health Chiropractic, Tempe, AZ

““Misalignment and poor posture is more susceptible to injuries and lead to reduction of attention span.
Stretching, deep breathing releases tension in muscles. Finding the connection between your mind and body is the key”
”

— Yoga Instructor at ASU Student Recreation Center, Tempe, AZ

““Be aware of your consciousness and never let yourself blindly focus on the task at hand. Physical movement sparks emotional awareness and allows you to consciously focus on work””

— Standing Desk user at Arizona State University

A technology road-map helped in understanding the use of latest technology in this product and scope for further development of the product. It was observed that wheelchair users face similar problems and in future similar products could be created to adapt to wheelchairs.

Proposed Features, Functions and Benefits of the product. Here the features state the facilities that the product could provide to ultimately achieve user satisfaction.