PHASE 2:
CONCEPTUALIZATION &
PROTOTYPING
Embedded Files
REVISITING OUR DESIGN PROBLEM
INITIAL DISCOVERY
In our initial customer discovery phase, we had learned that many Common Commuters (people who ride their bicycle to-and-fro to regularly travel between their home and other commitments) often forgot their helmet. While helmet wearing isn't the only factor influencing biker safety, our research surfaced a pain point around helmet convenience. Bulky and difficult to carry around, bringing a helmet is sometimes an afterthought or a larger nuisance for bikers, so we, as a team wanted to innovate around how we could alleviate this painful tradeoff for bikers between choosing convenience or choosing safety. To do so, we focused on how we could make helmets more portable and more comfortable, hypothesizing that a new helmet solution in itself could be the answer. However, after further exploration, we recognized that beyond the feasible challenges of developing a new helmet, many people were already satisfied and invested in the head safety gear that they already owned, and instead wanted better solutions for portability.
REROUTING OUR FOCUS
With this new reframe, we began focusing less on the helmet itself, but the behaviors of Common Commuters, particularly how they were traveling and transporting their helmets. From carrying their helmet in hand to hooking it or stuffing it in a bag, existing behaviors around helmet portability were already less than ideal due to the helmet's bulky size and weight. Many of the people that we surveyed and interviewed still saw this as a major concern. Yet, we noticed that the best case scenario for a Common Commuter was to have the affordance to keep their helmet with their bike. Today's solutions that allow for this however, are far from optimized. We noticed that many Common Commuters struggled with locking their helmet onto their bike for a variety of reasons that we've listed below.
KEY PAIN POINTS
NOT SECURE
Existing lock solutions don't keep helmets stationary and are not anti-theft proof. Many bikers end up choosing to carry their helmets with them for this very reason.
NOT EFFICIENT OR EASY
Bikers who have to lock up their helmet do so while they are also locking up their bike to a bike rack/stand, and often times this can feel like a complicated and time intensive process even when on the go.
NOT RELIABLE
A majority of bike locks of today are reliant on the presence of a bike rack or stand to even allow a helmet to be attached, and even so, the attachment of the helmet keeps the gear in an unsteady state.
NOT CONSISTENT
Current solutions do not encourage consistency of use for the helmet because they do not serve as strong helmet storage solution when a biker is at home or choosing to ride the bike without a helmet.
Therefore, based this reframe, our team shifted our focus to designing solutions that specifically narrowed in on Portability and Security as our main attributes amongst other requirements. This brought us to our new design objective.
DESIGN OBJECTIVE AND KEY ATTRIBUTES
OBJECTIVE:
How do we make the helmet more conveniently accessible for bike riders, by giving riders affordance and sense of security to keep their helmet with their bike?
ATTRIBUTES AND REQUIREMENTS
Based on our design objective, we prioritized the following 6 attributes as key criteria for developing and down-selecting our design concepts. These attributes were later factored into our revised QFD and Pugh Chart used to rate and prioritize our solutions, and also informed the required design drivers we needed to consider when prototyping. Specifically, our concepts needed to consider:
PORTABILITY
Allows biker to bring a helmet with them anywhere and everywhere they go with ease
So that common commuters always have their helmet with them for when they want to prioritize safety
SECURITY
Stationary and reliably attached to bike in a way that is not susceptible to theft
So that common commuters have peace of mind that they won't lose their helmet due to theft or other incidents
EASE OF ASSEMBLY
Quick, efficient, and manageable to setup with little time or hassle
So common commuters can attach their helmet to their bike with ease and convenience while on the go
FEASIBILITY OF PRODUCTION
Manageable to build and test within a short period of time and limited materials
So that our team can fabricate the solution within a short time duration and with a low cost of materials
COMPACTNESS IN SIZE
Compact, light weight, smaller in size, and not a hassle to carry
So that it does not add substantial weight or size to the bike or helmet that would obstruct a riders movement
PROTECTION OF FREE WILL
Does not obstruct a bikers free choice to ride with or without a helmet
So that common commuters are reminded of safety but not coerced into a potential inconvenience
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR DESIGN DRIVERS & REQUIREMENTS?
These attributes inform a need for our solution to consider the following requirements and design drivers as dimensions we need to consider and evaluate when prototyping. Therefore, our concept needs to:
Be attachable to a helmet
Be attachable to a bicycle
Be suitable for different sizes of helmets and bikes
Be secure enough to prevent theft or risk of losing helmet during ride
Be easy and efficient to assemble over existing alternatives
Be non-interfering with the rider's ability to ride the bike
CONCEPTUALIZATION METHODS
The sections below represent the varied approaches we took to ideate new concepts that would meet our design objectives and pain points as identified above along with some representative examples of concepts we came up with.
**One disclaimer is that many of our initial conceptualization approaches focused on our initial and broader focus areas of making helmets more convenient. It wasn't until moving past many of these conceptualization exercises and conducting additional user research in parallel did we begin to narrow on our reframed design problem and objective of improving helmet portability through enhancements to its access and security when attached to a bike. Therefore, you will notice that some of the illustrative concepts that we have document down below serve the intentions of our initial scope.
Brainstorming
After getting to know our target users, daily commuters, through interviews and questionnaires, we learned that one of the problems our targets are facing is the inconvenience of using helmets. Based on the helmet use problem, we spent a few days brainstorming. During the brainstorming, we shared a lot of spontaneous ideas with each other and got a lot of ideas, such as a helmet that can be worn like a mask, can fit in a regular hat, can be collapsible in a bottle, etc. We began creating an extensive list of these ideas, as seen to the right.
Mind MapPING
In the classroom activity, we used mind maps to further expand our ideas about the convenience of using helmets. Expanding to nine branches centered on headgear, we started thinking about other dimensions related to biking, safety, mobility, and headgear more broadly. This included thinking about wheels, protection, clothing, general commuting, speed, quick access, and just circumstances in daily human life. As we continued to expand our ideas, by the end of the activity, we had over ninety ideas. The mind map helped us to layer the ideas we already had, and as the process continued, the hierarchical representation of mind maps allows us to be highly visual about ideas, and the hierarchical subdivision allows us to expand our ideas.
HEURISTIC CARDS
Mind maps helped us expand ideas, and Heuristic Cards helped us think deeper about ideas. We picked four Heuristic Cards to work on, they are CONVERT FOR SECOND FUNCTION, MAKE COMPONENTS ATTACHABLE/DETACHABLE, REPURPOSE PACKING and APPLY EXISTING MECHANISM IN NEW WAY. The Heuristic Card helped us to think on increase the usability of our product. For instance, one of our ideas is to support environmental protection by converting the helmet into a plant pot afterlife. We also have some ideas to add a boomerang component to our product, so it can meet younger users' needs; the re-usability package of our product; turning the helmet into a lock. We've provided a visual representation of some of our ideas from this exercise down below.
Conceptualization Tree
Once we completed the brainstorming and mind-mapping process, we had over a hundred ideas, and we used the concept tree to prune those that didn't address the problem we were trying to focus on. We wanted to solve the problem of helmets being difficult to carry. Our ideal product needed to be comfortable to use, and portable to carry. In the conceptualization tree, we started with comfort and portability as our branches, then listed the problems we wanted to solve under each branch, and finally listed the ideas we have under each of the problems. Once we completed the conceptualization tree, we had a clearer picture of the direction of the project and were able to narrow down our ideas. See more details on the concept tree down below.
Combinational Table
By following the design process, we used a combination table to combine solutions. In the Conceptualization tree, we categorized the main problem focusing and ideas, we selectively extract some of the ideas from different categories and applied them to the combination table. We had a lot of interesting ideas when it came to combining ideas. For instance, for the combination of “REMOVABLE ADHESIVES”,” ON NECK, AIR BAG COLLAPSIBILITY ”and ”BLOW-UP / INFLATED”; we thought of a product that could be designed instead of a helmet, decorated around the neck, and would pop open like an airbag to protect people when in danger. This resulted in us having some inspiration for product realization and narrowed the idea a step further.
FUNCTIONAL DECOMPOSITION
To ensure that our ideas are implementable, we tested each idea using the functional decomposition method. For example, in the case of the neck decoration inflatable helmet idea, we break every step of a function of the inflatable helmet and add what is the input (force, energy, motion) and what is the output (flap rotation, energy release). In this process, we filtered out many ideas that are not possible with current technology, such as the shape of the mask deformation helmet, etc.
CONCEPT TREE
We want to address the problem of inconvenient helmet use from two focuses, namely comfort and portability. Comfort means that the user experience should be comfortable both physically and mentally. This includes soft material, hygiene, breathability, and accessibility. In addition, portability highlights product attributes including attachability, small size, lightweight, and ease of assembly.
DOWNSELECTION - PART 1
Throughout our conceptualization process, our team used a variety of systematic and structured approaches to down-select and prioritize which ideas would move forward to progress us to our top solution. Below represents the journey we took to move from our 90+ ideas to our Top 10 ideas, and eventually to our Top 5. From our initial brainstorming and mind mapping exercise, we did a heuristic evaluation to determine which concepts would be most feasible, which brought us down to 35 ideas. From those 35, we began categorizing and bucketing these ideas based on themes and prioritized 10 based on their prevalence to our reframed design objectives and design drivers. Subsequently, we took those Top 10 Ideas and rated them using a Pugh Chart set up based on the prioritized attributes from our QFD. A more detailed version of our Pugh Chart can be found in Downselection - Part 2.
Based on the prioritization of our Pugh Chart, we took the five highest scoring ideas as our Top 5 Concepts and began modeling, prototyping, and testing these concepts in order to evaluate their pros and cons. Details on these Top 4 out of 5 Concepts are detailed down below, and details on our highest ranking and selected solution is discussed after Downselection - Part 2.
TOP CONCEPTS
1. Seat Helmet Storage
This concept is an attachment to the bike, an enclosed case, it operates as a helmet storage underneath the seat. The shape of the storage box aligns with the form of the seat. It protrudes out by some which makes the seat look compact in a small space. The size of the storage box would be based on the largest size of helmet available in the market. So that it caters to a wide range of helmets. The product will rest on the metal frame of the bicycle and has a snap hook locking mechanism. The rider just has to insert the key to unlock the box whereas the locking of the box is just hard press until you hear the clip hooking on to the metal. One end of the box will be fixed by the L-hinge on the longer length side. This will make the opening and closing movement easy to operate. To make the product waterproof there would be a rubber sealing gasket. The case would be made of polymer preferably backlite.
ADVANTAGES
The riders will always have access to the box as it would be fixed to the bicycle. The location of the box is convenient to access for the rider. The snap mechanism provides easy operation and quick access to the helmet. The mechanism has minimal assembly time to keep the helmet secure on the bike. The enclosed box storage also keeps the helmet safe from extreme weather conditions. The maintenance of the product is easy and convenient.
DISADVANTAGES
The storage box adds additional weight to the bike which adds to the bulkiness of the already existing bike. This may cause the rider difficulty and inconvenience while riding which may result in its safety concerns. The box protruding out may cause discomfort to the rider while paddling. This concept requires substantial tampering to the bicycle at the seat location.
2. Retractable StrAP aTTACHMENT
This concept is an attachment to the helmet strap. The attachment will be from the center of the Y – joint on the strap. The strap material will be flexible and elastic so that it retracts back to its position after use. Its retracting property will make the mechanism compact and small. The strap will be made of steel spring with a rubber coating externally. This would ensure that there is strength as well as smooth/soft finish for the feel. The safety of the helmet will be checked by the combination locking mechanism. The locking mechanism will be only object jutting out of the strap and will be visible.
ADVANTAGES
The locking mechanism is a part of the helmet and so the rider has quick access to it. The whole process of enabling and disabling the lock is fast and requires minimal assembly time. This feature provides the helmet to lock itself to multiple contexts (e.g., bike, bike stand, fence).
DISADVANTAGES
It adds weight to the already bulky helmet. Due to the locking mechanism jutting out it may cause discomfort to the rider on putting the helmet on and off. Since this concept is an added feature to an already existing helmet it will require additional tampering..
3. Portable Front Bag
It is a portable bag/case that is strapped to the front of the bike. This bag will be made of waterproof material like the polyester and nylon. It will be lightweight to carry around. The base of the bag will be held by a L shaped frame which is attached to the bike handles. The bag has an easy button press operation to open and shut.
ADVANTAGES
It provides quick access to the helmet by being right in front of the vision span. The mechanism is quite easy to operate and requires minimal actions. Material and joints are such that it provides necessary weatherproofing.
DISADVANTAGES
It adds additional weight to the already heavy bike which might cause safety concerns for the user. It doesn't solve the problem of portability. The idea already exists in the market.
4. In helmet pop lock band
A secret pop lock within the helmet with elastic/flexible lock band that extends and retracts. The lock band will pop out on pressing the button on the side of the helmet. The button will flush to the surface of the helmet and will only pop out on a click. It will go round the other side to plug in the space allocated for it. The metallic chain embedded in the helmet will be drawn out. The chain will be wound around a coil to hold it by force. Its length would be long enough(~1000 MM) to cover the surface area of the helmet as well as fix on the stationary object. After its use unlocking the band, the band will retract back to its position as the coil will pull the chain towards it. The pop lock will go inside the helmet case in its idle position. This way the mechanism can be locked to any stationary objects around e.g., bike stand, bike, fence.
ADVANTAGES
The idea is to keep the lock discrete and compact. The locking mechanism is not visible when not in use, yet it is always available for use. Riders need not worry about forgetting to carry the helmet locking system on the go. Being a part of the helmet it will always be with it. It is an added convenience to the rider as they don’t have to carry it around. The mechanism is easy to operate with just a pop, click and plug.
DISADVANTAGES
The rider has to carry an additional weight on their helmet to an already bulky helmet. It may cause discomfort to the rider in the crown area due to the chain and coil compressed within it. Proper insulation will be an added requirement. This concept requires substantial tampering with the existing helmet and users may not be comfortable making new changes to an already old helmet.
DOWNSELECTION - PART 2
As mentioned above, we used a Pugh Chart to evaluate our concepts against matrix criteria related to our required attributes, which is how we arrived at our Top 5 ideas. Our Pugh Chart specifically ranks 15 attributes that we found important to our solution, weighted against each other and ordered in descending order. We then scored each concept through a ++/-- system, where concepts could receive a 1 or 2 depending on the extend they met a criteria, a -1 or -2 if the solution performed negatively against the criteria, or a 0 if our evaluation on that criteria was neutral or not applicable.
Additionally, we employed further discussion and testing of these ideas to validate whether they met our highest weighted criteria, despite scoring well in our overall Pugh Chart. For example, there may have been some ideas that scored well across a number of attributes and therefore ranked high in our list (Novelty, Cleanliness, Cost of Maintenance, etc.) , but potentially may have missed the mark in one of our attributes that carried heavier weight (Security, Assembly Time, etc.). We did this both through a discussion of tradeoffs (pros/cons) and more objectively by asking questions that brought standardized focused to our main requirements (categorized into desirability, viability, and feasibility) but with an increased spread for scoring concepts. In this case we used a rating system of 1-9 across a number of statements/questions related to our requirements, (where 1 is weakly agree, 3 is moderately agree, 6 is agree, and 9 is extremely agree). Based on the highest score, supplemented by discussion, we selected Concept 2 as the best solution. See below for more details.
DESIRABILITY
Does it improve portability?
Does it keep the helmet secure?
Is it easy to use and/or assemble?
Is this something commuters can use consistently and conveniently?
VIABILITY
Does the solution seem unique and novel?
Is the solution better than alternatives?
Does the solution obstruct a bike rider's free will to choose or not choose to wear a helmet?
Is the solution applicable across contexts, such as with different bike and helmet sizes?
FEASIBILITY
Is producing this concept feasible within the time and resource constraints that we have?
Will the cost of production be relatively low?
Are the mechanics behind our solution technically feasible?
SELECTED CONCEPT - DIAL CLAMP HELMET LOCK
WHAT IS IT?
DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED CONCEPT
The Dial Clam Helmet Lock operates via a torsional spring mechanism that allows a helmet to be attached to the bike's frame using D- Flaps and cycle clamp. The dial mechanical spring lock helps in locking the helmet in the position. How this would this would essentially work is that a biker would first need to install the lock on the middle frame of their bike for consistent use. We envision this installation being either manually done or completed by a bike shop providing these parts, since the device will need to be bolted onto the frame or use another form of semi-permanent, stabilized adherence.
Once installed, a bike ride is able to place their helmet on top of two curved "D-shaped" clamps (D-Flaps), that in their default position, remain closed, similar to a "butterfly hair clip." For additional stabilization and security, the bike rider can also clip the helmet straps together through openings afforded by the D-Flaps. Once the helmet is in place, the bike rider can then turn the dial knob located at the bottom of the device to release the clamps and lock them in the expanded position. As the D-Flaps open inside of the helmet, they hook onto the interior and provide enough force to stabilize and secure the helmet in place. Finally, positioned on the device is a locking mechanism that ensures the helmet is secure enough in this position so that it is not susceptible to theft.
This concept affords our user the ability to "click and snap" their helmet onto their bike at any moment and any time, regardless of whether they need to lock up their bike on a bike stand or rack. This means that our concept offers our users the convenience to always keep their helmet on their bike in order to overcome their own forgetfulness, provides easy access to use the helmet when they would like, and protects the free choice of the user to ride with the helmet on their head or stationary on the bike for short, slow trips where helmet safety is less of a concern. We purposely positioned this device to be installed in the middle frame of the bike to ensure that it does not distract or obstruct the biker's view or ability to ride. Additionally, we noticed prominently that this was a location that bikers had installed other accessories, like a water bottle holder.
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WHY WE CHOSE IT?
EVALUATION OF SELECTED CHOICE
Represented in our Pugh Chart as Concept 2, this solution ranked the highest out of all of our ideas. Additionally, when we double checked how this concept was rated and took into consideration other dimensions that were important to our team while modeling and prototyping our concepts, this solutions consistently ranked high on our priority attributes such as Portability, Security, and many others relative to our other ideas.
Specifically, our solution affords the highest portability for a biker because it allows them to always keep their helmet on the bike no matter where they are traveling. In terms of security, our solution stabilizes the helmet in more than one way and is more protective of theft situations than existing alternatives that have been proven to be ineffective against theft situations (e.g., cutting of bike locks, removal of bike wheel, etc.). Additionally, placement onto the middle bike frame still allows the user to ride comfortably without obstruction or coercion to wear their helmet (i.e., better than keeping the helmet attached to the wheel, fixed on top of the seat, or hung on the handlebars). Because our concept was inspired by a water bottle holder and we tested the placement of the helmet on the bike frame, we also recognize that the size of the solution will be compact enough that it does not burden the user, especially because they will no longer need to carry the additional bulky weight of a helmet with them knowing they can leave their helmet on the bike. Also, while ease of assembly still needs to be tests, our observation of setup for other solutions provides evidence of a lengthier process from alternatives (i.e., taking a cord lock and looping it into a helmet, bike, and rack in a complicated manner versus just simply clipping the helmet onto the bike and turning a dial). Lastly, based on the type of materials and mechanical processes that we hypothesize will be involved in the creation of this solution, we determined this solution as one that can be feasibly produced.
Even when benchmarking our concepts in more detail based on pros and cons, we recognize that there were many more benefits to our solution, and that the cons to our solution were mostly negligible inferred by user behaviors we studied and/or tolerable due to the offset of benefits. For example, while we recognize that the solution will require initial manual installation, we know that bike riders have already installed other accessories in this manner. This applies similarly to concerns of adding addition weight to the bike. The benefits, regardless is that the helmet will always be readily available and convenient for the biker to access and will always remain present on the bike regardless of use, serving as a good reminder to the biker of safety when its most needed.
ALPHA PROTOTYPE MODELING
SKETCH
Scale 1:2
Concept Idea Sketch
ALPHA PROTO
Scale 1:1
Moving D Flap | Clamp | Dial
CAD MODEL
Scale 1:1
Average Head Size- 55cm
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the alpha prototype is to demonstrate the basic design concept, its construction and basic functioning of the idea. The helmet holder securely grips/holds the helmet in a secured position on the bike(specifically the top rod of the bike frame) and locks the helmet on the bike itself. Providing a security system for the user to secure the helmet safely on the bike. Eventually, improving the portability, convenience and safety of helmets as well the user while riding a bike.
PRINCIPLE
The alpha prototype of the selected concept works upon the ‘Torsion Spring’ mechanism. Torsion springs are helical springs that exert a torque or rotary force. The ends of a torsion spring are attached to other components, in our prototype it is the D-Flaps and when those components rotate around the center of the spring, the spring tries to push them back to their original position. They can store and release angular energy or statically hold a mechanism in place by deflecting the legs about the body centerline axis.
CONSTRUCTION
The complete assembly has one mounting component, two moving parts and a locking mechanism. The Cycle Clamp rests on the bike rod and is bolted to the same. D- Flaps are connected to Cycle Clamp with a pin and a Torsion Spring is fitted between D-Flaps and the Cycle Clamp. The wires extend from the spring to the Dial and a top cover rests on the Dial.
The Alpha prototype consists of following parts-
Cycle Clamp - This is used for mounting it on a bike rod. It is supposed to be bolted and has two slots for mounting on the bike rod. It also has four round hinge slots for attaching the D-Flaps on either side and serves as the very base of the whole assembly.
D- Flap - They are used for gripping the helmet from inside and keeping it in the locked position on the bike. It consists of a unique shape that is extended on the upper sides that serves the purpose of larger surface area to be covered in order to grip the helmet efficiently. It is 2 in quantity and plays a major role in the process of holding and securing the helmet at its position.
Dial - The dial serves the purpose of rotating the D-flaps to grip the helmet from inside. It has the basic mechanical key lock mechanism that keeps the the flaps locked in their position.
Torsional Spring - The two springs are mounted on the junction of D-Flaps and Cycle Clamp, together held by pin.
Pin - The assembly consists of two pins that connects the D- Flaps and the Cycle Clamp together.
Cycle Clamp
D- Flap
Torsional Spring
Dial
Pin
WORKING
In the normal/ideal state, the D Flaps are in vertical position to the base/cycle clamp . At this stage, the helmet is placed on the D-Flaps and the dial is rotated in clockwise direction. This motion moves the D-flaps in outward direction and grips the helmet from inside. In order to make the D-Flaps remain in this tightened position, one end of each spring wire is extended till dial and wound about the central axis of the dial. The rotation exerts the angular force on the wound wires that pulls the D-Flaps. The internal mechanical lock in dial helps in securing the position of the flaps in the desired position- keeping the helmet secured.
PROS
Easy and convenient to use
Always present, regardless of use
Serves as a reminder when needed
Efficient use and assembly
CONS
Requires initial manual installation
Adds weight to the bike, albeit its lightweight
SOCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT
While conceptualizing our solution, we evaluated our design and technical decisions based on our prioritized responsibility towards the health, safety, and welfare of people and the planet. This is based on the understanding that our solution both affects the people who will be riding bikes as well as how bikes become used over their lifetime from production and use to disposal. Below is a more detailed account about how we considered each of these factors.
Public Health
Beyond safety, which is discussed below, our solution works to make biking less of a hassle for commuters, which can in result incentivize more people to ride bikes regularly, and consequently maintain better physical health. Additionally, we intend our solution to be designed in a way that does not adversely affect the health of individuals who use it or the broader health of the public. By using safe and non-toxic materials and employing standards and disclaimers that prevent and/or call out any potential hazards for using the product, we intend to ensure our product does no physical, emotional, or mental harm to our users.
Safety
As identified in our former research, we recognize that the growing popularity of micro-mobility across the world has put pressures on safety considerations regarding bike riders on public roads. In the U.S. nearly 1,000 people died from injuries caused by bicycle rashes and 550,000 persons are treated in emergency departments for injuries related to bicycle riding. Head injuries account for 62% of bicycle-related deaths, 33% of bicycle-related emergency department visits, and for 67% of bicycle-related hospital admissions (Injury-control recommendations: Bicycle Helmets). Although the rate of injuries caused by micro-mobility is increasing every year, the awareness of its safety is not. According to statistics, only 18 percent of people wear helmets when riding a bike, and wearing a helmet can reduce serious head injury by nearly 70% (2016). Solving the problem of difficult-to-use protective gear for micro-mobility users becomes urgent.
While we can't address all issues of bike safety, we can ensure that our solution encourages safe bike riding and does not interfere with a biker's ability to ride their bike safely. In design our concept, we chose a location on the bike to attach the helmet in a way that does not obstruct the bike rider's view or ability to steer the bike. Rather, the omnipresent nature of the helmet being consistently placed in front of the bike rider instead provides soft nudges to encourage helmet wearing more often, and consequently, a decrease in safety risk.
Welfare
In considering the welfare of our society, our solution contributes to the promotion of bike riding as a form of commuting and incentivizes safety during these commutes. Through this philosophy, our solution intends to help more and more people get to work and be able to access other welfare needs (childcare, food, healthcare, etc.) at long distance locations, while lowering the risk of physical accidents that could jeopardize a person's ability to perform a job or accumulate financial risk. In ensuring equitable and inclusive access to our product, we intend to market our solution widely to all who may need it.
Global
As mentioned before, in the long run, we want to expand the market so that our products can have an impact on the global market and play a role in healthy competition, in order to stimulate more similar products to emerge and improve the experience and mitigate stigma around helmet wearing across the globe. Recognizing that bike transportation is widely popular in many countries outside of the US, we have considering adaptability into our design considerations to ensure that our solution can fit and meet the contexts of different helmet types and bike sizes that differ across the globe.
Cultural
We recognize that different cultures have different norms, perspectives, and views on helmet safety. This is exactly why we incorporated free will into our criteria, to ensure that through our solutions bikers still had the freedom of choice to wear a helmet whether they wanted to or not. As we begin to advance the fidelity of the solution, we plan to look across cultures to ensure that the aesthetic, material use, and functions of our solution are respectful of all cultures.
Social
Similar to our cultural considerations, we recognize that bicycle safety can have a social stigma depending on a person's social environment. More notably, many bike riders express a lack of confidence or shame for being judged when not wearing a helmet when riding in areas where helmet wearing is the norm. This is why our solution considers a biker's free will. Our solution intends to allow bike riders to socially signal that safety is important to them without coercing bikers to make a choice of when and how to wear their helmet.
Environmental
To the greatest extent possible, we intend to use of sustainable or renewable materials to ensure our solution fits within a circular economy system and contributes to net zero carbon emissions. To ensure this, we will be evaluating the manufacturing process and usage of our solution through a high level life cycle assessment to ensure that the least amount of environmental energy can be used, and that after the solutions lifespan ends, the it can be disposed of in a way that does not create unnecessary waste on the planet.
Economic
While designing and constructing this solution, we intend to focus on keeping material and production costs low in order to position our solution at a price range that is reasonable accessible by most common commuters regardless of socioeconomic status. By doing a conjoint analysis study in our next steps, we can begin to understand what willingness to pay for our solution will be and subsequently price our product in a way that is economically accessible and viable.
VIEW REFERENCES & Citations
https://www.outfit4events.com/eur/articles/historical-armor/how-to-determine-a-helmet-size-correctly/
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