In January, Year 9 took part in an interactive workshop about Inclusive Design with the Design Technology department. This user-centred design practice ensures that all users are considered, especially those who may be otherwise excluded or marginalised, when designing new products.
Students worked in small teams to identify and test a range of products, ranging from ergonomic seam rippers, jar openers and key turners. Students confidently presented their findings back to the group, discussing potential users alongside the ergonomic features they had identified on each product.
Students were then challenged to design their own inclusive product inspired by the Design Museum’s ‘Idea Machine’ (https://theideamachine.org/). Using three words to identify their user, industry and sense, students worked together to sketch a range of innovative designs ready to present.
Year 9 took this in their stride and designed a wide selection of innovative and creative inclusive products. Designs ranged from a wheelchair with integrated arm weights to aid mobility and strength, a vibrating colourful bracelet that subtly told the partially sighted user if they were at risk to bumping into furniture to a leopard print anti-bacterial patch that could be worn at a festival to prevent sweating.
Well done Year 9 for all your hard work and creativity in the inclusive design challenge!
