THE FIRST AID KIT
We redesigned the first aid kit and the experience through user research and ideation. Through the research, we discovered that most college students do not actually own a first aid kit so we wanted to figure out how to sell to this untapped market. We created a disposable first aid kit that you carry around everyday tailored to college students.
HOW IT WORKS
The kit is disposable and comes in a variety of themes denoted by the color. These kits are purchased at vending machines placed in convenient locations around a college or university. The simple user interface and allows for a hassle-free purchase and allows the student to easily attach the pack to their backpack.
What we did
Team:
Role:
Industrial DesignerDate:
Aug 2018 - Oct 2018Location:
Carnegie Mellon UniversityTechnology Used:
Arduino, Foam Board, Sketch Software
MY ROLE
As the leader of the team, I helped keep us organized and on task. I made sure that the tasks were clear and small enough for each person to take responsibility for. We worked together on the discover, define, and developing stages. I, singlehandedly, worked on the physical prototype of the care cards and the vending machine. I meticulously cut out each item on the care card and built the vending machine from foam core. I also programmed the lights in the vending machine using an Arduino.
DISCOVER
User Research
After spending a while trying to actually find a college student that owned a first aid kit, we went directly to our interviewee’s home to understand exactly what he used his first aid kit for.
Insights
We realized that most college students do not actually own a first aid kit. Most students rely on others to be responsible or go out to the pharmacy when an emergency happens. We captured these insights on the board using post-it notes and sorted them based on three main categories: Purchase, Using, and Storing. We broke each of those categories into subcategories.
User Need
From the interview conducted, we defined the needs that we saw.
DEFINE
Target Audience — College Students
Financial dependence
Low purchasing power
Inexperience (with first-aid)
Busy schedules
Design Objective
Our goal is to address the limitations in existing first-aid kit designs that lower or prevent students from wanting to own or carry first-aid. We’re looking to design a product that seamlessly fits into their lifestyle without having a student put extra thought into the process, yet be able to access first-aid as and when needed without any difficulty.
DEVELOP
Brainstorming
Questions
How do you design a First-Aid kit that’s specifically tailored to College students?
How do we create a product that students WANT, and don’t feel FORCED to buy?
How do you design an intuitive and easy to use First-Aid kit?
How do we create an easy and seamless First-Aid refill system?
Brand Exploration
We created an aesthetics board of products that we felt looked similar to the look and feel for what our product should be like.
DELIVER
Final Sketch
The sketch shows how people will use the care cards and refill using the vending machine. They can pay by either QR Code or card.
Physical Prototype - Care Cards
The care cards are small cards held on the ring where you can peel off the items and pop out the medicines. The prototype is made from paper plates to show that the cards are recyclable since they are a one-time use system.
Physical Prototype - Vending Machine
The colors of the button on the vending machine match the colors of the care card. The door of the vending machine is made from acrylic and has a magnet that allows the door to snap close. The green light lets people know when their item has been dropped.
