AS Product Design

Time Planner
Jordan Steele
To make sure that I finish my work before the deadline, I have created a time planner to show each criterion and when I will be starting and finishing each one. I will be
able to look back at the time planner throughout my project which will help prevent me from falling behind as I will be able to structure what work has to be done and
what time for and for when in relation to my other school subjects.
The orange squares represent where the topic was meant to be scheduled for,
but the green square is where I adapted it and changed the time planner.

Problem & Design Brief
Criterion 1: Investigation and Clarification of Problems
The Problem:
Arthritis can start suddenly without any obvious cause, and at any age. Sometimes something in your lifestyle
or medical history, or a combination of these, could be responsible. As the accessibility of smartphones, laptops
and various gaming consoles – that can silently cause damage to our joints in our fingers and hands – has
became so easy, the risk of getting arthritis in both the near or far future has increased dramatically. More and
more people are being diagnosed with arthritis than ever before, according to recent data from the U.S.
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), arthritis has the potential to become a ‘quality-of-life’
epidemic (however not a life threatening one). National estimates states that the number of adults living in the
US with arthritis is increasing at the rate of 1 million people per year. In the US currently, close to 50 million
adults are living with arthritis, over the past 4 years it has increased by 4 million. This increase is a part of a
trend that points towards a trend that predicts that 67 million adults will be living with arthritis by the start of
2030.
Many people who are living with arthritis say that because of this disability, their ability to complete simple
tasks have become a real struggle. Therefore, I am going to create and build an ergonomically designed key
grip/holder to aid people with arthritis to perform the simple task of using a key to unlock or lock a door.
One way of eliminating this problem is to use a arthritis key grip aid that will allow people, who suffer from
arthritis, to lock and unlock doors with ease and without feeling any pain from their disease. This solution is a
very simple and effective method of combating this issue. However, many of the current products on the
market are not particularly ergonomic, therefore will design and make my own key grip to help aid people with
arthritis to lock and unlock doors.
Design Brief:
For my product I am looking to make a Key Grip to aid people with arthritis when locking/unlocking a door, as it
can be a relatively tough task for them to complete. The product that I will be making should have an
ergonomic grip to allow maximum comfort when using the product; and it should be able to hold keys in a way
similar to how a Swiss army knife stores its components and tools. My product will allow people with arthritis
to unlock/lock a door with ease and with maximum comfort - ensuring that they feel no pain.
Target Market:
The target market that I am trying to reach out towards with my product is for people who suffer with arthritis
and people who suffer with their hand grip strength. I do not particularly have an age group for my target
market due to the fact that you can be diagnosed with arthritis at any age. Therefore, I am going to make it
suitable for both children/teens; adults and old aged pensioners (OAP’s).
Click Here. Here is a video about Arthritis of the hand
that found on YouTube. This video should give you more
insight into what this problem is.
THIS HELPS ME: This slide helps me to understand the
problem and I can refer back to the Design Brief if I
start to get side-tracked throughout the process of
creating the Arthritis Key Grip. I am also able to see
who is my Target Market – this will allow me to make
the product suitable for the specific people who
require this aid.
Jordan Steele

Client Profile & Interview
Jordan Steele
My Client:
My client has recently been diagnosed with arthritis. As I have been
told by them personally, they find it very difficult, tiring and painful
to perform many simple everyday tasks (e.g. unlocking/locking
doors). This is because keys are fine and slender and require fine
motor movements to be able to work efficiently.
My clients name is Joyce Askey and she was diagnosed with arthritis
about 8 months ago. She is retired and likes to spend her time
seeing family, travelling and baking. However, with her arthritis she
has found it hard to get about doing all of this because she has great
difficulty with gripping small objects and unusually drops them
because her grip strength is very weak because of her age.
THIS HELPS ME: This page helps me to understand what the client
wants and what the arthritis key grip needs to have and do. Both the
questionnaire and the audio clip allow me to look back at this page
and see what I need to include in my design without struggling to find
the information.
Client Name:
Joyce Askey
Client Age:
72
Hobbies:
Baking, travelling, and
seeing family.
Interview With Client (Audio Clip):
Questionnaire:
I created this
questionnaire so that I
could hand it out to my
client and other people
who suffer from arthritis
and/or tendon and joint
pain in their hands when
they grip small objects.
Key Points from Audio Clip:
• Idea is good because you are focusing
on the ergonomics of the aid, whereas
other solutions don’t.
• Slight gap in the market for your
product.
• Would pay about £5-£10 for it as it
seems it will be long-lasting.
• Will help people with arthritis because
of ergonomics.
• They’re not usually comfortable to hold,
but the ide will help people with the
problem.
Unfortunately my client did not want to be
on camera or be video recorded. The
interview below is an audio clip of the
interview.
HOVER OVER THE SPEAKER IMAGE
AND THEN CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON
IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER.

Initial Specification
Jordan Steele
AESTHETICS: The arthritis key grip should look very modern but should also be
ergonomically designed so that the handle not only looks good but fits well in
your hand at the same time. It should be scratch, water and chemical resistant
so that the overall look and function of the product does not change over time.
COST: The cost of my key grip should be affordable for all people and families
with the national average income. I should also consider using recycled and
sustainable materials to lower the cost of the product. I have also looked at
various products that are similar to the product I am going to make, and I have
decided that if I wish to sell my product it would cost about £5-£10.
CONSUMER: The person who would potentially buy and use my product would
be someone who is suffering from arthritis in their hands or just someone who
struggles with their grip strength in their hands. I haven't specified an age group
because you can be diagnosed with arthritis at any age.
ENVIRONMENT: My product will either be made out of recycled materials -
such as acrylic or polycarbonate – or made out of wood (e.g. oak, ash, ply etc.)
from a sustainable source, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Also, I
will ask the client what type of material they would prefer.
SAFETY: Throughout the making process, I will follow the PPE (Personal
Protective Equipment) safety regulations to make sure that my health isn't at
risk at any point.
SIZE: To work out the size of the key grip I will look as existing products on the
market and have a look at the size of the grip and I can use that to work out the
size my product needs to be. I can also look at the ergonomics of the hand (for
both adults and teens/children) and find an average size of your hand grip so
that the key grip isn’t too slim or too bulky.
FUNCTION: The overall function of my product will be to aid
people with arthritis (or people who have a weak hand grip) to
be able to lock and unlock a door with ease and comfort.
MATERIALS: I could use materials such as ash, oak and other
hardwood because it is strong and easy to shape into a
comforting grip. Also the hardwood would be able to withstand
different weather conditions. I could also use a type of
thermoplastic that is both resistant to chemicals, water and
corrosion. The type of thermoplastic that I could use is acrylic and
polycarbonate. Polycarbonate would be better than acrylic
because it is stronger – but not as strong as the hardwood – and
it can come in various colours to make it better for elderly people
to see it due to the fact that their eyesight is poor. It would also
be more suitable for teens and children as well.
MANUFACTURE: I could use various manufacturing processes to
make my product, however, the process I will use to make will be
totally dependent on the type of material I will choose. For
example, if I chose to use wood, then the best choice to make my
product would be on the wood lathe. But if I was to make my
product out of metal, the best choice would be to make the
product by sand casting.
THIS HELPS ME: This slide allows me
to see what I need to include or
consider when making my product.
The fact that its set out in 8
different subtitles allows me to
check through it with ease and not
get easily side-tracked from what I
need to do with the product.This is the logo for a sustainable wood source
called the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Areas of Research
Jordan Steele
Primary Research:
I will go into various different
shops that sell a high level
standard of arthritis hand grip
aids and similar products to the
one I am making, these stores
include, Boots, Argos and
Complete Care Shop, and look
at these similar products.
This will allow me to choose a
suitable price for the product. It
will also help me to have a feel
of the product and how they are
held in your hand and I can use
this knowledge to make my
product as comfortable to hold
as possible.
I could look at the similar
products and see if I can pick
out any faults in the design of
the products and this will allows
me to understand where the
designers went wrong with the
product and it will prevent me
from making the same design
mistake.
I will also ask my client directly
about what she wants and
needs this product to have
and/or do. I will do this because
I will be able to get vital
information to consider when
designing the arthritis key grip.
This is shown on page 7, where
the results of the questionnaire
that I got her and some people
who also have arthritis to fill
out.
I will also get several people
who suffer from arthritis to fill
out the a questionnaire. This
questionnaire will ask what type
of material thy would prefer;
what type of grip; amount of
keys it should hold; what
problems thy had with previous
solutions etc. This is shown on
page 18 (slide 19).
Ergonomics of the Hand:
I have researched the ergonomics of the hand to figure out the correct size that my key
grip should be. I have also looked at similar and previous products to help with the sizing.
I will make sure that the grip fits easily to all hand/hand grip sizes, I will do this by getting
the average size of all fingers, the palm of the hand and length of the hand (as shown
below) and I will use this to decide how the size of my product.
I will also make sure that the grip is comfortable to hold.
Secondary Research:
I will look at various designs of the
product on the internet and this will
help me to think of a design that will
attract customers.
I will also look at the comments on
different products similar to this and
this will allow me to see what people
are looking for in a product to aid
people who have arthritis. I will look at
anthropometric data (5th to the 95th
percentile) to help with the design of
my key grip.
I will also look at the different types of
materials that are currently being used
to make similar existing products on the
market. I will look at how safe and
trusted the materials are so that I do
not make it out of a material that isn’t
suitable for the product because it
doesn’t allow the product to function
correctly.
I will also look at the process of how
existing products have been
manufactured and designed so that I
can get an outlook of how I might be
able to manufacture my own product so
that it will work and function correctly.
Here is a link to the reviews to a similar
product that is already on the market:
www.amazon.co.uk/TURNER-MOBILITY-
DISABILITY-ARTHRITIS-
HOLDER/dp/B009764GQC
Anthropometry of the Hand:
Anthropometry is about body measurements such as body size, shape and strength. It is
used to ensure that products, such as arthritis aids, fit and suit as many people as
possible; because I am designing an arthritis aid, I will have to consider the following
measurements:
THIS HELPS ME: This page helps me because it allows me to look at all the dimensions of a hand for both
female and males. This page also allow me to understand how we hold items and how we can maximise
our comfort when holding such items. It also allows me to quickly see my questionnaire results (primary
research) quickly because of the hyperlinks. It also allows me to look at the comment of existing
solutions by clicking on a link that will send me to a review page.

Jordan Steele
Questionnaire Results
THIS HELPS ME: This page allows me to see what the clients and other potential
clients would prefer my product to be like. This is because the product is going to be
design for them and only people who suffer from arthritis and tendon strength.
Questionnaire Results:
The charts and graphs below are the results from
the 2 multiple choice questions that were on the
sheet. The other questions results are not on here
are they were only an open-ended question,
which means that I am unable to put the answers
into a table because they are not statistical
results.
Here is an example of one of the 10 questionnaires
that was filled out by the people who suffer from
arthritis in their hands.

Analysis of Existing Solutions Against Spec.
Jordan Steele

Possible Materials
Jordan Steele
THIS HELPS ME: This helps me to see the possible materials that I could use to make my
product. It also allows me to understand and remember the advantages and
disadvantages of each material, this will allow me to have a good level of knowledge
so that I am able to chose the best material for my product.

Possible Construction Methods
Jordan Steele
THIS HELPS ME: This helps me to understand all of the possible
construction methods that I could use to create my key grip. It
allows me to see all the advantages and disadvantages of these
methods and to choose the best one.

Final Specification
Jordan Steele
AESTHETICS: The key grip that I will make should look very modern but should also be
ergonomically designed so that the handle not only looks good but fits well in my clients
hand at the same time. It should be scratch, water and chemical resistant so that the
overall look and function of the product does not change over time. Also, the key grip must
look suitable for people of all ages.
COST: The cost of my key grip should be affordable for all people and families with the
national average income. I should also consider using recycled and sustainable materials to
lower the cost of the product. I have also looked at various products that are similar to the
grip I am going to make, and I have decided that if I wish to sell my product it would cost
about £5-£10. Also, to work out the cost I should take all the costs of the materials and the
cost of using the machines to create the product into consideration when deciding a
market price for my product.
CONSUMER: The type of person who would potentially buy and use my key grip would
be someone who is suffering from arthritis in their hands or just someone who struggles
with their grip strength in their hands. I haven't specified an age group because you can be
diagnosed with arthritis at any age and because of this I will have to make sure that it is
both user-friendly for all age groups.
ENVIRONMENT: My key grip will either be made out of recycled materials - such as
acrylic or polycarbonate – or made out of wood (e.g. oak, ash, ply etc.) from a sustainable
source, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Also, my product should be able to
used outside therefore it will have to be water resistant and be able to withstand both cold
and hot temperatures so that the overall look and function of the product doesn’t change.
SAFETY: Throughout the making process, I will follow the PPE (Personal
Protective Equipment) safety regulations to make sure that my health isn't
at risk at any point. Also, my grip will be safe because there will be no
small pieces of the product that will be able to fall off/break off. This
ensures that no children/toddlers can eat the broken piece and choke. My
final design of my key grip should also be unreactive to water and
chemicals so that it is able to be cleaned so that no bacteria can be
carried on it and cause someone to become ill, especially if an elderly
person uses this and ends up getting sick because the key grip isn’t able to
be cleaned, then the illness they get could potentially be life threatening
because their immune system isn’t as good.
FUNCTION: The overall function of my key grip will be to aid people with arthritis (or
people who have a weak hand grip) to be able to lock and unlock a door with ease and
comfort. It will allow the user to use the product without feeling any sort of pain or
discomfit form their disability.
SIZE: To work out the size of the key grip I will look as existing products on the market
and have a look at the sized of the grip and I can use that to work out the size my product
needs to be. I can also look at the ergonomics of the hand (for both adults and
teens/children) and find an average size of your hand grip so that the key grip isn’t too slim
or too bulky.
MATERIALS: I could use materials such as oak, ash and other
hardwood because they’re is strong and easy to shape into a comforting
grip. Also the hardwood would be able to withstand different weather
conditions. I could also use a type of thermoplastic that is both resistant
to chemicals, water and corrosion. The type of thermoplastic that I could
use is acrylic and polycarbonate. Polycarbonate would be better than
acrylic because it is stronger due to the fact that its atoms are boned
more tightly together – but not as strong as the hardwood – and it can
come in various colours to make it more aesthetically pleasing for a
younger (possibly child/teen who suffers from grip strength) user. It would
also be more suitable for teens and children as well.
MANUFACTURE: I could use various manufacturing processes to
make my product, however, the process I will use to make will be totally
dependent on the type of material I will choose. For example, if I chose to
use wood, then the best choice to make my product would be on the
wood lathe. But if I was to make my product out of metal, the best choice
would be to make the product by sand casting. However, if I did chose to
make my product out of metal, and sand casted my product, then it may
be too heavy for people who are older to hold and carry around with
them.
THIS HELPS ME: This slide allows me to see what I need to include or consider when
making my product. Also, the fact that I have said why I need to follow this
specification allows me to understand what the product needs and what I need to do
to achieve this.

Initial Designs
Jordan Steele
Criterion 2: Development of Design Proposal

Initial Designs
Jordan Steele
Initial Design 3:
Initial Design 4:

Jordan Steele
Developed Designs

Final Design
Jordan Steele

Further Investigations
Jordan Steele
Ergonomics of the Hand:
I have researched the ergonomics of the hand only as a secondary source of information. Therefore, I
must make sure that I do some primary research on the ergonomics of the hand. That is why I have
measured out the width of 10 different peoples hand to calculate an average so that I can get an
approximate average size for the grip. The people I chose where of multiple ages ranging from 16-80. This
will allow me to gather my own research and also use the secondary information to work out the right
size and shape. I will do this by measuring the hand length, palm length, thumb length, index finger
length, hand width and maximum grip diameter.
Below are some pictures of the hands that I measured:
The results I got varied quite a bit and from these results I have managed to work out what size my grip
should be. It should be 1300mm in length and 300mm in diameter.
These sizes should give maximum comfort for the majority, if not, all users. This is because it is thick
enough so that the people who suffer from arthritis do not have to struggle to grip the key grip. Also with
the ergonomic grip, this will improve how the grip is held so that maximum comfort is reach without
feeling any sort of pain when unlocking/locking a door.
Health and Hygiene:
As the arthritis key grip will be used in your hands, which is
the fastest way to get and transfer harmful bacteria into
your body (i.e. hand to mouth). I must make sure that the
grip is able to be cleaned and easily wiped of all the
bacteria that could cause an illness (i.e. the common cold).
Plus, with the majority of users being elderly, it is vital that
they do not contract any illness through my product
because it could potentially become life threatening due to
their weakened immune system.
I must make sure that the grip is unreactive to water and
various cleaning products. I must also adapt the design so
that it is the users are able to clean it with ease.
I will also make sure that my arthritis key grip will be to the
standards of the Royal Institute of Public Health.

Working Drawing
Jordan Steele
I have decided to make a working model of the design. It shows the sizes that I
plan to make my product to and it also shows the shape of the grip and key piece
from a birds-eye view. I made this on 2-D Design which is a Computer Aided
Design (CAD) operated programme that can be used for designing purposes,
manufacturing purposes and textile purposes.
I made my grip to the size of 130mm in length and 30mm in width (diameter
because it is going to be cylinder shaped). I decided to make it this size after
looking into different statistics and anthropometric data of hand and wrist sizes. I
also carried out my own test on 10 people and measured their hand and fingers
(as shown on page 18 – Further Investigations) and got an average of 130mm and
30mm.
From this I was able to decide how big the key piece was going to be. For this I
decided to have 30mm for the bottom that attaches to the grip; 50mm in vertical
height and 60mm in length. I chose these dimensions because I though that it
would have to also store the key and the torch, therefore I had to take it
consideration the size of the torch and the size of the key that was going to be in
the wood. I decided to make the front with the torch and the key slot so that it
gives me and the client more drawings so that the finished project is easier to see
and visualise.
Birds-eye View
Front/Head on View
I also decided to make a working drawing by hand which allowed me to add more detail to
the drawings. I was able to draw the cut out lines in the drawings which showed where in
the grip the cut outs would me made. I was also able to draw on the finger indents on the
model which allowed me to see how big the indents were in comparison to the grip size. I
had also added sizes to this drawing which allowed me to see how big the grip actually was.
The dash/dotted lines show where the key and
the torch will go.

Plan of Making
Jordan Steele

Production Log
Jordan Steele
Criterion 3: Making/Modelling
Quality Control Checks =

Production Log
Jordan Steele
Criterion 3: Making/Modelling
On box number 16, you can see that I am wearing PPE. It included a plastic visor, leather
apron, leather gloves and leather spats. This prevented any burns form the molten melt if
it was to splash up at me.
Quality Control Checks =

Problems and Solutions Throughout Production
Jordan Steele
Criterion 4: Evaluation and Testing
Problems and Solutions 1:
During the process of making, I had realised that the way I had made the key piece out of a solid block of wood, it would be much harder to try and cut out the key and
torch holes. Therefore, I decided to make it out of three singular pieces of wood. This is because I was then able to make 2 different templates and cut them out onto the
wood using the Hegnar Saw. This made it easier to make the key slot because all I had to do was stick the pieces together and the smaller piece would be in the centre
with a different shape to the outside pieces which allowed me to put the key in.
The two pieces of wood that I chose were Jelutong and Mahogany.
Problems and Solutions 2:
During the process of attaching all of the pieces together, I made a mistake with the dimensions of where the dowel was going to be on the handle/grip. I was off centre
by approximately 4mm. To correct this error, I decided to find a wooden dowel that was 6mm in diameter and wedged it down the hole. I filled the edges with PVA glue
and sawdust. Once it had fully set, I was then able to realign and work out where the steel dowel had to be. I did this by lining up the key piece with the handle using the
small spike I had previously made on the metal lathe. Then using the wooden lathe, I placed the grip/handle in the clamps and lined it up so that the spike met up with
the handle and left a small indent of where the new hole for the dowel had to be. Using the pillar drill and a 3mm drill bit, I created the hole for the dowel.
I had done this method of correcting my mistake because it allowed me to be able to fix it without having to make another grip on the lathe, this saved me valuable time
as I was already behind schedule (as you can see on the time planner), which I then adapted to fit with my new estimated time of finishing.
Quality Control Checks
Throughout the production process, I had to do some quality control checks to if I was following my Plan of Making and my Specification. I regularly made these checks
and you can see them in the production log.

Evaluation Against Specification
Jordan Steele
AESTHETICS:
Overall I though the key grip looked good, with the use of the clear
varnish and wax, it made the product look more professional because
it was clear and you could see the natural colour of the wood.
However, I did think that the product as a whole was quite bulky and
people may find it hard to look at and unattractive because of this.
COST:
The cost of the arthritis key grip was set to be around £5-£10. The
price has been stet at £5 rather than ten as there was not aluminium
used, which is more expensive than wood. All of the wood used is
sourced from a place which is supported by the FSC (Forest
Stewardship Council).
CONSUMER:
I think that the type of consumer of the aid would still be the same
because it can still help people who suffer from arthritis and/or joint
and tendon pain in their hands and wrists. I still haven’t specified an
age group due to the fact that this can affect anyone at any age.
ENVIRONMENT:
The key grip is environmentally friendly due to the fact that the wood
is sourced from the FSC and has been recycled from previous products
that have created a lot of waste wood. It is able to be used outdoors
because it has been coated in a varnish that is water resistant and has
been waxed so that it doesn’t scratched easily.
FUNCTION:
The overall function of the product has not changed and still helps
people who suffer from arthritis and other tendon and joint pain to be
able to easily lock and unlock doors without feeling any sort of
discomfort.
SIZE:
Even though I have looked at anthropometric data, ergonomics and
other statistics to get a size fro my key grip, I still think that it is a bit
too big. I think its is a little bulky to be carrying around in your bag all
day.
SAFETY:
Throughout the production process I have managed to stick to the safety regulations and
followed the Personal Protective Equipment directions of use.
MATERIALS:
The material that I chose to use in the end was wood. The two types of wood that I hose
were Jelutong (because its easy to shape and manipulate on the lathe) and Mahogany
(because the darker colour of the wood contrasts with the light colour of the Jelutong).
MANUFACTURE:
To create the arthritis key grip I chose to use the wood lathe as I was creating it out of
wood and will need to be able to create a round, cylinder type piece – for the grip –
out of a square piece of stock wood. This allowed me to make detailed designs with
the wood in a shorter period of time.
Final Specification
Key:
Positive
Negative

Client Testing and Evaluation
Jordan Steele

Recommendations and Modifications
Jordan Steele
Recommendations and Modifications
As you can see from the previous pages, my client has said that there are some areas that could be done with improving and modifying for future reference and for if I was going to design and make
this product again.
These include:
• The grip and the key piece could be made so that they are smaller and less bulky. This would allow the user to be able to move the key around a lot easier when it is in the lock and it would make it
easier for them to carry it around in their bags because it will not take up as much space.
• The key piece could be attached so that you didn’t have a small over-hang/bump over the grip. Dirt and bacteria could end up getting trapped in there and this could cause the aid to become
unhygienic - this could lead to someone getting an illness, especially the fact that it mainly will be used by elderly who have weak immune systems compared to younger people.
• The grip could have been made from aluminium to increase and improve the overall look of the key grip. It would make it look more contemporary and stand out more when its on a store shelf
and would attract people to buy the product.
• If the product was going to be made from a thermoplastic, then it could have been 3-D printed. This would have allowed you to personalise the aid, which would attract people to buy the product
if they had the chance to choose the colour and have it personalised.
Future Modifications (Personal Opinions)
If I was going to make this product again, I would construct it by only using one single piece of wood, rather than having it split up into 2 different pieces (e.g. the grip and the key piece). This is because
it would reduce the risk of it breaking due to the fact that is a single block of wood that has been used to make it. I would have turned the shape on the lathe, then using various chisels I would create
deeper indents so that I could form the shape of the bit where the key goes. This would also decrease the overall size of the product, making it look and feel less bulky. I would also improve the
aesthetics by allowing the mahogany strip to go all the way through the aid rather than just on the top.
Here is a modified version of my arthritis key grip. To make this I have used suggestions from my client and from my own personal opinions. I have also added a strap which will able to be tied around
your wrist to ensure that you do not drop it when using it and it will also act as a tab so that it is able to be hung up.

AS Product Design

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