2. 1. Discover
User Diary
Name: George Walton
Age: 27
Occupation: Office job - HR
Injury: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) suffered
while playing football, likely to be on crutches for
several months and unable to play for at least 6
months.
Crutch experience: First time on crutches
Time Activity Issues faced
8:00 Wake up, walk to bathroom Crutches must me accessible from bedside
8:10 Have shower Need crutches to step into shower and support self during
shower
8:25 Get dressed Can’t do this standing up as leg can not bend, need to be sat
down to put on underwear, trousers, socks and shoes
8:30 Go to kitchen Opening doors is very awkward. Can’t cook with crutches
on, need to set them down. They often fall over when leant
on
8:40 Go to work Can't drive myself due to injury so have to get public
transport instead, stepping on to bus and paying fare is
difficult with arms still locked into crutches. Reaching to
pockets is a struggle
8:55 Get to work Using key fob to enter building is difficult as it is in my
pocket, I am looking at getting a neck key chain to free up
my hands
Time
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3. Findings:
• This user diary has put forward three major problems that George has to face
daily, whilst on crutches. These include, opening doors, accessing belongings in
pockets and preventing the crutches from falling to the ground whilst leant on a
desk.
Possible solutions:
• Crutch attachment to hold belongings.
• Means of attaching crutches together easily to prevent them from falling when
being leant, this would make them more sturdy.
• Being able to attach one crutch to another would aid the user when they need to
use a hand, e.g. to answer the phone, open a door.
9:00 Sit at desk Crutches need to be taken off fully before I sit down, I also
have to lay down them on the floor as they fall easily if
they're knocked when up against the desk, this is not ideal
as I have to bend to pick them up.
10:30 Get up to use bathroom Using the bathroom can be difficult as I can only stand on
one leg when not supported by crutches, I need take
crutches off and support them on cubicle door before I sit
down. I then need them to help me stand up
12:30 Go for lunch I go to a local supermarkets to get my lunch, carrying the
items I want to buy and paying for them at the checkout is
very difficult when I do it alone. Paying is particularly difficult
as my cash and cards are not right to hand, I need to take at
least one crutch off in order to get into my pockets to access
my change or card
12:40 Eat lunch Need to be seated
12:55 Walk back to work Opening doors
13:00 Use lift Can no longer use stairs safely so I use the lift when
possible.
17:00 Leave work and go home Using door key
17:30 Get changed Getting trousers off, need to be sat down
19:30 Make dinner Opening fridge/ cupboard doors
20:30 Watch TV/ Socialise -
10:00 Get ready for bed, sleep -
Activity Issues facedTime
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4. Focus Group:
My focus group sample was obtained from people on crutches in a physiotherapist
waiting room at a hospital. Here are the questions I asked and answers I received
about their time on crutches:
• What injury have you sustained to be on crutches?
- Broken leg
- Broken ankle
- Dislocated knee
- Muscle injuries: bruising, tears, strains
- Ligament damage
- Muscle injuries are the quickest to heal, usually only lasting 2-3 weeks.
- Breaks usually take 6-12 weeks to heal
- Whereas ligament damage can take up to 6 months to fully heal
• How have you found using crutches? Is it easy?
1. ‘’Very hard, getting to work is a real struggle as I can no longer drive. My partner
gives me a lift in the morning and picks me up but I feel I've lost some
independence. Walking hurts my hands so I can’t walk for more than a few
minutes at a time.”
2. “I have been on crutches before and therefore it is not new to me, playing rugby
comes with its risks and I’ve had a few injuries in my teens. I’m fairly fit and
athletic so using them for my daily routine is not too strenuous. The only issues I
have faced are from using doors as my hands are fairly tied up and it can be
awkward”
3. “I was on crutches for my broken leg but I had to change to a wheelchair as my
weight was preventing me from getting around easily”
• Have you been on crutches before?
- Of the 15 people I asked, only 5 previously been on crutches in their lifetime. 3 of
these were young men who had been sustained sporting injuries more than once.
- The first time users said they took a couple of days to get use to but then using
them for walking was manageable.
• What are the main issues you have faced from using crutches?
A. “Not having my hands free is a big issue, I have to stop walking whenever I need
to use my phone and I can’t get my keys from my pockets very easily when I
want to get in my front door.”
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5. B. “When the ground is wet from the rain it can be quite precarious to move using
crutches as they can easily slip.”
C. “Going up and downstairs can be quite dangerous and I try to avoid it when
possible.”
D. “They always fall over whenever I try to lean them up against my desk while I’m
working.”
E. “They hurt my hands when I use them for long period of time.”
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6. User Shadowing
Shadowing is a research method for understanding how
people interact with the world around them (including
services). It involves observing a user directly to identify
and understand their needs. I will follow a particular
person as they go about their lives or use a service and
document what happens in an unobtrusive way.
I have decided to shadow Annie Burton, a university
student who has had to wear crutches for 9 weeks, due to
a broken fibula. I aim to build empathy and understanding
about her experiences in order to identify barriers and
opportunities for improvements. The quotes included are
all from Annie.
Wednesday - Studio Session
Time Observations of Annie Images
8:50 Walking to studio session. Arrive
at Arkwright and need to swipe
student card to enter the
building, however having to get
it of her bag poses difficulty,
holding both crutches while
trying to get something from her
bag is an awkward procedure.
She said, “ I normally end up
dropping one of the crutches,
which is then difficult to pick
back up due to only having one
leg to balance on”
9:00 Arrive at studio, tries to rest
crutches against desk while
being sat down, but they
individually slip off and fall to the
floor, creating lots of noise.
“Laying them on the floor makes
it tricky to pick up.
Time
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7. 10:30 Break time, everyone goes to
get food at the taste café, Annie
needs to carry her phone and
money but has no pockets so
have to give them to a friend to
carry as I don’t want to take my
whole bag. Paying is difficult as
she has to hop along while
giving her card to a member of
staff. Annie have to get a friend
to carry her food as there is no
way I can carry a tray as I need
both hands to be able to crutch
around.
11:00 Back to studio, once again
having to try and balance her
crutches against the table. She
tries leaning them against each
other so they take up less room,
but they still fall over, as they are
not stable.
13:00 Meeting a friend for lunch, need
to get directions to the
restaurant but don’t have
pockets so have to keep
stopping and getting mobile
phone out of her bag. Huge
waste of time and very
inconvenient.
Observations of Annie ImagesTime
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8. “Moving around the flat is easy but it’s annoying to try and take my phone with me, I
sometimes hold it in between my index finger and the rest of my fingers but this has lead to
me dropping my phone and cracking the screen, this highlights the need for a place to store
my phone whilst on crutches.”
Servie Safari
17:00 Back home, got a taxi home,
struggled paying as had to get
my money out of my bag then
put purse back in bag before
exiting the taxi. She said, “I feel
it would be more efficient if I
could just carry the purse.”
Observations of Annie ImagesTime
Getting up Walking Shopping Working
Feelings
and
Issues
likely to have had a
bad night sleep,
tired, aching
In pain Frustration Embarrassment
need crutches next
to bed to get up
Can’t use phone
without stopping
Can’t access
wallet/purse in
pocket. Crutch falls
when taken off to
pay
Crutches fall from
desk on to floor,
making lots of
noise, inconvenient
to place them on
floor - can’t bend to
pick them up
Crutch User Experience
Service
Solution
Hook to keep
crutches upright by
bed
Pocket attachment
to store personal
belongings, e.g.
wallet & phone
Facility to easily
clip one crutch to
the other
Facility to easily
clip one crutch to
the other
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9. 2. Define:
User Personas
Name: Louise Taylor
Age: 29
Injury: Broken Fibula (most common leg break)
Occupation: Office work (will be able to return to
work fairly soon after the injury).
Lifestyle: Still relatively active- meeting friends,
walking to work/shops
Time on crutches: Over 8 weeks
Needs: Facility to make mobile phone accessible -
always on the phone due to job, a means of
attaching crutches together to prevent them from
falling over.
Name: David Cross
Age: 34
Injury: Single amputee below knee (injury caused
whilst on duty with the Armed Forces)
Occupation: Infantry Soldier in the British Military
Lifestyle: Drastically changed, will be in an out of
the rehabilitation centre and physiotherapist for the
rest of his life.
Time on crutches: Can be several months until he
gets an appointment with a prosthetist (specialist in
prosthetic limbs).
Needs: Sometimes needs to use wheel chair so
facility to attach the crutches to the wheel chair
would be useful.
My product should be aimed at people who are on
crutches for a long period of time as I feel they are
the ones who would benefit from it the most. Those
on crutches for over a month would need to adapt
to their new way of life and my product’s aim is to
easy the burden on them.
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10. Brainstorming
Design Brief
The Brief for this project is to design a product which aids crutch users, allowing
them to complete daily tasks such as; opening doors, paying for items at shops and
operating their mobile phones.
This product should be a separate attachment, not a modification of the current
crutch design. It could be bought separately by the crutch user, or potentially by the
Health service and then provided to those who need it.
There are current products on the market that have a storage pocket and other
products that clip the crutches together, but none do both. By the time this project is
completed the aim is that a cost effective and functional product has been designed
which solves the problems I have identified.
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11. 3. Develop:
Experience Prototyping
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• Pouch underneath handle - not
accessable
• Big enough to hold wallet and phone
• Space for pockets on side
14. - Connects crutches together - prevents them from falling
- Holds mobile phone or wallet
- Pouch on side of crutch to increase accessibility
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