Student product as a part of third year design. The presentation is of the work done some time in 2008/2009 . Student:Garima Kakar Symbiosis Institute of Design

1. Technically Complex Product
Hair Straightening Machine
Project guide: Mrs. Shetall Natuu

2. Acknowledgement
• Mrs Shetall Natuu
• Mr. Atul Kedia
• Mr. Sriniwas
• Mr. Vijay Sutar
• Mr. Sapnesh Sheersagar
• Mr. Sanjay Balmukh

3. Methodology
• Research
• What is a hair straightener
• History
• Market study
• Hair study
• User study
• Product studying
• Mechanism
• Problems identification
• Conceptualization
• Final concept
• Ergonomic test
• Form study
• Final form
• Software rendering & material exploration
• Workshop modeling

4. Design brief
“ To redesign a handheld device which can straighten the hair.”

5. Understanding of design brief
“ To redesign a handheld device which can straighten the hair.”

6. A hair straightner is a tool to change the structure of the hair with the help of heat breaks the
hydrogen bonds present in hair.
History of Hair Straightener:
• A hair straightening device came into the existence in 1972 by Erica Feldman.
• Lan Gutgold used hard chemicals on his head in 1890 to straighten his hair.
• In 1906 a patented hair straightener came into the existence which comprised metallic teeth that are combed through
the hair.
• In 1909 Issac K. Shero patented a hair straightener composed of two flat irons that are heated & pressed together.
• In 1912 Scottish heirness, Lady Jennifer Bell Schofield, who refined & combined previous efforts into hinged two plated
heated iron.
• Women in 1960 used clothe iron & board also to straighten the hair.
• Years later Sharrell discovered heated metal hair care implements, such as hot combs. The hot metal straightner slid
easily through the hair, causing less damage & dryness.
• Later ceramic & electric straighteners were introduced allowing heat adjustments & straightener size.

7. CHROME PLATING
i. Cheap
ii. Occasional usage
iii. Cosmetic issues: fine, chemically
treated & dry hair.
Types of Hair Iron:
STRAIGHTNING IRON to straighten the hair strands.
CURLING IRON to curl the hair strands.
STYLING IRON to straighten one portion of the strand & curl the other.
GOLD PLATING
i. Affordable
ii. Best for : Normal & thick hair
iii. Regular usage
CERAMIC PLATING
i. Expensive
ii. Best for: All hair type
iii. Heats up fast
iv. Light weight
Types of Hair Straightener:

8. Types of Hair:
Dryhair
Oily hair
Balanced & normal hair.
Types of hair straightening:
TEMPORARY HAIR STRAIGHTENING It is done by the heat treatment & it lasts by a wash.
PERMANENT HAIR STRAIGHTENING It is done by applying hard chemicals on your head. It lasts for an year.
Damages possible:
HEAT DAMAGES It is unavoidable as hotter the iron is better it works.
MECHANICAL DAMAGES It can be diminished by using smoother plates.

9. Market Survey:
Hair straightener brands in market:
• Andis
• CHI
• Conair (Babyliss)
• Corioliss
• CHD
• Hair Art
• Philips
• Remington
• Revlon
• Sedu
• Solia
• Vidal Sasoon
• GAMA Italy .etc

16. USER Survey
Home usersParlor users
Himani Kakkar Shruti Suman Shiwangi Sharma
32 years
Melbourne, Australia
Bank Manager
21 years
Pune, India.
Product Designer.
22 years
Mumbai, India.
TV Actress
• Needs constant maintenance
• Changed the thickness of hair
• Difficult to apply at back side hair
• Very expensive
•Get a scar on forehead while
straightening the small hair
near forehead.
• It looks good & I am tired of my curly hair
• Split ends & hair fall if used frequently
• I use it after every wash.
• It takes 15 – 20 mins to straighten
the hair & at times becomes difficult
to get this much time.
• Get hurt if not careful.
• Digital control & temperature
variation is highly appreciated.

17. Ipsita Gangopathyay
Rashmi Cherolet
Suma Miragi
Vodo Lifestyle
Rati
Style In
• Wire is a mess.
• It takes time to straighten curly hair.
• In an average four people per week
come for temporary hair straightening.
• Ratio of hair straightening
male : female is 1:4
• We charge from 200rs to 400 rs
depending upon the quality of hair
Parlor users:

18. Analysis:
Home Users Parlor Users
a. The frequency of hair straightening :
occasionally, in an average once in a month.
b. The psychology behind hair straightening:
To make it look more neat, manageable & smooth.
After straightening it becomes easy to carry &
does not tangle much.
I was bored of my curly, dry & fizzy hair so thought
of a change.
c. Temperature variation was highly appreciated.
d. It causes breakage, split ends & dryness if used frequently.
e. It is easy & manageable to do it at home.
f. It hurts & takes longer time while applying on curly
hair and also does not stay more than 5 hours on
curly hair.
g. Hair should be oil free other wise can get burnt while
straightening.
a. Any kind of hair can be straighten but for drastic
make over curly hair is best.
b. It is very difficult to straighten curly hair.
c. In an average four people per week come for hair
straightening.
d. Major customers are females only.
e. We charge starting from Rs.200 – 600 depending on
the type & volume of hair.
f. Water contact is asked to be avoided.
g. It is recommended to use straightening shampoos,
serums & conditioner for the better effects.

19. Understanding the product:
Water reservoir
Gentle steam heat
Removable detangling
comb
Straightening plates with
TEFLON Crimping plates with
TEFLON
Waving plates with
TEFLON
Locking switch
LED light ON / OFF indicator
Hinge
mechanism
Foil
Heating plates
Combing cap
Plastic body
Current wires

20. Mechanism:
Hinge mechanism. Exploding the machine
As we plug in the machine the current passes through
the wires & through wires reaches to the metal plates
which are depart by an insulator. Through these plates
current reaches to the foil wrapped over the plates.
From the foil which is fixed under the heating plates
current transfers to the heating plates where electrical
energy converts into heat energy. So iron will get
heated & then can slide over hair to stylize them.

21. Problems identifications:
Hair Hair styling machine Process
•Machine should not be used
when hair is oily or wet.
•If the hair is extremely dry & curly
the chances of breakage is too
high.
•It takes a lot of effort to straighten
curly hair & it does not stay more
than 5 hours.
At times it gets too hot specially if
used for 15-20 minutes without break.
It is difficult to change the plates in
between the process as the plate in
use gets really hot.
Wire creates mess at times.
Ear or forehead gets burnt while
straightening the small hair near ear.
Difficult to apply at the back hair.

22. Final Design Brief
To design a hand held device which straightens the hair keeping following things in mind
NEEDS:
Safety in contact with body.
Timespent for the whole process.
ESSENTIALS:
Solving the wire clutter.
Safe for all hair type.
DESIRABLES:
Consumption of timefor the whole process should be lesser.
Various attachments.

23. Concepts:
• Digital display: To determine the temperature being used on hair according to its type.
• Wireless: To solve the wire mess making the hair straightner rechargeable.
Battery used: Lithium ion battery with half an hour back up.
• Temperature Control: having five temperature settings according to the hair type.
• Steaming: using steam for the heating purpose as used in cloth iron.
• Plates are made up of such material that when electricity pass through them they give the
fragrance of alovera & nourish the hair.
• Plates are little round from the edge to avoid skin scar when come in contact.
• On/Off switch on the body for the better control.
• Auto power cut off: at a required temperature according to the hair type power cuts off to avoid any
mishaps because of high temperature.

24. • Autosense technology: there would be a technology in the plate that it senses the quality
of the hair & accordingly adjust the temperature.
• A roller replaces the plates as it can cover more length of the hair than that of plate.
A plate can cover only : 48mm length
where in a roller of the diameter 20mm can cover: 2 pi r,
pi = 22/7, r = 10mm
2*22/7*10 = 63mm

25. Evaluation of concepts:
•Digital display: It is not required to see what is the temperature being used on the hair.
•Wireless: making the hair straightener wireless will surely solve the problem of wire clutter
Which causes inconvenience in the process & will make the device portable if needed.
•Temperature control: 5 temperature settings according to the hair type would solve the problem
of hair getting burnt.
•Steaming: steaming can not be used as it produces the hydrogen bonds in the hair which is the
reason for the curls in the hair.
•There is no such technology which can generate aloevera fragrance when electricity passes
through the plates..
•Autosense technology: quality of hair is determined on the basis of scalp not on the basis of hair
so it is not possible to sense the hair type by the plates.
•Round edged plates will reduce the probability of them coming in contact with skin.

26. •On/Off switch on the body of the device will make it better to operate.
•Auto power cut off: at a required temperature according to the hair type power cuts off
to avoid any mishaps because of high temperature.
•A roller can not be used as it would roll the hair tip & would not be able to straighten
them completely.

27. Features:
• On/Off switch (push button) on the body for the better control.
• 5 preset heat indicators( LED ) to determine the required heat for the hair type.
Fragile: 93 dC
Thin: 135 dC
Normal: 162 dC
Wavy: 205 dC
Coarse: 233 dC
• Auto power cut off.
• Wireless ( lithium ion battery with half an hour back up )
with charger wire – one & a half meters
• Longer ceramic tourmaline plates. (48mm * 60mm)
• Edges of the plate are round with 20 mm diameter.
• Ergonomically comfortable hand grip.
• Flash quick heating ( 50-60 seconds).

28. Features:
Ergonomically accommodating the
above mentioned features
The handle & the battery spaces
here in this picture are separate
but further study helped
understanding that they can be
clubbed.

29. Ergonomic check:
Placement of the
Elements on the body
to check the comfort

30. Form Study:

31. Form Study:

32. Form Study:

33. Final form:

34. USP from the existing:
•Wireless
•This product is compact & portable as compared to other products
•Lesser risk of getting skin burnt
•Easy to On/Off
•Ceramictourmaline plates for no hair damage
•Five preset heat settings for all hair type
•Five indicators for each heat setting
•Ergonomically comfortable
•Aesthetically beautiful

35. Software rendering:
Materials used: Plastic, ceramic, tourmaline

36. Thermoforming in HIP on an MDF mould

37. Final model:

38. Thank you
By: Garima Kakkar