Sabrina Skilling
Product Design
I approach design with an overview perspective which enables thoroughly considered solutions
Final year project
CAPTURE - A physiotherapy product system for people with shoulder injuries
CAPTURE - A physiotherapy product system for people with shoulder injuries
Reports show that 70% of physiotherapy patients never finish their treatment because of reasons like fear of movement, not finding the time, to becoming uninterested and bored during the exercises. The lack of adherence affects the patient as it delays their progression back to normality and their daily lives. This lack of adherence by the patient is reported as the biggest challenge for physiotherapists.
Motivation
There was an opportunity to design a tool that can motivate and engage patients in their at-home shoulder strengthening physical therapy program to improve adherence to treatment. The device captures movement data which is displayed back to the user through the connected app.
Modular
The removable ends of the device allow the device to transform into a range of tools. Accessories like 0.25kg weights can be twisted onto the end to turn the device into a dumbbell and used as part of the treatment plan.
Connected App
The app supports the device by guiding the user through their prescribed exercise program and providing live feedback to the user on the exercises being carried out. The data collected by the device is displayed throughout the app for the patient and the physiotherapist to see. There are gamification and motivational elements implemented throughout the app to keep the user engaged during their treatment.
Development
Prototyping was used to facilitate the iterative development process of designing the form of the handle. 3D printing was a useful tool in creating versions of small switch mechanisms that could be tested and revised. Prototyping to test the user interaction points was a crucial element in the design process for the device.
Chomp – Live Projects
Chomp is a portion control product system with a focus on the relationship between children, parents, and healthy eating habits. It uses light levels and haptics to indicate when the correct portion is served to avoid the use of numbers. The Chomp nutrition app connects via Bluetooth to the base module to provide the personalised food serving size information to the product. A variety of containers fit into the’ invisible scale’ base module ensuring all foods can be measured and then eaten easily.
Chomp – Scenario of Use
Chomp is designed to be used by parents and their children to educate them about healthy eating habits following the six steps: request, inform, select, set up, serve and discuss.
Design Research – The influence of contemporary issues on the design approach of young designers
Designers are facing increasingly complex design challenges which require impactful solutions. Young designers are seen as agents of change in this regard and so have a responsibility to be designing impactful products. This small-scale study focused on exploring if young designers identify contemporary issues when coming up with their final year design project briefs, how these designers approach their topics if they feel confident taking on these design challenges and then investigates the decisions the students are making during their design process to ensure their product solution is impactful.
Sabrina Skilling
Final year project
CAPTURE - A physiotherapy product system for people with shoulder injuries
Awards
Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) - 2020/2021
Work Experience
My placement year at Spliced Studios exposed me to the real inner workings of a start-up environment. The fast-paced nature of the company and the variety of responsibilities made it an exciting and challenging experience. I had the opportunity to design and manufacture existing responsive furniture systems including the CUBA Chool and Dox. I was also involved in the ideation and development of new responsive mechanisms for unreleased products. I took an interest in other aspects of the company like customer relationship management, social media and marketing, and website management alongside taking on a leadership role within the team.