Admt-Elderly_reflections

1) What have you learnt?
I have learnt how to identify problems that the elderly faces and how to find a solution for it, that is to see the problem in a more detailed manner, and find the flaw. I have also learnt how to improve on ideas, for example how to improve the existing product and how to improve my previous product ideas. I also learnt how to analysis my idea product ideas, to help me further improve on the idea to suit the needs of the elderly, using strategies such as SCAMPER. I have also learnt to test my product, base on the design considerations. During this process, I applied some of the 10Cs, such as creativity, to improve on my ideas, collaboration of information from sources such as the internet and critical thinking to design the product to suit and benefit the elderly.

2) What are the difficulties encountered?
It took me some time to think so find a way to further improve my product idea and to solve the flaws. Some of the features of my product did not suit the elderly.

3) How did you overcome the difficulties?
I used strategies such as SCAMPER to help me think of ways to further improve the idea and did more research on the internet on the problem so that I would know what would be suitable for the elderly and that it will benefit it.

Link your reflection based on the 10 Cs.

T4WK2_Reflection

1. What are the difficulties that you have encountered during the process?
2. How do you overcome the difficulties encountered?
3. What are the 2 key takeaways for this lesson?

During the process, the examples given to us for the activity were vague. Therefore, it was difficult to give an example of our own that would suit it. Then we would have to think of a product design to test on.

We had to spend time discussing and coming up with a product that would suit.

I have learnt that we have to detailed in stating our product design. We need to know how to test the product, identifying if it is a quantitative or qualitative test.

Egonomics (Product description and Idea Trigger)

i) Describe the product. (Appearance, Color, Function, etc) It acts as a brush for shoe. Its body is blue in colour. The brush at both ends are white in colour. There are two brushes, a bigger one and a smaller one, one at each end. The bigger brush is used for the wider surfaces of the shoe, like the sole of the show. The smaller brush is for the smaller and narrow surfaces of the shoe, such as the sides of the shoe. The grip of the brush is not very good as there is no rubber grip. The body of the brush is shaped in a curvy way for the ease and comfort of the user. ii) What are the design considerations when designing this product? The design ought to meet and suit the needs of the user, in this case would be the elderly. The designs and patterns on the product should not be too fanciful as most elderly prefer plain designs. iii) Would an elderly faced difficulty using this product? If yes, what are the difficulties that the elderly would face? Yes, the elderly would face difficulties using this product. The elderly might not have good grip on the product as the product is quite slim and it does not have rubber grip. The elderly might have difficulties using the brush as the brushes are not very board in area. It might help them if the Bigger Brush of the product was bigger, reducing the effort and time needed to clean the shoe as the brush covers more area each time. What do you think can be done to improve on the design of the product to suit the elderly? (Sketch the improved design in your sketchbook and take a picture of it. Post the improved sketch at the end of your post.) The design can be improved by modifying it to eliminate the difficulties that the elderly face when using this product. It can have bigger brushes, rubber grip and a wider body.

Ergonomics 2

What is Ergonomics?Ergonomics is the science of designing something to suit its users. Proper ergonomic designs are necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can lead to long-term disability. It is also defined as the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.
What are the 5 aspects of Ergonomics?
-Safety-Comfort-Ease of use
-Productivity/ Performance
-Aesthetics

For each aspects of Ergonomics, explain with an example of a product that is designed for the elderly, how the product meet that particular aspect of Ergonomics.

https://www.seniorssuperstores.com/cart/images/products/850_large.jpg
Aspects : Safety, Ease of Use

This is Find-A-Light Reflective Glow-In-The-Dark Switch paste. This helps the elderly as it makes it easy for the elderly to locate the switch in the dark. It glows in the dark, therefore, the elderly can easily locate the switch in the dark. This creates safety for the elderly as the elderly would not need to grope around for a long time, therefore, lower risk of accidents.
Info from: http://www.seniorssuperstores.com/cart/html/Products/HOUSEHOLD-ITEMS/Find-A-Light-Reflec-850.html

https://www.seniorssuperstores.com/cart/images/products/93_large.jpg

Aspects: Safety, Comfort, Ease of use, Productivity, Aesthetics
Uplift Power Seat can turn any chair into an electrical lift chair. It helps people who have difficulty getting up from seats. This device lifts the user higher up so that he would not have to use a lot of strength to get up. It lifts 100% of your weight, up to 136kg.It is easy to use and to carry around. It works on sofas, armchairs and recliners. It is powered by any standard electrical socket. It comes with comfortable memory foam cushion and a removable, waterproof cover. It is slim so that it looks slick.

Information From: http://www.seniorssuperstores.com/cart/html/Products/HOUSEHOLD-ITEMS/Uplift-Power-Seat-93.html

https://www.seniorssuperstores.com/cart/images/products/351_large.jpg

Aspects: Safety, Ease of use, Aesthetics

This is a Finger Protector. As its name suggests, it is used to protect the fingers of the elderly when cutting. This product is easy to use as you only have to slide two of your fingers through the hole to hold it. It comes in bright purple to make it look attractive. It is plastic, washable and durable.

Ergonomics I

1. Compare the 2 different workplaces, state your observations.
Workplace 2 is more efficient, while Workplace 1 is more crowded. Workplace 1 has user friendly devices. The design of the chair in workplace 1 provides more comfort to the user. The computer screen can also be adjusted nearer or further from the user to suit the needs of him. In workplace 2, items are more organized and it is more spacious. Workplace 1 is very crowded, the items on the table are not organized. It is inconvenient for the user.

2. Which workplace is preferred? State with reasons why one workplace is preferred over the other.
Workplace 2 is preferred. Workplace 1 is neat and user-friendly, but Workplace 1 is not as user- friendly as Workplace 2.

3. What are the considerations that should be taken into account when designing a workplace that is suitable for the user?
We should consider the needs of the people using the workplace, to suit their needs. We should observe what are the difficulties of the worker when using the workplace. We should also consider the comfort of the worker when using the office.

4)Why do you think that Ergonomics is important when designing?
Ergonomics is important when designing so that the product would suit the needs of the user.

Observation 4

Today, I observed my elderly neighbors. Through out the entire observation, I realized that majority of the time, my elderly neighbors are always sitting down, reading newspapers, watching t.v or even sitting next to the window and observing the environment.
That reminds me, they are not the only people that do that. Most elderly do that. I wonder why. Is it because that they got nothing to do? Do they like doing nothing? Or is there some other reasons?
I asked my neighbors and there are various reasons.
1) It is not convenient for them to be standing too long. They would get body aches, especially at the knees.
2) They do not have much to do.
3) They like the quiet environment.
4) They think that it is very relaxing to just sit down and entertain themselves with the t.v., newspapers or the view outside their window.

Some elderly, like my neighbors, prefer quiet, slow lives. But there are also elderly that prefer to be active.

SST_ADMT_ElderlyChallenge_s103_01_Casandra Ong.skp

This is an overview of the entire house. There are 5 rooms altogether, living room, bedroom, kitchen, laundry room and the washroom. The space is maximized so that wheelchair bound can move around easily without facing any obstacles.
There are phones placed in every room. In case of emergency, the elderly would not have to struggle a lot to get to the house's only phone, which might be quite a distance away.




This is the living room of the house.
The television is hung on the wall to maximize the space. This also allow the wheelchair bound elderly to move around in the living room conveniently as there would not be a table blocking the way. At the window, there is a space specially reserved for the wheelchair. The elderly can "park" his wheelchair there and get onto the sofa. The sofa is also designed to fit this as it does not have an armrest on the right. Therefore, the elderly can get onto the sofa more conveniently.


This is the washroom in the house.
In the washroom, the shower area is divided from the rest of the room. This is to prevent the rest of the room from getting wet, to prevent slips.
A metal bar is also installed on the right of the toliet seat. This is also to support the elderly when he is getting off the seat.
There is another metal bar installed for the elderly to hang his bathing towel and others.






This is the bedroom in the house.
There is a metal bar installed near the bed. Its function is to help support the elderly when he is getting off or getting onto the bed to prevent any falls.
There is a table located near the bed. This is convenient for the elderly as he can place his necessities for the night there. Some examples are water and medicines.
There are two switch boxes, one at the door and one beside the bed. This is convenient for the elderly as he does not need to grope in the dark to switch on the lights. This also prevents any accidents.

This is the kitchen where all the cooking happens! In every kitchen, the stove, sink, cardboard, tables and refrigerator is needed.
The stove is an electrical one. It is safer to use an electrical stove rather than a gas one as it is less risky to get the house on fire as there is no fire burning when in use.
In case that the elderly is a wheelchair bound, everything in the kitchen will still be accessible to him.
There are no cardboards on the ceiling, all cardboard will be accessible to him.
The sink, stove, table, phone and refrigerator are all at a height that he can reach when in the wheelchair.

This is the Laundry room in the house. The Laundry room is connected to the kitchen. As it is dangerous for elderly to hang their laundry out the window to dry, there are build-in poles in the laundry room. With them, the elderly can dry their clothes in a safer method.

Obeservation 3

I noticed a Elderly was trying to cross the road with her domestic helper without using the proper traffic light, over bridge or zebra crossing. I felt that that was very dangerous as there might bee speeding cars near by and they might cause an fatal accident. There is a higher chance the an accident might happen to them as the elderly cannot move fast enough to escape with her young domestic helper. Unfortunately, I could not get a photo of them because they were crossing over to my side of the road.

Observation 2

For today, I would be observing my neighbors. Unfortunately, they do not allow me to take photos of them carrying out their daily routine.

My neighbor likes gardening. She has potted plants both inside and along the corridor outside her flat. Like most elderly, she has difficulties squatting. Hence, she has to place her potted plants on a higher land so that it would be easy for her to do her gardening. She puts her potted plants on stools and shelves.

Observation 1

My Grandmother lives with me and my family. She helps my mother to cook for the family and do house chores.

My Grandmother has difficulties sweeping or mopping the floor as it requires her to bend for quite a long time; she would have back aches if she does so. Therefore, my mother would be doing the cleaning of the floor.

Today, my grandmother accidentally broke a cup when she was washing it at the sink. She has difficulty holding things as her grip is weakening.
Therefore, we would try to make time to help her is washing dishes, serve dishes and to clear the dishes from the table.

Holiday Homework Part1

Recommendation 1: Housing for Seniors
Houses would be modified and improved to meet the needs of Seniors. There would be more support care services so that Seniors have people to care for them. Having people to care for them, they would feel warmth and they would be happy to be living in this friendly environment.

Recommendation 2: Accessibility for Seniors
More organizations for the Seniors would be built. In these organizations, Seniors are responsible for the organizations and only several middle-aged people to help them in their work. They would plan and participate in the functions. By doing so, Seniors would be engaged and known in the community and they would lead active lives.
Public transport would be modified and improved to enable traveling less troublesome, comfortable for them and to meet their needs.

Recommendation 3: Caring for Seniors
Seniors could get a discount in buying vitamins and medicines and seeing the doctor. By doing so, it is cost-efficient.

Recommendation 4: Opportunities for Seniors
Encourage families to meet up with their parents and spend quality time. Encourage families to organize more family outings. They spend quality time with their parents and at the same time, enable the Seniors to be more active.

In the Seniors' housing estate, the lifts, corridors and pickup points would be modified and improved to become accessible to the Seniors.

1)Seniors can use a portion of their CPF money to pay for it.

2) The government could help by helping them to pay a small portion of the fund.

As a student, we could help by starting a student-initiated group and organize outdoor activities for the elderly.
We can carry out projects that would need us to innovate and create gadgets that can help elderly in their daily activities.
We can also have them to attend free ICT lessons organized by us so that they would also know how to use modern technology.

Personal Reflection (NEWater Visit)

1. What are the 3 key takeaways from today’s visit?
I think that it is to teach us how NEWater is formed the necessities of conserving water and how we can conserve water.

2. Name 2 concepts that you have learnt today during the visit.
I learnt how water is collected in reservoirs and channeled to the NEWater plant and how NEWwater is formed.

3. What is the 1 interesting thing that you have learnt today?
I think that 1 interesting thing that I have learnt today is how NEWater is formed.

4. What are the things that you can do to help with water conservation in Singapore?
As students, we could start by reducing the amount of water we use at home or in school. One way would be to ensure to turn of the tap when not in use. We can also use a basin when we wash our used plates and utensils. We can also reuse the water that we used to rinse vegetables or rice to water our plants.

Photograph- People

In this photo, three teachers are having their lunch. They seem to be shy about me and my friends taking their photos for our ADMT homework.



Teacher enjoying his meal. He must be very hungry after hours of teaching.













I think that she is happy because her had completed her task of taking photos of people in less than ten minutes.

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. Also, it is contrasted with the built environment, which comprises the areas and components that are strongly influenced by humans. A geographical area is regarded as a natural environment, if the human impact on it is kept under a certain limited level.

Adopted from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment

The natural environment emcompasses all living and non-living things. This means that everything surrounding us, living or non-living, is the environment.

In the definition, the phrase 'built environment' means that the environment is also contrasted with man-made objects that is strongly influenced by humans.

Summary:

The environment is basically everything around us, despite their differences.

ADMT Lesson 1: Personal Reflection

1. What does ADMT means to you?
To me, I think that ADMT is making art and technology into one.

2. What are the attitude that an ADMT student should have?
I think that we should be innovative and be positive in attitude.

3. What are you aspiration as an ADMT student?
I think it is to think about ideas to help improve the environment.

4. How do you think you can achieve your aspiration?
i think that I can achieve it by brainstorming with my classmates, and come up with ideas.


Description of Picture:
Unlike the homes of today ,the homes in the sketch was built using wood and dried leaves because there was no technology. In the sketch, housewives have to hang their wet laundry out in the sun, unlike the housewives of today who would use drier machines to dry their laundry. Pavements and roads were not built. The people of the town had to get water from the river instead of a water tap.