Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
A Series of Student Design Projects for Improving and Modernizing Safety Helmets
de Boer; Stilma, Margot; van Beurden, Karin; Teeuw, Wouter
Type:
Year:
2014
Editor:
Erik Bohemia, Arthur Eger, Wouter Eggink, Ahmed Kovacevic, Brian Parkinson, Wessel Wits
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
1Research Centre for Design and Technology, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Enschede, The Netherlands; 2Human Media Interaction, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Section:
Design Education in Practice
Page(s):
420-425
ISBN:
978-1-904670-56-8
Abstract:
The Saxion Research Centre for Design and Technology employs many students during research projects. This paper discusses a series of student design projects on safety helmets in the Safety@Work project. At construction sites workers are required to wear personal protective equipment during their work. However, there is often a lack of intrinsic motivation for wearing them. The series of projects focus on raising intrinsic motivation to wear safety helmets by adding features, and making the safety helmet more comfortable to wear. Co-design principles were used for five consecutive projects. The first projects got a clear view of the problems while wearing safety helmets. Later projects focused on designing prototypes, constructing prototypes, and eventually conducting usability studies with construction site workers. Students are given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with companies, research groups at the university, and test their ideas in the real world. A reflection of the process is described.
Keywords:
