My Startpoint
Dr Oetker essence bottles are small, fiddly and incredibly hard to use for people with limited or impaired dexterity. This makes up for a large percentile of the user market. How can this problem be tackled with inclusivity in mind?
Design Direction
After realising the neck of the essence bottle was too small to conceivably change the flow rate and serving amount of the essence, I looked to creating a tool which would aid the opening and usability of the product.
Moving the creative process into 3D
Taking some of the key designs and rapid prototyping them to scale enables the relationship between tool and essence bottle to be fully explored and inform the design process further.
Human Centred Design Methods
Only through experiencing similar problems, can we understand and realise what the user needs. Through empathy testing using simulation gloves and goggles, we were able to determine the specifc needs of the user. This HCD method strongly guided the design direction and development of the final product.
The final concept
The final concept for the Dexterity Tool was heavily informed by HCD process. It is a combination of the best attributes from each of the four prototypes tested, coinciding with the feedback received from the testers.
The Dexterity Tool is a push fit grip designed to fit perfectly over the contours of the existing bottle caps.
LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber) over moulded onto a Bio-based PET body to aid grip, hygene and longevity.
Easily transferable, one push grip can be used for all essence flavours by simply pulling it off.
The Dr. Oetker push grip is to be sold either in a gift pack as part of a special edition, or by itself as a tool to aid usability.
This project was not completed in colaboration with Dr Oetker and does not have any ties with the company whatsoever.
