Did you ever think that cutting nails would be a big problem one day?
Project Type: UX Research, Product Design, Electronic Design.
Role: UX Researcher, Designer, Electronic Engineer
Tools: Figma, Arduino, KiCad
PEDIPURITY
It started from a Real Story:
My grandpa, at 89 years old, had always been a pillar of strength and independence in our family. However, he began to struggle with painful foot issues like corns and fungal nail infections. As his age advanced, he found it increasingly difficult to care for his toenails. Too proud to ask for help, he kept his suffering to himself, not wanting his family to see him as old and frail. One day, his untreated foot problems led to a serious fall at home...
My Grandpa is not alone...
Foot problems are common in our elderly population. Many nail disorders appear with increasing frequency with advancing age and include brittle nails, onychauxis, and infections...
Had At least one foot Problem
Had difficulty cutting their toe nail
Complain about foot pain
sought medical consultation
Difficult for Feet Hygiene
1
Limited Vision
It might be harder to see toes, which may cause accidental injuries when using the pedicure machine
2
Stiff joints and muscles
Aging leads to a distinct muscle mass and strength loss. Arthritis, which is common among older adults, might affect their ability to reach their feet.
3
Characteristics
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A lack of motivation
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Not in the habit of Foot Care.
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Laziness, no patience
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Feet are not on display as much as other parts of the body
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Never consider Foot Care since a young age
4
Changes in nail and skin
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Age-related thickening of the nails
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Changes in the nail and skin structure, Corns, calluses and ingrown nails
Doctor’s Proficiency
Feet were not noticed by professionals without the participants asking specific foot-related questions.
Lacking of ability
Lacking of professional instruction in their accessible information; Not willing to invest to existing treatments Pedicure machine is hazardous
Unwilling to ask for help
Professional foot-care specialists were seen as expensive necessities Long waiting time for Public Health Foot care is not covered by insurance in some places.
Complex Foot Care Process
Don’t ask for help, and had they thought of asking Asking was not considered to be appropriate Don’t think their ask will be response
How might we help people who have related physical barriers to overcome their physical difficulties when self-managing foot hygiene?
Core Users
At age 78, Sheila think she's still capable for taking care of herself. But she realized she could not no longer reach her feet. With her degrading eyesight year by year, she often hurt her toes with her nail clipper...
Sheila, 78 years old
Research Question
01
Users
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How are the older adults maintaining their foot hygiene?
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What makes it difficult for older adults to take care of their feet?
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What would make older adults seek solutions for foot hygiene?
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What are the pain points of existing solution for older adults foot hygiene?
02
Business
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How many elderly people would pay for foot hygiene?
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What kind of products or services that older customer will use for their feet?
03
Technology
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What technology could be used to help older adults maintain foot hygiene?
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What kind of technology is acceptable for older adults?
Field Observation
Following a comprehensive secondary research phase and rigorous analysis and deliberation, we determined that our study cohort should extend beyond the aging population experiencing foot hygiene challenges due to prolonged physical degradation. We recognized the need to incorporate individuals facing physical mobility restrictions arising from various factors, including injuries and pregnancies.
01
Unobtrusive Observation Phase:
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Create a unobtrusive environment for subjects.
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Included individuals from the aging population and those with mobility restrictions due to injuries or pregnancies.
02
Comparative Observation Phase:
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Created artificial difficulties for subjects.
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Observed normal nail-cutting movements and movements after limited restrictions.
Survey
Our Survey focuses on the general middle-aged population’s preferences and pain points regarding foot hygiene methods and foot hygiene products.
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The survey revealed diverse foot care practices, including nail trimming methods. It highlighted factors such as convenience and discomfort that influence technique selection, with respondents citing reasons such as limited flexibility, visual impairments, tool suitability, and some individuals regularly monitoring foot health. In contrast, others encountered challenges in foot cleaning and sought professional or product-based solutions for unresolved foot issues.
Design Requirement
High Priority
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Adaptability to Different Postures: The product should accommodate various body positions for foot hygiene, recognizing the need to bend to reach the feet for nail care.
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Mobility Assistance: It should help older adults overcome physical mobility limitations and muscle weakness to reach their feet.
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Ease of Handling: The design should address issues caused by visual impairments, ensuring easy and intuitive use.
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Effortless and Safe Use: The product should provide comfort, clear vision, and safety during foot hygiene routines.
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Ease of Operation: The product should be simple to use, with features like sharpness and minimal required grip strength being essential.
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Safety Features: Design considerations should minimize the risk of accidental injury due to mishandling.
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Clear Feedback: The product should give clear feedback when used correctly to accommodate users with vision disorders.
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Professional Support: The product should be trusted and supported by professionals, as consulting a medical professional is a prevalent approach for addressing foot problems.
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Waste Cleaning: The design should consider the process of cleaning cut nail pieces as an important part of foot hygiene.
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Independent Operation: Users should be able to operate the product independently.
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Competitive Pricing: The product should be priced competitively, in line with similar products on the market.
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Address Pathological Foot Problems: It should help users with pathological foot problems that cause discomfort during foot hygiene.
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Target Special Groups: The product should also be suitable for special groups such as those with obesity, disabilities, or diabetes, who have difficulty self-managing foot hygiene.
Mid Priority
Low Priority
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Professional Recommendations: The product should be related to professional doctor suggestions and recommendations.
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Comprehensive Foot Hygiene: It should systematically help users with the entire process of foot hygiene, as many are unaware of the full scope of these processes.
User Tasks
1. I need to be in a comfortable gesture and position while doing my foot hygiene. - Based on our field observations and survey findings, we have observed that individuals employ various body positions when tending to their feet, People have different habits and gestures. A consistent commonality among these diverse postures is the need to bend their body to some degree in order to reach their feet for the purpose of foot hygiene care.
2. I need to see my feet and my toes clearly to cut my toenails. - According to the field observation and our survey study, 56.69% of participants reflected that they selected their foot hygiene position based on vision limitation.
3. I need to be worry-free while cutting my toenails (feel effortless and safe) - Based on our survey study, subjects were offered a selection of common gestures for foot hygiene and were queried about the rationale behind their preferences. The predominant factors influencing their choices were comfort (61.15%), vision (56.69%), and safety (43.31%).
4. I need feedback from the tool on how my foot hygiene is being managed. - In the survey studies, for the subjects who are having discomfort during foot hygiene procedures, the main reason behind discomfort is vision disorder(47.13%). It means it’s difficult for users to operate solely with their eyes. - In the secondary research, many old people find it difficult to find a correct foot hygiene product for them.
5. I need this machine to help me examine my foot hygiene status. - As per information from the CDC website in our secondary research, foot hygiene is not a singular or isolated action. Surprisingly, in our field study and survey studies, it was evident that a significant number of our participants were not aware of these processes or considered them as unnecessary.
Weakness of idea：
It is difficult for machines to simulate the precision of a human hand, which can easily lead to accidental injuries.
Strength of the Idea:
Users don’t have to overcome their physical limitations to achieve a posture that can reach their feet.
Iteration
1. Easier Operation
Users feel tired of pressing the button in order to get the equipment running.
2. Add Self-Cleaning Function
Users found it tiring to clean the equipment after each use and bending to reach it is difficult, especially for aging individuals with physical issues.
Replace buttons that require applied pressure with lockable buttons so that users do not need to exert constant force to operate the machine.
Add a dustbin and vacuum at the bottom of the equipment, along with an auto-clean/self-cleaning function, to ensure no extra dust is released during the pedicure process.
Impletmentation
​System Architecture
