In partnership with SFCS Architects and Warm Hearth Village. Teamed with Laura Gahagan, Ashley Greene, and Azaria Molina.
Solaheat Stove
HOW CAN WE DESIGN A KITCHEN RANGE THAT ENHANCES SAFETY FOR SENIORS IN THE KITCHEN?
The Scope: Prototyping in Figma, Design Research in Aging, User-Testing, User Interviews, Graphic Design
Primary Research
September 2022
We visited Warm Hearth Village Senior Assisted Living and interviewed residents, which inspired sketches on pet care, memory, and footwear. Common themes included magnetic jointed pet leashes and switches with visual indicators. Returning for feedback, a resident's concern about her gas oven being unintentionally turned on prompted us to investigate fire safety for seniors, revealing alarming statistics and stories.
Our several visits to the Warm Hearth community gave clear indicators that safety in the kitchen and improving the cooking experience was a shared sentiment in the community.
Most people did not cook as much because they felt it was unsafe, even when they used to cook all the time for their children.
Our final concept is a smart kitchen range with safety features like smart screens, sensors, and alerts to enhance kitchen safety for seniors. The design process includes 3D modeling, physical prototyping, and UI/UX design.
The UI/UX design for the touchscreen interface & alert display was my primary responsibility in the process.
Render by Ashley Greene
Sketching as a means of team communication
Once we knew that we needed to design a digital interface, we came together as a group to sketch out our ideas. Sketching was our way of communicating with one another to ideate faster and work efficiently to communicate ideas.
These were some of our first ideas that we got out paper and digitally, with highlighted sketches that informed our designs.
1st Prototype
After putting our heads together to come up with different ideas, it was time to go onto Figma to prototype the user interface of the touchscreen.
Simplicity is the best feature.
Greeting adds buffer period between turning stove on & cooking to prevent accidental use
Simple UI/UX.
Color Contrast needs to be drastically changed for accessibility.
Move the time/date to the side to account for more burners for those who love to cook
2nd Prototype
The oven needs more attention.
During user testing, we found that users want to view all of the oven settings at once, and they wanted a timer feature. The timer feature acts as another safety precaution.
More real estate to the oven features & the timer.
Cooking feels dangerous to seniors. Four burners maximum is best.
Each burner has the option to stay high for x amount of minutes
This feature is similar to countertop induction stoves, but not intuitive for seniors.
Siren effect when time has gone over and heat is on for too long that it risks safety.
Siren creates an alarming effect, which prompts the user to act quick.
Final Prototypes
Touchscreen Interactions
With virtual reality interactions by Ashley Greene, the VR specialist on the team.
Overhead Display Animation Interface
Now everyone can enjoy making something for their loved ones in the kitchen without fear. Thanks to Solaheat <3
The end. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the success and joys of this project.
My team members: Laura Gahagan, Ashley Greene, and Azaria Molina
Our SFCS Mentor: David Prevette
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