Originated from a mission to enrich the cooking experience for people with weak grip by allowing them to process garlic more easily than if they were to use a conventional garlic press, spry has evolved into a multi purpose tool that aims to encourage the mass market to be more adventurous with their spices and flavours when cooking.
Spry followed a strictly human-centred design process, guided by genuine user insights gathered through both broad and detailed user research. This was followed by an iterative, testing and experiment focussed prototyping process.
User Research
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Two online surveys with a total of 64 full responses.
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10-15 minutes phone interviews following set questions but allowing for more discussion, carried out with 28 people, to gain in-depth information about how individuals cook with garlic and scenarios of use.
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In-person interviews carried out at Morecambe Parish Church with 8 elderlies suffering from reduced grip strength to learn about relevant difficulties in their daily lives.
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Detailed observational case study with Toni, an 83 year old woman with multiple strength and motion impairments.
Rapid Prototyping & Testing
Functional Prototyping & Assembly
With minimizing parts and maximizing ingress protection in mind, Spry was designed for manufacturing and assembly. The exterior of spry has no seams and only one moving L shaped pivot which is in charge of operating the device and charging it.
Design & Ergonomics
The innovative L shaped pivot switch allows Spry to be operated two-ways. It can be pressed on the top when working on a worktop and squeezed from the side when used over-the-pan. Flipping the pivot out on the other hand separates it's electrical contact and reveals its charging spot.
The functional prototype was tested with Toni, an 83 y.o. female with greatly reduced dexterity and vision. Toni responded with a very pleasant surprise as crushing and grating garlic & spices was something she has lost the ability to do for over 10 years.
Material & Manufacturing Cost Estimation
Project Supervisor
The design process of Spry has been supervised by Jim Reeves, user-centered design specialist and inventor behind the world renowned, life saving 'Gravity Light'.
Still Curious?
Additional information on this project might be private, but please feel free to contact me to learn more!