Invacare
Client: Invacare, Inc
Product: SureStep Power Wheelchair
Project Role: Design Lead
Services: User Research, Product Design, Detail CAD Development, Appearance Prototype Validation, Manufacturing Support
Research
Innovation begins with failure. Yes, that’s correct. You must fail a few times before you can succeed. During the research phase of the M71 program, I visited with the Invacare engineering team who carefully led me through the process of failure that inspired them to create a six wheeled “active suspension” wheelchair. The first version didn’t look pretty, but it worked very well. That’s where my work began.
Concept Sketch Development
Having studied car design in Detroit has it’s advantages (Lots of practice drawing wheels). The M71 wheelchair doesn’t want to be a “clinical” medical device. It wants to be a consumer mobility device. These terms: “Clinical” and “Consumer” have associated aesthetics. Through a broad range of sketched concepts I explored designs and details that would minimize the look of metal tubing (often associated with the clinical look) and instead celebrate the dynamic structure of the suspension.
Prototypes
After narrowing the concepts to a single direction and theme, I built 1:1 foam prototypes of the wheelchair power base for evaluation. The only problem with this model was that people came into the conference room and started to sit down in it… because they thought it was real.