ARMOUR
For the Urban Warrior
Collaboration between UX/ID Students
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Cyclist safety is a relative and current debate. More and more major companies like Uber and Amazon are employing cyclist couriers to deliver their products.
More and more people are moving into busy metropolitan areas and are trading in their vehicles for a greener more feasible mode of transit. Given the green age we are beginning to transition into, using a bicycle is a preferred option. Insurance companies and parcel delivery companies may find interests in standardizing cyclist safety requirements and begin enforcing the use of improved safety related products. Current safety products are good but offer room for improvements.
Lastly, as the human population continues to rise and cities become denser and denser, roads become increasingly difficult to navigate for cyclists, these difficulties are resulting in higher numbers of cyclist related accidents. Major educational institutions (University of Toronto) have conducted cyclist safety related studies which highlight fundamental flaws with current vehicle designs which render cyclists practically invisible when on the same road.
The increasing need for improvement, accompanied by current market demands and increasing technological capabilities means the stage for opportunity has been set.
DESIGN PROCESS
Designing for cyclists means researching and bench marking the current and future routine of cyclists.
We have done our research on cyclist headgear, eye wear, gloves and arm protection. We have found that there is opportunity to link cyclist safety with modern technology that will help improve the user experience during night and low visibility conditions while aiding the user to navigate to their location.
INITIAL DESIGN SKETCHES
HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN PROCESS
Once the initial sketches were pinned up we had a handful of directions that showed potential. Once we weighed the pros and cons of each concept we went further into learning about each concept and what it can bring to the table.
We combined our findings and curated the results through journey maps and personas. We then highlighted the key findings and organised them into an affinity diagram which guided us to choosing the final concept. We used sketches and CAD modeling to communicate our concepts.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
After completing this diagram we collectively decided to move forward with the bike pod concept and the Non-Newtonian glove design laced with live fabric. Leaving behind the augmented reality glasses/helmet, but transferring this idea to create interaction from the rider with the gloves.
FINAL DESIGN
