For the first phase of our project, we designed grips for styluses of different styles, aiming to enhance the user’s grip and comfort during use. We prioritized safety when designing the grips to provide additional support to the user while writing. We incorporated customization options such as the child (3-point grip), standard, handle (for easy use), and zip grip to make it easy for users to attach the grips to their styluses. Furthermore, we ensured that each grip is available in various colours to match the user’s preference. Despite facing challenges in creating the prototype, we were proud of our achievement and are excited to see how the grip evolves in the future.
Description
The Accessible Grip is a product designed to make it easier, safer, and more comfortable for people to use pencils and styluses. Whether you are learning to use a pencil, use them frequently, or find them challenging to grip in general, our product can help improve your overall experience. The grip can be used with any writing utensil, including styluses, markers, pencils, and pens, and it provides a more comfortable grip while also teaching children where to place their fingers when learning to write. We carefully positioned the handle grip to be ergonomically correct based on research, making it more comfortable and easier to hold the pencil. To make the grip even more accessible, we added a zip grip that can be easily wrapped around the outside of the pencil rather than having to push it on. Our product was designed with the user in mind, aiming to make everyone's life a little bit easier.
Design Process
After conceptualizing the grip idea, we started researching the best practices for grip design and position. This research helped us come up with our 4 different designs the standard, child, handle, and the zip grip. To get the ball rolling, we began sketching out our ideas, which served as the blueprint for the prototype. Once we had a clear plan in place, we started gathering materials from around the house to reduce costs.
To start creating the product we started by finding materials around the house as we wanted to use what we had rather than buying something to save on costs. Our original plan was to use silicone, but we quickly realized that it was too expensive. Instead, we opted for cutting out measured rectangles to fit the writing utensils and wrapped them around using hot glue. To create the handle, we found the ideal position and added a smaller rectangle. We also fashioned the zip grip from a Ziplock bag and drew visual indicators in the correct position with a sharpie.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our team was pleased with the outcome of the project and the grip prototype we created. However, we recognize that there is room for improvement and more development can be done with better resources, such as silicone material. Using silicone would enhance the texture, comfort, and grip for the user, especially when learning how to write. Collaboration with someone working on accessible stylus could also be beneficial in expanding the possibilities of the grip product. We believe that this project is just the start and there is potential for further improvements and developments in the future.
