Easy Kitchen - saranyarukmangadhan.weebly.com€¦ · Sagarika Ghosh, Product Design Ritika Basu, Graphic Design Abhimanyu, Lifestyle Accessories Design Prashanth, Strategic Design

Easy Kitchen

About NID, R&D Campus, Bengaluru

NID’s R&D Campus at Bengaluru was set up as a joint initia-tive of and funding from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India and was inaugurated in March 2006. R&D Campus com-menced two research intensive PG Programmes namely De-sign for Retail Experience and Design for Digital Experience, from the academic year 2007-2008. Currently five Masters programmes are offered from this campus.

NID’s Research & Development Campus addresses the immediate need for an exclusive Design Research centre in the country, by fostering the creative design spirit and sight-ing new opportunities and frontiers through NID’s design acumen nurtured over the four decades of intense teach-ing-learning process.

Universal design thinking being an intrinsic part of product definition, design Process & development, the program aims to create design professionals with competence in system level design development of products, adaptive for diverse users – across cultures, social factors, trans generational physical and cognitive abilities and inabilities. Professionals who are creative in conceptualizing universal and sustainable solutions, strategic and smart in converting them into value propositions, thus influencing the business and initiating positive future impact.

Being a master’s program the curriculum will broadly focus on: Universal design thinking & research, strategic approach-es towards meaningful differentiators, contextual innovation methods, smart technologies, social & cultural studies, par-ticipative design development process.

The first and second semesters will be ‘hands-on’, cover concepts of product design related to trans-generational users and will emphasize on creative ideas, making & testing. Courses on Universal design principles, Form study, Human factors, Semiotics, Materials and Manufacturing technologies will be studio/theory based. The design project will look at everyday objects of purpose. The third semester will focus on the rationale: strategy, value, feasibility & viability related aspects of design development.

Inputs being Product-Industry economics, Smart digital technologies, User experience design. The design project will look at products, furniture systems from various consumer and business verticals.

The fourth semester opens to a system level thinking ap-proach: social design and innovation, sustainability factors, service design and public policy. The design project will look at intervention in the area of public utilities and areas of national concern.

Universal Design programme at NID, Bangalore

National Institute of Design

Ravi ShankarSr FacultyCoordinator, M Des Universal DesignCoordinator, MSME Design Clinic Scheme (South)National Institute of Design, R&D CampusBangalore, India

Saranya RukmangadhanAssociate DesignerNational Institute of Design, R&D CampusBangalore, India

Credits - Students

Ravi Shankar, Iteraction Design : 3D medelling and renderingFarhan Ibnee Abid, Design for Retail Experience : CAD modelsArun Balraj, Design for Retail ExperienceSagarika Ghosh, Product DesignRitika Basu, Graphic DesignAbhimanyu, Lifestyle Accessories DesignPrashanth, Strategic Design Management

Acknowledgements

Thank you for helping me with the research

Mrs.SundariMrs.UshaMrs.AnjanaMrs.UshaMrs.ParvathammaMrs.HemavathyMr. RamappaMrs. JyothiMrs.ShashikalaMrs. SarojiniMrs. RajeshwariMrs. MeeraMrs. RaniMrs. SharadaMrs. Lavanya

Contents1. Inroduction - Aging in India

2. Kitchen Human Factors - Ergonomics and health hazards

3. User Immersion - Stories and observations

4. Analysis - Sorting and directions

5. Ideation - Diverging with ideas

6. Conceptualization - Bringing them all together

IntroductionAging in India

1

IntroductionMost of us will grow old. We will see the world change round us, experience different life events and see the people we care for change. Our physical, mental and cognitive function-ing will change. Our wealth of experiences and knowledge will continue to grow and support us. Despite all of us even-tually growing old, we live in ageist societies and cultures where discrimination and the denial of our rights on the ba-sis of older age is prevalent because of harmful and negative stereotypes and perceptions of old age.

The number of elderly in the developing countries has been growing at a phenomenal rate; in 1990 the population of 60 years and above in the developing countries exceeded that in the developed countries. Globally, in industrial nations, populations are getting older primarily because of the baby-boom that occurred after the Second World War. In most countries, there are other important demographic ten-dencies such as increasing quality of life, medical develop-ments to extend the life spans, and also decreasing amount of population due to continuing lower birth rates and declin-ing mortality rates that will have additional effects on the aging in this century.

According to present indications, most of this growth will take place in developing countries and over half of it will be in Asia, with the two major population giants of Asia, namely India and China contributing a significant proportion of this growing elderly.

The capabilities of older people differ from those ordinary people in terms of unique requirements. Elderly person sur-rounds a great diversity of physical and mental abilities, pref-erences and lifestyles. Each person gets a combination of all these characteristics properties at different levels. Although today’s medical system helps the elderly to lead a more ac-tive, more independent and healthy life by protecting them from early syndromes of aging, the old people are still easily impressed by physical, social, sensory, cognitive and financial changes rather than other age groups.

Many groups such as children, disabled and elderly are often neglected in the design process. Moreover, designers gen-erally tend to design for ordinary people, who are between the ages 18 and 55, have similar anthropometrics, physiol-ogy, attitudes, behaviours and lifestyles. These people have rarely arthritis, Parkinson, or other diseases that are wide-spread among elderly people. However, there are other large sections of the population that require special care in the society.

The collective strength of the increasing number of older people will clearly encourage reluctant companies to man-ufacture products associated with physical and sensory impairments of elderly. By using the concept of Universal Design, designers acquire the ability and the responsibility for creating a better world for everyone, particularly elderly. As a result of demographic, economic and social changes, Universal Design is the most logical design approach to this issue because this concept aims to improve the independent-ly living and the quality of life of all people if mainstream products meet their needs.

What is Universal Design

Universal design, also known as inclusive design refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to older people, people without disabilities, and people with disabili-ties.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, universal design is “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”It makes things easier, safer, and more convenient for every-one. Everyone, even the most able-bodied person passes through the different phases of life; childhood, period of temporary illness, minor or major injury, and old age. By de-signing for this human diversity, designers can create things that will be easier to use by all.

It takes into account all kinds of people irrespective of their shape, size, age, physical, perceptual, and cognitive abili-ties. Through this design, we can either create or modify things that are functional and user friendly for everyone. For instance, ramps outside the malls not only help elderly in wheelchair, but also people with curbs, shopping trolley carriers or luggage thus benefiting all.Scope of universal design

Each and everything which is being used by people can be universally designed for everyone to use starting from a door knob to a chair to a smart phone. As its definition goes, it can be applied to a system like transportation, spaces, environ-ment to architecture including offices, public places, and family homes, it becomes a crucial element in helping elderly in diverse and changing abilities to remain active, independ-ent, and confident in society.

5 Universal Design Principles of India

5 Universal Design Principles of India

Principle Description Guidelines

Equitable/ SamanThe design is fair and non-discriminating to diverse users in Indian context

- Avoid prejudices against people of all ages, gender,disability, sizes, caste, class and religion. - Consider different capabilities of users and build in many levels of engagement. - Provide choices in access and use through flexibility and customization. Allow personaliza-tion through inclusion of adjustable and adaptable options. - Provide equality in challenge, opportunity and energy requirement.

Usable/ Sahaj The design is operable by all users in Indian context

- Provide independence, comfort, safety and support during use. - Facilitate access, operation and convenience by diverse users. - Include adaptations for those experiencing difficulty in use. - Provide clarity in use, operation and maintenance to minimize instruction and avoid confu-sion and error.- Adopt simple means to overcome complex operation.- Follow cultural norms to address user expectations. - Offer multi-sensory feedback to point in the right direction. - Build in intuitive operation and innate understanding of problem. - Allow easy adaptation to facilitate use by people with diverse abilities. - Prevent costly mistakes and untended consequence from misuse.

Cultural / Sanskritik

The design respects the cultural past and the chang-ing present assist all users in Indian context

- Maintain social and traditional qualities in design. - Include Indian idioms to make historic and social connection. - Present in many languages for inclusive comprehension. - For all castes and society levels. - Respond to local context and conditions. - Employ appropriate technology to match user expectations

Economy/ Sasta

The design respects afforda-bility and cost considerations for diverse users in Indian context

- Ensure affordability, durability and maintainability. - Use local materials for energy savings and cost effectiveness. - Focus on low unit cost through wide distribution. - Adopt modular approach to offer choice in features and price range.

Aesthetics / Sundar

The design employs aesthetic to promote social integration among users in Indian con-text

- Employ aesthetic to enhance universal appeal and use. - Allow personalizing aesthetics through flexibility, adaptability and modularity of colour, form, texture and interaction. - Employ appearance to inform use and safety. - Bridge wide range of meaning and comprehension gaps.

Aging in India: Urban scenario

In India, according to ‘National Policy of Older Persons’, senior citizen or elderly is a person who is 60 years and above. India’s population is likely to increase by 60 per cent between 2000 and 2050 but the number of elders, who have attained 60 years of age, will shoot up by 360 per cent. India has around 100 million elderly at present and the number is expected to increase to 323 million, constituting 20 per cent of the total population, by 2050.

According to the United Nations’ projected age structure of population for 2010 (UN, 2008 revision), India is expected to have a total of over 91.6 million persons in 60+ age groups, the second largest population of older adults in the world after China. Growing at a rate of over 3 per cent per annum, this exceeds the annual average growth rate achieved by the younger (0-14 and 15-59) cohorts. UN projections also reveal that India has added a total of about 12.6 million aged persons between 2005nand 2010.

Geriatric health issues

Old age is associated with many reduced physical and mental abilities. Study shows that the prevalence of heart diseases among elderly men and women was much higher in urban areas than in rural parts. Urinary problems were more common among aged men while more aged women report-ed to suffer from problem of joints.

More than 640 million elderly suffer from some form of disability

3% suffer from locomotor disability and its the most common form of disability

1.5% suffer from hearing disability and 1% suffer from complete blindness.

0.32 million elderly suffer from cardio vascular dis-eases, which is the most common chronic disease

Living arrangements of the elderly

In India, the notion of kinship ties for support through the life course is central to everyday life. It stipulates that it is the duty of a child- particularly a male child- to provide parental support in their old age, traditionally in the form of co-residence. Demographic shifts currently underway will have a substantial impact on the Indian landscape, particu-larly that of the family. These shifts will be magnified in the year 2050, by which the United Nations projects that 20 per cent of Indians will be above the age of 60. Three main shifts are noteworthy. First, mortality reductions and improvement in medical technology mean larger cohorts are surviving to older ages. Second, fertility reductions due to effective family planning and changing social norms indicate that in the long run, there will be fewer children to care for more elderly family members. Finally, migration for employment means children are leaving and will continue to leave residences shared with parents, resulting in elderly having to care for themselves or in the company of a caretaker. Due to a short-age of living space coupled with high the cost of living in urban areas, children often have no choice but to leave their parents behind in the place of origin.

Project abstract This project aims at exploring ways to enable active aging. Active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunitiesfor health, participation and security in order to enhancequality of life as people age. And the insight from secondary research which showed that there is an increasing number of elderly living independently, lead us to delve into everyday spaces and tasks which might be difficult for elderly.

In this context, kitchen was chosen as the area of study as it is the single highest function room in the house. All resi-dents use the space, so it needs to be accessible by the least able and the most able person as well as the smallest and tallest. And the ability to cook for self with ease and comfort, forms an important part of independent living. A good and safe kitchen space is very critical and often most neglected while planning a house.

An Indian kitchen poses unique challenges to the elderly, in terms of its context and usage. It is also a reflection of a so-cial evolution - the transition from being a floor based kitch-en with open shelves to an elevated platform kitchen with closed cabinets; the utensils’ transition from being in clay, iron, copper and brass to steel and plastic; and a multitude of new appliances entering the kitchen. With older people’s changed physical, psychological and cognitive characteristics, design of elements in a kitchen would play a crucial role in not only maintaining but improving their quality of life at every step.

Kitchen Human FactorsErgonomics and health hazards

2

The Indian Kitchen

A kitchen is a space used for food storage, preparation and cooking. A modern kitchen is typically equipped with a gas fired stove or microwave oven for cooking, refrigerator for food preservation and storage,organized storage in form of cupboards for food, utensils and any other aids resourceful during cooking and sink with water supply and draining for cleaning purpose of raw food and dishwashing. Technology is changing the way we buy food, cook, and eat. With increas-ing disposable income, a lot of money is also being spent on comfortable home furniture.

Although the main function of a kitchen is cooking, it can be the center of other activities as well, especially within homes, depending on its size, furnishing, and equipment. The kitchen may also be the place where the family eats, provided it is large enough. Sometimes, it is the most com-forting room in a house, where family and visitors tend to congregate.

Kitchens in India are as varied in as Indian food and culture. Each kitchen is fine tuned towards meeting the needs of the local food preparation. A vast section of Indian population is vegetarian. Cooking style depends on regional food type, community taste preference,weather, geography etc. Most of the Indian foods require elaborate pre processing. The food is spicy and concentration is on making food tastier and spicy. The Indian kitchens are reshaping today as cosmopol-itan population embraces a modern consumption fuelled life-style. Kitchen is still majorly a woman’s province. Although, changing lifestyles and career preferences are slowing bring-ing the men into the kitchen as well.

number of working couples, higher disposable income,and increased affordability of such offerings are all factorsthat have driven awareness levels and increased demandfor modular kitchens. Owing to their compact design,modular kitchens provide effective space management andhence are preferred over traditional kitchen designs.

The growing hospitality sector and increase in demandfor ‘service apartments’ has also boosted sales of modularkitchens. Service apartments generally prefer modularkitchens because of their sleek design and standardisation.There has also been a surge in demand from Tier 2 citiesand smaller towns resulting in expansion and foray ofmajor brands into these towns.

The organised segment is fast growing in India with a wide range in high end brands — products in the ticket size from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh for a kitchen — accounting for about 10 per cent of the organised segment.

Modular kitchen market in India

A modular kitchen comprises a range of fixtures and cabinets put together in a planned manner to facilitate effective usage of kitchen space. A modular kitchen normally consists of wooden cabinets; countertops; internal accessories such as built-in covered baskets; and household and kitchen appli-ances such as a washbasins, dishwashers, chimneys, cooking range/stoves, and microwave ovens. It is custom designed, and customers can choose from a variety of options, fea-tures, colors, and patterns.

The modular kitchen business in India is a fragmented mar-ket with an estimated size of about Rs. 2,500 crore and has been growing at a rapid rate. According to industry experts, the market was approximately 21 billion INR in size in 2012, and could grow to about 60 billion INR by 2016. The market is largely unorganised with the presence of local and small players. The unorganised market (estimated at 70 to 75% of the total) includes carpenters making custom-designed kitch-ens based upon the requirements of the households. Mod-ular kitchens account for an estimated 20% of the organised home interior market.

They account for only about 10% of the overall kitchenequipment and furniture industry. Thus, there is scope forthe modular kitchens market to grow.

Modular kitchens are largely focused towards the middle-class and affluent households in urban India and offeringsare based on functional practicality, design and appeal.Increase in the number of nuclear families, rise in the

Understanding Kitchen Design

General kitchen Space Planning Guidelines Kitchens should face North East or North West .Kitchens should be well located internally with respect to pantry, din-ing room and living. Although kitchens are smallplaces there planning requires outmost attention to details. The kitchen are also places of meeting and have social significance .They occupy large amount of users time and peak attention peri-ods. In residences, kitchens should be placed strategically for easy accessibility to all major work areas and rooms.

Work Sequence

When kitchen units are fitted, they should follow a sequence which complements the work and reduces efforts. The struc-ture should be spacious and allow room for free movement. The furniture should minimize standing work and any such posture which will be strenuous for the household persondeal sequence of work in kitchen should be arranged in this order for a normal righthanded person. A well planned kitch-en should not only look good but make the cook using it feel content with his place for work.

In kitchen layout, the most basic concept is to minimize walk-ing back and forth a lot, with clear pathways between work. In addition, when more than one person is in the kitchen, it’simportant that they don’t step over each other when work-ing.

The distance between work centres should be more than 4 ft. but less than 9 ft. and an island or other obstacle should not intersect the path by more than 12 inches. No major traffic pattern through the kitchen should intersect the paths between work

Work centres

Work triangle

Work triangle is simply an efficient arrangement of three major work points i.e. cooking,refrigeration and sink. It is necessary to design arrangement which cuts down travelling distances of the user.

Basic Kitchen Layouts

No one layout is more ideal than another. The room and in-terior character should itself dictate the design of an efficient kitchen layout.

Single Line kitchenA very basic layout that should be kept as compact as possi-ble. The cooker and sink must be kept closer in this layout

L Shaped kitchenA work sequence runs around two walls, keeping work trian-gle reasonable compact. In a very small room it may be dif-ficult to avoid placing refrigerator close to cooker, so not an ideal arrangement as refrigerator looses efficiency in cooling

Gallery LayoutGallery kitchen have a compact work triangle than any of the arrangements so are less tiring in usage. Sink and cooker can be placed in opposite sides. This plan possesses least safety hazards

U shaped layoutThis adaptable layout is wrapped around three walls in an unbroken sequence .This layout provides lots of work surface but the two corners would give some wasted space

Island kitchenThis should be used in places where space is plentiful, if cooking activity involves lots of walking then work triangles are inconvenient in this case

Minimum Area for kitchen planning

- Cooking recess 5 - 6 square metre- Normal kitchens 8 - 10 square metre- Kitchens with dinning 12 - 14 square metre

Each workcenter in a kitchen should have three components.

1. Adequate work area on counter space2. Adequate storage areas and volume3. Sufficient access to facilities like ventilation, lighting ,drain-age etc

Standard Guidelines for kitchen Furniture Design

Materials used in kitchen furniture include wood, plywood, chipboard, plastic, mild-steel or stainless steel. Exposed wood surfaces are varnished or laminated with plastic. Shelves are of wood or plastic coated chipboard; metal shelves are best for pans and pots. Sliding or folding doors are useful if space is restricted requiring no additional space for opening. Special equipments like universal cutting board, pull out drawers,pull out towel rails, hinged compartments etc save time and effort. Sink and draining boards should be fitted into floor units which may include a waste bin, dish-washer and disposal units.

Different types of furniture in kitchen can be classified as 1.Base units or under counter units - These units are used for storing large, heavy or seldom used kitchen equipment.2.Wall mounted units - Wall mounted have small depth so worktops beneath them can be used without hindrance. They allow crockery to be reached without bending

Understanding Kitchen Ergonomics Ergonomics can be defined simply as the study of work. More specifically, ergonomics is the science of designing the job to fit the worker, rather than physically forcing theworker’s body to fit the job. Adapting tasks, work stations, tools, and equipment to fit the worker can help reducephysical stress on a worker’s body and eliminate many potentially serious, disabling work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Ergonomics draws on a number of scientific disciplines, including physiology, biomechanics, psychology, anthropom-etry, industrial hygiene, and kinesiology.

Applying ergonomics to the workplace can:■ Reduce the potential for accidents;■ Reduce the potential for injury and ill health;■ Improve performance and productivity.

Musculoskeletal disorders

MSDs, or musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), are injuries and disorders of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and cartilage) and nervous system. They can affectnearly all tissues, including the nerves and tendon sheaths, and most frequently involve the arms and back. Work-relat-ed MSDs occur when the physical capabilities of the worker do not match the physical requirements of the job. Pro-longed exposure to ergonomic risk factors can causedamage a worker’s body and lead to MSDs.

Kitchen work usually involves pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying materials. These activities may involve repetitive movements or require forceful exertion or awkward pos-tures, causing acute or chronic injuries.

Acute injuries are injuries that occur immediately as a result of a single traumatic event. For example,- Slipping on a wet floor and twisting your ankle- Lifting a heavy bag of flour and straining your backChronic injuries are injuries that happen over time as a result of repeated trauma or over use of a body part. Symptoms develop in the affected part and the injury may lead to recur-ring discomfort if not treated properly. For example,- Back pain resulting from repeated lifting and carrying heavy dish racks- Shoulder tendinitis resulting from repeated sorting of ves-sels on a high rack.

To accommodate the different tasks to be done in the kitch-en and the people of different heights doing them, countersurfaces should either be adjustable or set at various heights. Proper work surface height minimizes excessive forward bending and shoulder elevation. For tasks requiring close visual inspection, position the surface height so that handsare slightly higher than elbow height and belowshoulder level. For most tasks, the work surface should be slightly below elbow height. Work requiring force, such as rolling dough, or cutting bones, should be done on asurface that is below elbow height unless close inspection is required. Adjustable height cook-tops, sinks, and cupboards are needed to accommodate wheelchairs or an extremely wide range of user height and should have adequate lighting.

Understanding risk factors and identifying where they might occur can help prevent MSI. When assessing the degree of risk, it is important to ask the three basic questions:

1. What is the intensity or magnitude of the risk factor?2. What is the frequency of exposure to the risk factor?3. What is the duration of exposure to the risk factor?

If a task represents high levels of any one risk factor or pre-sents multiple risk factors, the risk level increases greatly. Risk Factors

Ergonomic risk factors in kitchen

Ergonomic risk factors are the aspects of a job or task that impose a biomechanical stress on the worker. Ergonomic risk factors are the synergistic elements of MSD hazards. In a kitchen the following risk factors are highly probable,

- Force- Repetition- Awkward postures- Static postures- Contact stress

Force:

Physical effort that place high load on the muscles, liga-ments, tendons and joints, increases the body’s energy demands and the possibility of an injury. For example, lifting heavy bags of flour involves forceful excersion. If light loads may present a risk of injury if held statically for a long time.

Repetition:

Repetitive tasks are tasks that use the same muscle groups repeatedly. Muscles and tendons do-not have enough time to rest, which leads to fatigue and muscle damage. For exam-ple, cutting vegetables and cleaning utensils can be repetitive tasks.

Awkward postures:

Awkward postures occur when the body has to work in postures that is not natural. Awkward postures can happen when you:• Reach above shoulder level• Reach below knee level• Reach across deep counters• Twist to reach sideways• Hold objects

For example, placing dishes on high shelves strains the shoul-der muscles more that working with the hands at waist level.

Static Postures:

Static postures are body positions held without movement for more than 20 seconds. Muscles tire quickly in static pos-tures because blood flow is restricted. For example, Kitchen workers may stand for prolonged periods on hard surfaces.

Contact stress

Contact stress happens when body parts come in contact with hard or sharp objects. Contact stress can cause injury to nerves and tissues beneath the skin. For example, kneeling on hard surfaces can cause contact stress to the knees.

Posture depends on:- The height of the work surface- Where materials are stored- Space available in your work area- How you organize your work area- How you position your body- How you hold objects

Kitchen ergonomics pointers

- Reduce your reach.- Use the near part of the work surface, grill,or stove.- Tilt bins towards you.- Store frequently used utensils and food between shoulder and hip height, and close to where they are needed.- Position frequently used bulk ingredients close to your work area and at a convenient height (e.g., use a cart).- Use a work surface that is waist level and ensure elbows are almost at right angles for forceful tasks (e.g., chopping) .- Use a work surface that is elbow height for finely detailed work (e.g., pastries, candies).- Stand as close to the front of the work surface as possible.- Turn your feet to point at your work to prevent twisting your back.- Select utensils that have a large, rounded grip to allow use of your whole hand rather than just your fingers.- There should be adequate lighting.

Revised project brief

The aim of this project is to study Indian kitchens, mostly the unorganized modular kitchen segment, and come up with evolutionary and not evolutionary design changes to eliminate or reduce ergonomic risk factors.

User immersionStories and observations

3

Objective:

1. Conduct a universal design audit on Indian kitchens with respect to different types of users, their context and usage. 2. Understand the scenario and experiences of elderly while using the kitchen and document their needs and aspirations.

The kitchen space/activities were divided in 3 main buckets – Storing, cooking and cleaning and research was conducted to get a deep understanding of each of them.

User profiles:

Age group 55+Elderly living with families and alone Location: Urban cities – Bangalore and ChennaiSocioeconomic class: Middle class or upper middle class

** Elderly with severe disabilities were not considered in the scope of this research activity** Only middle and upper middle class population in urban cities were considered as they form majority of the unorganized modular kitchen market.

Methodology:

- Contextual enquiry- Observation- Picture cards

Sample size: 15

Research guide

• General information - Name - Age - Health issues faced due to age/lifestyle: - Family size: • Kitchen experience Can you take me through your day? - How often do you cook? - What kind of dishes do you usually make? - How much time do you spend at the kitchen in a day? - When do you cook? - What are the activities done in the kitchen? - Who all use the kitchen? • Process Buying groceries (Probe into different types of groceries) - Where do you buy your groceries? Why? - How often? Why? - How do you buy them? Why?Storing (Probe into different types of groceries,utensils) - Can you take me through the storage spaces in your kitchen? - Groceries (grains, daily consumables) - Utensils - Appliances - Other misc., - Where do you store them? Why? - How do you access them? (posture, movements, tools) - How do you clean them? - Common difficulties

Preparation Can you take me through the preparation of one of your meals? - Where do you wash your groceries? How? Why? - How do you cut the vegetables? Where? Why? Probe into sorting, mixing, grinding, etc - What are the utensils, tools and appliances used? - Common difficulties Cooking - What kind of stove do you use? - Where is the gas cylinder kept? How do you switch on/off? How often? How do you change? - What kind of utensils are used to cook? Why? (Different dishes) - Use of appliances to cook ( Microwave, food processor, etc) - Space used for cooking - Activities done along with cooking - Problems faced - Common difficultiesStoring cooked meal and eating - Where and how do you store cooked meal? - Where do you eat? - What is the time difference between meal preparation and eating? - Where and how do you store the left overs?Cleaning - How do you clean your kitchen space after cooking? - How do you wash your used utensils?• Context and its effect on the cooking experience - Light, temperature, sound, dust, pest, greasy hands, etc.

Observations

Usha

Age: 63yrsHeight: 4ft 10”

Health condition:Diabetes, joint pain(fingers, back and knees), reduced strength in her arm muscles

Lives with her family (husband and children)Cooks food for the whole family everyday

Specific problems in the kitchen

- Bending - Reaching heights- Standing for a long time- Lifting heavy utensils - Forgetting to switch off the gas (especially while boiling milk)- Chopping vegetables

Key observations

- Uses a small stool to stand on while cooking or to reach things as the plat-form and cabinets are too high for her.- Has a lot of recipe books and plants in the kitchen to make it lively. - Husband helps her in chopping vege-tables as it is very difficult for her. - Platform too low for him, so he chops on the dinning table. - She has clothes for cleaning at differ-ent places in the kitchen (near stove, sink, mixer, utensil cabinets)- Has used a lot of clear glass for stor-age cabinets to improve visibility.

Kitchen essentials

- Easy to access- Easy to maintain- Lively

OBSERVATION DOWNLOAD SHEET

Ergonomic audit Stove--Refrigerator-Sink Stove--Appliances --Storage--SinkStove--Storage--SinkStove--Preparation counter--Sink

Movement analysis

** Kept in drawers just below the stove.** Requires her to step aside every-time she wants to take something.

** Uses a stool to reach them

** Requires her to bend and squat to access** Difficult to reach utensils at the back

** Requires her to bend to access

Storage mapping

Height measurements

Platform height: 32” Height of the lowest draw/shelf: 1ftHeight of the height cabinet: 7 ft

Using a stool to reach heights 4 burner gas stove with utensils

Ventilation

Clear glass to improve visibility

Inaccessible storage spaces

Water purifier by the sink Horizontal alignment for visibility

Asha

Age: 55 yrsHeight: 5ft 3”

Health condition:Back pain and starting stage of arthritis

Lives with her family (husband, children and mother)Cooks food for the whole family everyday


- Bending - Squatting- Standing for a long time- Lifting heavy items

Key observations

- Uses her smart phone to check reci-pes and struggles to find a safe place to keep the phone in the kitchen while cooking. - Wants everything at hand’s reach. She has kept her frequently used spic-es and grains in an open shelf by the stove despite dust collection. - Uses an old trunk as a storage space- Has kept the fridge outside the kitch-en to make it seem spacious.- Uses an unsturdy bamboo stool to reach higher shelves.- Most of her storage is in the form of cabinets making it difficult to access.

Kitchen essentials

- Convenient- Spacious- Easy to access



Movement analysis

** Kept in drawers just below the stove.** Requires her to step aside every-time She wants to take something.

** Uses a stool to reach them



Storage mapping

Height measurements

Platform height: 33” Height of the lowest draw/shelf: 1ftHeight of the height cabinet: ceiling

Ventilation

The stool for reaching tall shelves

Inaccessible storage spaces

Inaacessible storage spaces

Drying washed utensils by the sink

Hemavathy


Health condition:Joint pain, diabetes, low BP, reduced balance, reduced strength in her arms.

Lives with her family (Son, daughter in law and grand children)Cooks occasionally


- Fear of falling down due to lack of balance - Bending - Reaching heights- Standing for a long time- Lifting heavy items - Excessive movements - Forgetfulness

Key observations

- She loves cooking and watches cook-ery shows on Tv all day. But cooks very rarely because she is afraid she will fall down and cause trouble to her family.- Kitchen layout and arrangement is according to her daughter in law’s choice. So she finds it difficult to ad-just and remember. - She wants to help her daughter in law at the kitchen who also has a full time job and her daughter in law also hoped she got some help, but both of them fear the consequences of acci-dents in the kitchen.

Kitchen essentials

- Safe- Convenient- Flexible


Ergonomic audit Stove--Refridgerator--Sink Stove--Appliances --Storage--SinkStove--Storage--SinkStove--Preparation counter--Sink

Movement analysis

**Placed close to her for easy access** Open storage collects dust and grease as it is close to the stove as well. ** Difficult to clean and maintain

** Open rack for utensils ** Open storage collects dust and grease ** Difficult to clean and maintain

**Placed in the utility room The height of each shelf is more than 1 ft and the height of about 5kg container is only about 0.5 ft, this was leading to a lot of waste of space and also she stored one container on another to accommodate all her containers. ** Open storage collects dust

Storage mapping

Height measurements

Platform height: 30” Height of the lowest draw/shelf: <1ftHeight of the height cabinet: 6.5 ft

Old style kitchen with a recess as chimney

Cylinder connected to the stove

Open shelves for storage

Open storage

Stainless steel utensil rack

Rajeshwari


Physical health:Lower back pain, diabetes

Lives with her family (Husband and mother in law 80 yrs old and 4ft 8” tall)She cooks separately for herself and her husband, as her mother in law prefers to cook for herself.


- Bending - Standing for a long time

Key observations

- The kitchen is designed to suit her height and habits. - She is left handed while her mother in law is right handed, so the moth-er in law finds it difficult to adapt to everything kept on the right hand side. - She is about a foot taller than her mother in law and the kitchen height suits her well. But mother in law com-plains of back pain even if she uses it for 15 minutes. - Mother in law finds it very difficult to clean after cooking and she get an-noyed at the sight of a dirty kitchen.

Kitchen essentials

- Easy to clean- Convenient- Flexible- Functional



Movement analysis

** Open storage collects dust and grease as it is close to the stove as well. ** Difficult to clean and maintain

** Requires bending

** Requires bending

Storage mapping

Height measurements

Platform height: 32” Height of the lowest draw/shelf: <1ftHeight of the height cabinet: 7 ft

** Too high for mother in law

Sarojini


Physical health:Lower back pain and shoulder jointLives with her husband and 2 college going daughtersShe cooks all three meals everyday.


- Bending - Pain while raising her arms- Keeping the kitchen clean

Key observations

- She prefers to finish all her work in the morning, so does a lot of multi tasking as she is cooking. - She was a software professional who quit her job because of a slip disc. - She says kitchen is the only place that reminds of her back problem and worsens it. - She keeps everything inside the cup-boards to avoid dust and ease mainte-nance.

Kitchen essentials

- Comfortable- Easy to maintain



Movement analysis

** Requires bending and stretching arms beyond her limits

** Requires bending

Storage mapping

Height measurements


Old style kitchen with a recess as chimney

Dustbin space - difficult to access

Space for keeping soaps

Grinder used for making idly/dosa batter

Jyothi


Health condition: Diabetic. She fasts frequently and develops low BP. Lives with her husband and son.Cooks for the whole family everyday.


- Feels weak and dizzy if she stands for a long time, especially on days she is fasting.

Key observations

- It was a new kitchen with neat finish-es and a lot of storage space. - She has a lot of latest appliances and frequently reorganises her kitchen to accommodate them.- Cabinets reach the ceiling and a lot of storage space is not easily accessi-ble.

Kitchen essentials

- Comfortable- Easy to maintain



Movement analysis

Storage mapping

Height measurements

Platform height: 32” Height of the lowest draw/shelf: <1ftHeight of the height cabinet: up-to ceiling

** Within easily accessible limits

** Requires her to bend and squat to access** Difficult to reach utensils at the back** Uses a stool or calls for help to access the ones on the top cabinet


Cabinets till the ceiling

Organized storage

Unused space in the cabinets

Inaccessible storage shelves at the bottom

Latest electronic appliances

Parvathamma and Ramappa

Age: 85 yrs and 92 yrs resp.,Height: 4ft 9” and 5ft 4” resp.,

Health problems:Both have joint problems , reduced strength, faint hearing and vision.

They live independently while their children are settled abroad.


- Feels dizzy and lack of balance - Bending - Squatting- Reaching heights- Lifting heavy utensils - Excessive movement- Forgetting to switch off the gas (especially while boiling milk)- Chopping vegetables

Key observations

- Their kitchen is more than 30 years old and now they find it very inacces-sible and get severe back pains even if they work for 15 minutes.- They do all the other activities inde-pendently. And because they find it so difficult to use their kitchen, they have a maid for cooking. When she doesn’t turn up, they survive on bread. - They find it very difficult to maintain maids as they are very erratic and take time to get trained.- They have all the latest appliances but prefer not to use it as they don’t feel comfortable with them.

Kitchen essentials

- Easy to maintain- Safety– they prefer an open space to ensure other people can see them in the kitchen and vice versa and they feel safe.



Movement analysis

Storage mapping

Height measurements


** Within easily accessible limits** Placed far away from the cooking area- needs exces-sive movement while cooking** Allows grouping



Old storage cabinet-Allows grouping

Pooja corner

Stool used to sit While cooking

Open shelf for utensils

Poor ventilation

Old storage shelves

Sundari

Age: 76 yrsHeight: 5ft

Health problems:Reduced strength, Joint pain, Low BP, faint hearing and vision.

Lives with her son and cooks all 3 meals for the family everyday


- Bending - Squatting- Reaching heights- Lifting heavy utensils - Excessive movement- Forgetting to switch off the gas (especially while boiling milk)

Key observations

- She is very particular about the taste of food and does a lot of grinding manually to get it right.- Frequently forgets to switch off the gas stove especially after putting the milk to boil.- She enjoys cooking but dreads clean-ing. She finds it more tasking. So as she is cooking. she is careful about not getting the place too dirty.

Kitchen essentials

- Easy to maintain- Easy to access- Safe



Movement analysis

Storage mapping

Height measurements





Electric chimney

Cluttered storage

Shelves difficult to

Traditional container used for storing spices

Wheeled stand for cylin-der to ease portability

Pooja corner in the kitchen

Maid washing Utensils

Anjana


Health problems:Reduced strength, Joint pain, Low BP, faint hearing and vision, diabetes

Lives with her son, daughter in law and grand children.Cooks occasionally


- Bending - Squatting- Reaching heights- Lifting heavy utensils - Excessive movement- Forgetting to switch off the gas (especially while boiling milk)

Key observations

- She finds cooking very tasking - Most of the storage spaces are inac-cessible for her and has to call for help all the time. - The heat in the kitchen, makes her very tired and dizzy. - She likes to use the pressure cooker as it is faster and gives alarm when the food is done. - She is always scared of wet floors in the kitchen.

Kitchen essentials

- Easy to access- Safe- Comfortable



Movement analysis

Storage mapping

Height measurements

Platform height: 32” Height of the lowest draw/shelf: <1ftHeight of the height cabinet: up-to ceiling




Vegetables from the fridge placed on the platform

Inaccessible stor- Ventilation

Traditional knife used for chopping vegetables

Tilting the cooker because It is too high

Resting the heavy rice pot on the tap to take support

Preparing Indian delicacies

A few other kitchens analysed

AnalysisSorting and directions

4

Consumer personas& Scenarios

Yashodha75 yrs . widow

Health issues: Diabetes, low blood pressure (needs daily medi-cation), osteoporosis (wears knee cap always), reduced muscle strength, has difficulty hearing.

Her Story:

Lives with her unmarried daughter who is 35 yrs old and is a sales manager at a reputed firm. Her job demands long work hours and frequent travel.

She cooks all three meals a day for herself and her daughter despite her reduced physical abilities because it makes her happy.

She stays alone at home most of the time and keeps herself active by reading and knitting.

“ There are times I don’t even realize that I have forgotten to switch off the gas. My daughter gets very worried because of that. My age is taking on me, but I want to support and take care of my daughter as much as I can.”

Persona 1: Forgetful

Needs: Simple, easy, convenient

Motivations: Be a support to her daughter

Behaviour: Active, absent minded, limited tech savvy

Specific problems in the kitchen:

- Bending- Reaching heights- Standing for a long time- Lifting heavy utensils- Forgetting to switch off the gas

Yashoda has just put the milk to boil on her gas stove

As she waits in the living room, read-ing her favourite book, she forgets about the milk and falls asleep....

After a few hours when her daughter comes back from office, she notices the smell and panics

What’s that smell !!!

The milk has boiled, over flown and put off the fire, causing gas leakage.

She immediately switches off the gas

1

2

3

4

Kamala70 yrs . MarriedHealth issues: Obese, cardiovascular problems (needs daily medica-tion), mild arthritis, lower back pain, reduced balance

Her story:

She and her husband have left their ancestral house in their village and have recently moved to the city to live with their son’s family.

Her daughter in law is a working woman and does all the cooking despite her busy schedule. She would love to have some help in the kitchen but she is afraid her mother in law is physically too weak to help her.

Kamala loves cooking and wants to help her daughter in law. But she is afraid she would meet with accidents in the alien kitchen and be a burden to the family.

She watches TV most of the day and loves spending time with her grand children.

“ I love to cook. I used to cook for a family of 15 when I was young. I wish I could be of some help to my daughter in law. But after I almost met with an accident in the kitchen a year back, I am very scared. I don’t want to be a burden to me family.”

Persona 2: Scared

Needs: Safe, comfortable

Motivations: Grand children, family well being

Behaviour: Sedentary, low tech savvy, reluctant


- Bending- Reaching heights- Standing for a long time- Tiredness and lack of balance

One day when her daughter in law is busy with some work, Kamala volunteers to make dinner for the family.

The whole kitchen layout and arrangement is as per her daughter in law’s convenience. This leaves Kamala completely perplexed and irritated.

After cooking for about an hour, she is completely exhausted because of the effort and the heat and humidity in the kitchen

Oh my god! where is thedaal, where is this spice!!

I should never step into the kitchen. I am too old and weak to handle this. I don’t want to become a burden to my family.

She goes to the sink to put some dirty utensils forwash and accidentally slips on some water spilledon the floor. Luckily, her grand children come to her rescue and save her from a severe accident.

1

2

3

Hemavathi and Subbu85 yrs , 93 yrsHealth issues: Low blood pressure, cardiovascular problems (needs daily medication), osteoporosis, lower back pain, reduced muscle strength, trebling hands, reduced vision and hearing

Their story:

Their children have settled abroad and visit them once a year. Hema-vathi and Subbu chose to live independently in their ancestral house.

They make simple breakfast together (bread toast, eggs and tea) and have a maid for cooking rest of the meals. Their sons bought them appliances like food processor and microwave wave oven, but they don’t use them because they don’t like the taste of food cooked in them.

They go for long walks everyday and would like to cook for them-selves just like how they do their other tasks but find it very difficult in their kitchen built more than 40 yrs ago.

When the maid doesn’t turn up (happens at-least 3-4 times a month) or quits, both of them live on bread toasts as outside food doesn’t suit hem.

“ Our kitchen was built more than 40 years ago. Now we find the platform too high for us and the whole space is very uncomfortable. We suffer from severe back and neck pain if we stand in there for more than 15 minutes. Also we find it very difficult to lift heavy utensils, we have dropped them so many times.”

Persona 3: IndependentNeeds: Easy, safe, functional, familiar

Motivations: Be on your own and healthy as long as you are alive

Behaviour: Set in their routine, low tech savvy


- Bending- Reaching heights- Standing for a long time- Lifting heavy utensils- Vertigo and lack of balance - Chopping vegetables- Changing cylinder

One fine day when Hemavathi and Subbu’s cook doesn’t turn up, they both decide to cook a meal for themselves.

The rice dabba is kept in the bottom rack. Subbu bends over to lift it and hurts his back.

He faces discomfort and pain in his back for the next 2 months..

Hemavathy’s hands shiver as she tries to transfer a heavy bowl full of sambar to the kitchen. She drops it mid way and calls for help to clean it up.

1

2

3 4

Asha55 yrs . married

Health issues: Mild arthritis, lower back pain

Her story:

She is a software engineer and lives with her husband in their new 2 bedroom apartment in a gated community. Their son has gone abroad to study.

She loves to cook, tries new recipes, keep sharing pictures with her friends on What’s app and frequently throws parties at home. But off late she has started experiencing pain in the lower back and knees when she bends or stands in the kitchen for a long time.

She is upset that she has got such problems at a fairly young age com-pared to her mom.

Doctor has advised her not to strain much and start doing yoga. She continues to cook all three meals a day for her family but calls for help every time she faces difficulties.

“ I love trying new recipes and throwing parties at home. I have always been energetic and full of life. But now every time I ask for help in the kitchen, it reminds me that I am growing old.”

Persona 4: New old

Needs: Lively, comfortable, latest

Motivations: Family well being, Fun

Behaviour: Lively, tech savvy, aware


- Bending- Standing for a long time

It's a Saturday and Asha is as usual singing her favourite song, checking recipes on her smart phone and preparing for a party that evening.

She suddenly realizes that she needs some utensils from the bottom shelf. Her back is already aching a lot and she doesn’t want to strain it more.

So she decides to call a little boy from her neighbour-hood for help.

Chintu..could you please help

me?

Oh god! I am growing old. I am already dependent, wonder what would happen to me a few years from now....

Analysis of the cooking process and space

- Rice and wheat are bought in huge quantities (>10 kgs) usually twice a year as it is used often and it does not get infested by pests- Rice does-not require air tight storage

- Most of the pulses and spices are bought once a month in quantities of 1 or 2 kgs - Requires air tight storage

- Other frequently used food items (cereals, cheese, etc) are bought once in 2 weeks- Requires air tight storage

- Vegetables and eggs are bought once a week- Needs to be refrigerated

- Milk and meat are bought on a daily basis- Needs to be refrigerated

Buying patternBuying pattern of different ingredients was studied to get an understanding of quantities of material to be stored and the kind of storage required.

Important pointers

- Items are bought in bulk to avoid Frequent visit to the store

- This creates the need for primary and secondary storage spaces.

- Super market is the preferred place to shop and most of the items are packed in plastic packets.

Platform height 31-33”Height of top cabinet: more than 7 ftHeight of bottom shelf/draw: less than 1 ft

Inaccesible storage

Cluttered storage

Use of stainless steel containers

Consumables storage scenario

Utensils storage scenario

Appliances storage scenario

Storage mapping

- Frequently used spices and pulses were kept near the stove and in the most easily accessible storage spaces.- Utensils and large quantity grains were usually kept in the lower cabinets and most difficult to access.

Reaching

- Containers must be picked up from their place to take out material- Awkward postures due to the placement and layout.- Unsturdy stools/ladders are used to reach materials kept in the top cabinets

Open/close

Difficulty faced due to - Small nails- Greasy or slippery hands- Bad grips and smaller surface area- Reduced strength in the hands- Both hands required to do this

Material Dispensing

Measuring

Push/pull from the rim Turn Press open knob

Important pointers

- The top most cabinets are mostly more than 7ft high and the bottom most are less than 1ft high - making them very difficult to access for a 50th percentile Indian woman.

- Material storage and retrieval is not easy - poses ergo-nomics related health issues.

- Disorganized storage - Inability to group

- Out of sight, Out of mind - Wastage of a lot of food due to poorly designed storage spaces.

- Platform occupies most of the space and it is largely unused.

- Material dispensing experience could be improved.

Cooking scenario

Utensils washing scenario

- Ingredients are washed at the common sink used for washing utensils as well(vegetables, grains, meat,etc)- The sink is usually filled with dirty utensils. So she clears them before washing the ingredients.

- Chopping is considered the most tedious activity while preparing meals as it requires repetitive movement.- Pain is experienced at the neck and hands. - This activity is done near the stove on a cutting mat, the trash is collected by the matand thrown in the bin finally which is kept near the sink.

- 2 or 4 burner gas stove with a cylinder is used mostly.- Breakfast and lunch are elaborate meals, taking 2 to 3 hours to prepare.- Dinners are light and take about an hour to prepare.- Meals are freshly prepared and served hot most of the time.- Kitchen counters are 32”- 33” high which is not comfortable for the 50th percentile Indian wom-an and the gas stove is also about 5” high.- They complained of pain in the lower back, knees, elbow, shoulders and neck joint after pro-longed standing in the kitchen. - Pressure cooker is the most preferred utensil because its whistles act as a good feedback, making cooking safe and easy. - Forgetting to turn off the gas stove is frequent.

- Cooked meals are taken off the stove and kept near the stove- Difficulty in lifting heavy utensils.

- Meals are transferred unto another smaller utensilDifficulty in lifting and transfer

- Meals and other utensils like plates and glasses are taken to the dining room/living room.- Difficulty in lifting and transfer . Drops things sometimes.

- Utensils are washed at the sink and left to dry in a mesh basket, which is then put back at their respective place.- The floor around the sink is always wet.- Cloth and soap is used to clean.- Cleaning and washing utensils is usually done by the maid. - Frequently used utensils include - pressure cooker (max 11 ltrs) - 2, Kadai -2, other vessels - 3, pan -2, plates -5, small bowls - 5, spoons- Apart from this, there is a lot of other utensils that are used occasionally during festivals or get togethers. - Cleaning items are stored under the sink - Dustbin is also kept near the sink

Light- Most of the kitchens have good amount of natural light.- Fluorescent tube lights used for the night

Temperature- Exhaust fans and electric chimneys are used to remove smoke from the space - India being a tropical country, kitchens are still very hot and humid spaces.

Surfaces- Most of the house has normal tiles that are used in other rooms, in the kitchen as well. This poses safety issues because of wet floors.- The slab/platform is mostly granite stone and easy to maintain. - The cabinets are made of laminat-ed ply

Kitchen environment

Important pointers

Kitchen counters too high (32-33”) for the 50th percentile Indian woman posing ergonomic related health issues.

Platform height doesnot suit different activities. Too high for cooking and too low for chopping.

Movement analysis showed that movement is high overall and the sink is used very often in a kitchen.

Safety issues because of forgetting to switch off the gas and wet floors.

Reduced muscle strength in the hands makes material transfer very difficult.

The complete cooking experience is considered task-ing (physically and mentally) because of the activities and ambience.

Ergonomic audit - Material retrieval and cooking

Mitigation or elimination of ergonomics related health issues

Areas:

- Fewer movements within and in and out of the kitchen.

- Easy to access storage spaces to avoid awkward postures

- Comfortable heights of work stations to avoid awkward postures

- Designing storage space and tools to avoid exertion.

- Eliminate repetitive tasks or improve the conditions.

- Solutions for fatigue due to standing for a long time.

- Task flow efficiency

KEY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Safety: Prevent mishaps due to reduced cognition or physical abilities

Areas:

- Accidents due to gas leakage

- Wet or slippery floors

- Touching hot surfaces

- Sharp edges of kitchen cabinets

- Falls due to reduced physical balance and other health issues

- Informing other family members in-case of any accidents.

Clarifying the environment

Areas:

- Organization of storage space with respect to frequency of use and quantity to improve visibility and reducewastage.

Cleanliness and hygiene

Areas

Ease of cleaning and maintaining kitchen- Less tasking- Avoid pests and dust- Easy to train- Access to dustbin

Kitchen experience

Areas

- Temperature, ventilation and lighting conditions in a kitchen

- Semantics and semiotics of a kitchen

- Ease and convenience

IdeationDiverging with ideas

5

Brainstorming

Fewer movements within and in and out of the kitchen.

Compact and flexible spaces/layouts

Grouping, accessibility, visibility and multi purpose storage

Easy material dispensing - containers design

Utility trolley for material transferSit-stand stool

Material package doubles as storage container

Drawers vs cabinets and different mechanisms to improve accessibility

Separate sink near the cooking area for washing and cutting vegetables

IdeasSolutions for gas leakage accidents

Ease cylinder handling Kitchen environment

- Standardization of heights (platform and storage)

- Height adjustable platforms to suit people of different heights.

- Varying platform height to suit ergonomic posture required for the task at hand.

- Eliminate unused platform space to have more storage space in the shoulder to knee level.

- Accessible storage

- Utensils cabinet near the sink to ease storage of utensils as they are being washed.

- Small sink integrated with cutting mat near the preparation area for washing and cutting vegetables.

- Utility trolley to help transfer heavy items from one place to another

- Easy access dustbins.

- Inbuilt sturdy and ergonomic stool in the kitchen

- Step up stool for shorter users

- Safety system for gas leakage

- Easy cylinder handling

- Anti-slip floor

KEY DESIGN INTERVENTIONS

ConceptualizationBringing them all together

6

All the measurements of female

Standardization of heights based on 95th percentile Indian woman

*measurements in feet

Overall platform height: 2.5ft

Maximum height of the shelves: 6ft

Height of the lower most shelve: 1.5ft from ground

Layout Explorations

8x10 ft space was chosen as it is the most common kitchen layout in India

Final layout selected

Height adjustable platform

Sink + Utensils cabinet

Concept:

Utensils storage cabinet kept close to the sink to eliminate a separate temporary storage in between and enable easy group-ing.

Key features

- Easy for the maid to store utensils as she is washing- Easy to access - Grouping based on frequency of usage and hierarchy.- Place to store dustbin- Easy to clean

Idea 1: Cabinet opens from both sides to enable easy access

Idea 2 : Pull open cabinet to enable easy access

Idea 3: Semi exposed and pull open cabinet for easyaccess

Idea 4: Pull open cabinet to enable easy access

Evaluationmatrix Ergonomics Safety Clarity and

visibilityCleanliness and

hygieneKitchen

experience Comments

Idea 1 2 3 1 1 1 Cabinet too deep (2ft), would make utensil storing /retrieval difficult

Idea 2 4 3 4 4 3 Occupies too much space

Idea 3 4 3 4 4 4 Material storage detail to be figured out

Idea 4 2 3 3 3 3 Utensil storage difficult

Pull out shelf to keep utensils of varying sizes as they are washed

Drawer to keep big and heavy utensils

Bottom most drawer with scis-sor lift mechanism

Side door with space for dustbin and storage of cleaning items

Consumables storage

Concept:

One cabinet to store all consumables to enable easy grouping, visibility and access. This would also reduce movement within the kitchen and improve accessibility.

Key features

- Easy to access - even the lower drawers- Grouping based on frequency of usage and hierarchy.- Easy material dispensing

Idea 1 : Pull open cabinet to enable easy access Idea 2 : Storage like a refrigerator to enable grouping

Idea 4 : Drawer system: Easy dispensing of grains stored in large quantities

Idea 3 : Easy dispensing of grains stored in large quantities

Evaluationmatrix Ergonomics Safety Clarity and

visibilityCleanliness and

hygieneKitchen

experience Comments

Idea 1 4 3 4 4 3 May not fit all kitchen types.

Idea 2 4 3 3 4 4 Must figure out a way to improve clarity

Idea 3 2 2 2 2 2 Over all experience is not easy

Idea 4 4 3 4 4 3 Must figure out an easy way to open and close the containers

Idea 5 3 3 3 3 3 Difficult to retrieve grains when the container is full

Idea 6 4 3 4 4 3 The method of retrieval does not suit a frequently used item. Could be used else where

Explore a combination of these three

Idea 6 : Drawer that lifts up hydraulically/mechanically to enable easy access

Idea 5 : Tilt to improve accessibility

Top shelves for storing food items used frequently but stored in quantities less than 1 kg.

Drawer with containers to store items stored in quantities >10kg like rice, to enable easy disposal.

Drawer with containers to store items stored in about 5 kg quantity like daal

Top shelves for storing food items used frequently but stored in quantities less than 1 kg.

Drawer with containers to store items stored in quantities >10kg like rice, to enable easy disposal.

Bottom most drawer with scissor lift mechanism for less frequently used items

Drawer with containers to store items stored in about 5 kg quantity like daal

Small sink near the preparation area

Concept:

Small sink integrated with cutting mat near the preparation area for washing and cutting vegetables and avoid frequent trips to the other sink, which is usually placed a little away from the preparation area to make space for a maid to wash utensils and is always filled with dirty utensils.

Key features

- Height of the workspace 0.5ft higher than the rest to ergonomically suit the monotonous task of cutting vegetables - Cutting mat with trays for collecting cut vegetables- Small dustbin to collect waste while cutting vegetables- Sink with mesh containers to wash grains and vegatbles- Big dustbin with drawer for easy access while cooking

Small sink Cutting mat which moves horizontally along the grooves

3 removable trays for holding cut vegeta-bles

Small removable dustbin for collecting waste

Utility trolley

Concept:

A movable trolley to transfer heavy items from one place to another.

Key features

- A basket for transferring dirty utensils after meals or heavy bags- A firm platform to place utensils and transfer from kitchen to dining room.- Lockable wheels to hold the trolley in place

Gas leakage detection system

Concept:

A gas leakage detection system that gives frequent alarms and prompts the user on what to do when leakage happens to avoid anxiety.

Key features

- Frequent alarms- Inform the fire station automatically in-case of absolute emergency- Lets the user know well in advance when the battery is low.- Water and heat resistant.

Cylinder storage and handling

The cylinder is placed on a platform with wheels and attached to the door with a velcro band. When the door is opened, the cylinder comes along for easy access.

Ergonomic stool

Ergonomic sturdy stool to enable them to take rest while cooking. And a step-up stool for very short users.

Spice box

Crockery unit

ReferencesStatistics - Aging in India

http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_new/upload/elderly_in_india.pdfhttp://www.prb.org/pdf12/todaysresearchaging25.pdfhttp://icmr.nic.in/ijmr/2010/april/0406.pdfhttp://www.censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/SRS_Re-port/9Chap%202%20-%202011.pdfhttp://www.ifa-fiv.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Shap-ing-Ageing-Cities_A4_web-1.pdfhttp://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/real-estate/modular-kitchens-make-a-statement/article5379653.ecehttps://www.pwc.in/en_IN/in/assets/pdfs/publica-tions/2013/home-improvement-the-building-and-home-products-industry.pdf

Universal design

http://www.humancentereddesign.org/sites/default/files/UniversalDesignIndiaPrinciples.pdf

Kitchen Ergonomics - Research papers

http://www.mtpinnacle.com/pdfs/kitchen-ergonomics.pdfhttp://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safe-ty/by_topic/assets/pdf/kitchenstaff.pdfhttp://www.gfen.com/pdf/articles/cookinggas0912.pdfhttp://www.ksa.co.za/images/industry/KSA%20-%20Ergo-nomic%20Kitchen%20Design.pdfhttp://www.working-well.org/articles/pdf/Cooking.pdf

Images source

http://weheartit.com/entry/group/17365366http://www.jamiesinz.com/2008/10/home-cooking-class-in-jodhpur-india/http://www.dw.com/en/homemaker-cooks-up-change-for-men-in-indias-kitchens/a-17389659https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140321101029-187207-getting-http://vedicodyssey.com/spiritualadventures/2011/10/09/south-indian-home-cooking/ hooked-on-the-new-lsdhttp://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-special-india-set-to-see-boom-in-retirement-home-busi-ness/20130701.htm#4ttp://www.cassellaskitchen.com/making-the-kitchen-lay-outs/modular-kitchen-layout/

Documents

Easy Kitchen - saranyarukmangadhan.weebly.com€¦ · Sagarika Ghosh, Product Design Ritika Basu, Graphic Design Abhimanyu, Lifestyle Accessories Design Prashanth, Strategic Design