A new design approach of user-centered design on a personal assistive bathing device for hemiplegia

Abstract

Purpose. To move closer to the goal of independent living for stroke patients with hemiplegia, this study is to design an assistive bathing device approached from a User-Centred Design (UCD).Method. Based on User-Centred Design methodology, a design process is adopted for this study. Observation and evaluation results from a Usability Context Analysis (UCA) are employed to improve the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) and the matrix for matching the environmental threats and opportunities with company's weaknesses and especially it's strengths (TOWS), resulting in two assistive device (AD) design methods named AD-SWOT and AD-TOWS. Therefore, a new assistive device design process (AD-Design process) is proposed. A case study of stroke patients is conducted to practically apply the AD-Design process to the design of assistive bathing devices for stroke patients.Results. By using the AD-Design process, three design concept orientations (AD-SO, AD-ST, AD-WO) were found for design concept generating from AD-TOWS. Four concepts for AD were decided and designed by the viewpoint of UCD. Finally, three ADs for bathing were tested by user-based assessment. And results showed the devices can help individuals clean case's body parts, such as case's backs and armpits that they were previously unable to clean independently.Conclusions. AD-design process could help a product designer to generate suitable design approaching from UCD. In this study, three ADs (Back Cleaning Board, Feet Cleaning and Single-Sided Elastic Bathing Belt) were designed for a stroke patient's individual bathing.