IH01-AsmitaKarandikar
From IEOR 170 Spring 2007
Good Design: Salad Spinner by Good Grips
Purpose: Provide an easy way to wash and dry leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach.
The aspect that I like the most about the salad spinner is that it is easy to use, and allows people to quickly dry vegetables with minimal effort. The product is easy to use because the interface on the lid is simple, and the product only performs a limited number of functions: the lid has a lever that, when pressed, will make the strainer spin. When pressed multiple times in succession, the strainer will spin for an extended period of time. The salad spinner can be locked so that either the strainer continues to spin or is stopped. There is also a button that can be pressed that acts as a brake so the device stops spinning. Using the salad spinner allows the user to remove water from the vegetables, which is collected in the bowl so it can be easily disposed of. The results are fresh, ready-to-eat vegetables that were dried in a hassle-free way requiring minimal effort. While there are no instructions or labels on the product, the interface is simple and has only one button, one lever, and a lock, which makes it easy for the user to use, either by reading the instruction sheet or by trial-and-error. Trial-and-error is effective because the product provides immediate feedback (depending on the action taken, the salad spinner will either start spinning, continue to spin, or stop spinning.) In conclusion, the salad spinner is a good design because it is simple and effective.
Bad Design: “Small Milano” laptop bag by Mobile Edge
Purpose: To carry a laptop in a stylish way.
The aspect that I find bad is that the bag is difficult to carry, especially over long distances. While designed to hold a laptop, a big part of the bag’s design focuses on the appearance of the bag, which is supposed to be aesthetically pleasing - the bag is shaped more like a woman’s purse or hand bag and does not look like a laptop bag. While I appreciate the attempt to make the bag more stylish, I think this diminishes the functionality of the bag– the bag is bulky and difficult to carry over long distances.
There are two ways to hold this bag – by the long handles that go over one’s shoulder, allowing the user to hold the bag under one arm, and the smaller straps near the base of the larger handles so that you can hold the bag with one hand. Even when the bag is on one’s shoulder, it will not stay by itself – the user still needs to hold it with one hand. Therefore that hand cannot be used to hold any other item. This makes this laptop bag less functional than other laptop bags, which allow the user to keep both hands free. The smaller straps do not make the bag more comfortable to hold, either. When the bag is held by the small straps, the larger straps are pulled upward and do not fold against the side of the bag (as pictured below). This makes the bag look very clumsy, and the long handles brush against the user while she walks.
I think the handles were designed this way because the bag was supposed to look like and be carried like a purse - the smaller handles were not intended for much use. Perhaps, not as much effort went into designing the bag so that it is easier to carry by the smaller straps. Or perhaps, the designers did not intend for users to be walking with the bag over long distances. (The bag, albeit bulky, is not difficult to carry over short distances.)
One solution would be to make the bag skinnier, which would make it less bulky and thus easier to carry under one arm. Another solution would be to attach the smaller straps directly to the bag and not to the longer handles (as pictured in the sketch above). Although this might make the bag more expensive to produce, it would not make the longer handles rise and would be more comfortable for the user to carry the bag using the smaller handles.
