IH01-JustinHsu
From IEOR 170 Spring 2007
Justin Hsu IEOR 170 – Jingtao Wang Individual Assignment #1
[edit] Bad Design
Figure 1. Castrol GTX motor oil bottle
Figure 2. Improved design
The product: Castrol GTX motor oil bottle
Purpose of product: To hold and dispense Castrol GTX motor oil
Why this product is designed poorly: When pouring the motor oil out of this bottle into the engine, there is really no easy way of estimating just how the flow of the oil will turn out. It is like trying to pour a gallon of milk into a small nozzle - spillage is almost inevitable unless you happen to have a funnel handy. Additionally, there is no groove in the bottle so that the user cannot gain a good grip. Holding this bottle is similar to holding an unwieldy shoebox!
After talking to my local auto mechanic, he pointed out another flaw. Once the user has begun pouring the motor oil, the motor oil will periodically “hiccup” due to air pressure changes within the bottle. These “hiccups” cause the bottle to jerk at random intervals, significantly increasing the chance of spillage even further.
Speculation as to why it might have been designed this way: I suspect that the reason for this design is simplicity and cost of production. The company simply chose one of the simplest designs possible to minimize manufacturing cost. However, this is at the expense of the user’s convenience.
Figure 3. Gatorade Bottle Nozzle
Figure 4. Improved Design in action
Suggesting a better design: A better design would be to include: 1. a simple groove in the bottle so that the user will be able to hold it better (Figure 2) and 2. a push/pull nozzle (Figure 3) on the bottle similar to those found on Gatorade bottles. With this Gatorade nozzle, the user will be able to simply position the bottle’s nozzle over the engine block and pull the nozzle open when desired, letting the oil stream out with low probability of spillage (Figure 4). Since the nozzle significantly decreases the amount of air flow, it will eliminate the sporadic “hiccupping jerks” caused by change of air pressure within the bottle.
Another reason to adopt this change in design is the fact that I do not foresee a significant increase in production costs as a result. The fact that Gatorade regularly produces millions of bottles with a similar nozzle indicates that the cost of production is not too high.
[edit] Good Design
Figure 5. Braun Oral-B Electric Toothbrush
Figure 6. Toothbrush Handle
The product: Braun Oral-B Electric Toothbrush
Purpose of the product: To thoroughly clean your teeth
Why this product is an example of good design: The handle of this toothbrush (Figure 5) is well designed. There is a thin layer rubber grip (Figure 6) that is shaped to the contour of your hand, which makes it comfortable to hold and maneuver. The dial that adjusts brush speed is clearly labeled and easily accessible even during brushing. The way the dial and rubber are positioned enables the user to easily form a conceptual model of how the product was meant to be held. The indentation at the bottom of the toothbrush and the complementary hump on the charging station makes it very clear to the user how to dock the handle – an affordance quality. A light lights up when the charger is in place, sending immediate feedback to the user indicating the toothbrush is indeed charging. (Figure 6)
