IH01-ShadyGuirguis

From IEOR 170 Spring 2007

[edit] Good and Bad Design in Everyday Life

Good Design: Life Alert

Life alert is a device that can be used around the neck or as a wrist band. It is a simple box small device with a single button. In a case of an emergency, such as a heart attack, seizure, stroke or even a fall, one would press the button, and the device will signal the Life Alert monitoring center. Life Alert monitoring center gets help by calling the closet police center and informing them of the emergency. The device provides security, medical and fire protection. I think this device is one of the greatest designs out there, as it is simple, yet could be crucial to saving a life. The simplicity is that you don’t need to look for it, it is always with you, whether as a pendant or a bracelet. Also, it is a single button, so you don’t even need to look at it, basically by touching it, you will be able to get the help needed.

Bad Design: Nintendo Game Cartridge

As a child, I would always play with my Nintendo, but after a while my games wouldn’t work anymore and it was usually because the cartridge got dirty or somehow it got damaged. The reason this would always happen was due to the fact that the chip area was never protected. This allowed dust and humidity to sneak in. Over time the cartridges would be damaged, and I wouldn’t be able to play the games anymore. The design was poor, because the most important part of the game, which is sensitive, was not protected and could be easily damaged.

An improvement to the cartridge design is to create a lever door that would cover the chip area once the cartridge is disconnected from the gaming system. Basically it will be a two piece lever that will fold one the cartridge is inserted into the system. Once it is pulled out, the levers would close and the chip area would be protected from possible damages.