BEAN

SKILLS:

Product Research and Redesign

Human Centered Design

UX Design

User Research

Iterative Ideating

Prototyping

Ambidextrous and ergonomic bottle opener re-design that can catch and hold multiple bottle caps.

TYPE:

Indivdual

TIMELINE:

2 weeks

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PHASE 1: PRODUCT ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH

This project began with a critical understanding of the anatomy of a standard bottle opener: it's functionality, form and design.

PHASE II: USER RESEARCH AND MOODBOARD

To analyze the positive and negative features of a standard bottle opener like the one above, I had several users test the above out and gained insights into their likes and frustrations with the bottle openers they themselves owned too:

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This user research immediately highlighted links between design choices and their influence on functionality. This helped me streamline my redesign process and I decided to focus on four main areas:

- Ergonomic design

- Ambidextrous design

- Compactness + portability

- Smooth user experience ( + preventing flying bottle caps)

Additionally, I created a moodboard to explore and decide upon a style aesthetic for my re-design. Organic and minimalistic became my guiding words.

PHASE III: IDEATING

Through several rough sketches, I thought through different ways to position the tooth and fulcrum and explored different handle designs that considered how the hand would be placed for greatest ease in use, ergonomic grip, and ambidexterity. Each design also considered a different method of capturing the bottle cap after the bottle is opened.

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Unlike my other concepts, this design provided the unique ability to not only capture but also temporary store the bottle cap once the bottle is opened. This means multiple bottles could be opened quickly at a go.

Hence, I chose to go forward with this design.

PHASE IV: PROTOTYPING

I make quick sketch models with blue foam to experiment with the overall form. Each molds the contours of the hand differently to explore different grips. Each model was user-tested to determine which design was the most comfortable to hold and apply pressure with.

In agreement with the feedback received from user-testing, the form below was chosen. The indents are mirrored on each side to provide an ambidextrous grip.

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PHASE V: FINAL DESIGN

Tooth

Fulcrum

Indent for Thumb

Indent

for Palm

Carabiner

As a bottle is opened, the hand takes the bottle opener from a horizontal position (to dig the tooth under the cap) to a vertical position (to lift the cap off of the bottle). This action directs the bottle cap to fall inside and travel through the hollowed out space in the handle, and attach itself to the magnets on the inside facing surface of the pull cap. Multiple caps can be collected here until the user is ready to empty them out by simply opening the pull cap.

Pull Cap with Magnets on Inside Surface to Catch Bottle Caps

How it works ?

Hollowed Space in Handle

Index and Middle Fingers Rest Agianst Top of Opener

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