Challenge

I am working on a project aiming to specifically reduce the time and discomfort associated with  grocery shopping. Essentially to create a better user experience during the regular shopping trip.  This challenge targets the most uncomfortable of customers- the elderly. Lifting heavy objects such a  milk, eliminates the option of a hand-held basket. The alternative, a traditional shopping trolley can  solve the issue of weight. However, it is only a borrowed item and all products placed into the trolley  must be removed and placed into another vessel (car boot or backpack) to return home. A  significant portion of the elderly customers observed, relied on public transport to and from the  supermarket. A ‘Shopping Jeep’ or ‘Nanna Trolley’ is the most sought-after solution for this  demographic.

Selection

The tool of Visualisation has been selected for this early stage in the problem-solving process. This is  as we are still at a point of defining ‘What Is’ the problem and how we visually identify the  surrounding repercussions of the average shopping trip for the elderly before they are addressed.  The Visualisation Tool also aides in working with human centred design, particularly through  identifying points of strain on the human body (effect) and visually linking them to the cause of pain  eg. Too much weight being carried from the checkout to the car boot without a trolley.

Application

The first test was to examine the current practices with the Shopping Jeep. I took this to a grocery  store and documented the entire experience door to door with a photographer and videographer  following me. During the experience I had noticed back and neck strain when lowering objects into  the shopping jeep. The second, most notable flaw in the process was the self-checkout. More  bending had to occur to remove everything and return them after scanning.

Once the photographs were in front of me, I drew a line over my spine and neck in each of the  photos, indicating the frequency and degree to which the bending occurred. These images were  then shared with the grocery stakeholders to clearly and visibly make light of the discomfort of their  elderly customers. The key images were laid out consecutively before the stakeholders, producing a  journey map to clearly lay out a timeline of events and isolate the points in time where strain occurs  relative to the other moments in the shop.  This position was reinforced with a photograph of a true  event, where an elderly woman had placed the Shopping Jeep inside the grocery-provided shopping  cart simply to prevent bending and its subsequent back, neck and knee pain.

Insight

Through doing so the stakeholders were able to all see and understand the same point being made,  while understanding the exact process gone through during the shop. The stakeholders were then  able to move forward from this point with an empathetic understanding amplified through visual  cues that indicate unnatural back and bending positions. From this point of clarity, the various  experiences and backgrounds of the stakeholders allowed for diverse points of views and ‘What If’  questions.

Approach

An alternative approach to working around this issue would be to gather a group of elderly people  together to discuss their shopping experiences to highlight what is most inconvenient, strenuous or  painful during the process. From here we can co-create a journey map that indicates all the shared  experiences to suggest an average shopping trip through a visual timeline. From this point, the  group can highlight problem areas along the map. This creates a visual device that can be brought  into the next stage to strategize a solution.


Challenge I am working on a project aiming to specifically reduce the time and discomfort associated with grocery shopping . Essentially to create a better user experience during the regular shopping trip . This challenge targets the most uncomfortable of customers- the elderly . Lifting heavy objects such a milk , eliminates the option of a hand - held basket . The alternative , a traditional shopping trolley can solve the issue of weight . However , it is only a borrowed item and all products placed into the trolley must be removed and placed into another vessel ( car boot or backpack ) to return home . A significant portion of the elderly customers observed , relied on public transport to and from the supermarket . A ‘ Shopping Jeep ’ or ‘ Nanna Trolley ’ is the most sought - after solution for this demographic . Selection The tool of Visualisation has been selected for this early stage in the problem - solving process . This is as we are still at a point of defining ‘ What Is ’ the problem and how we visually identify the surrounding repercussions of the average shopping trip for the elderly before they are addressed . The Visualisation Tool also aides in working with human centred design , particularly through identifying points of strain on the human body ( effect ) and visually linking them to the cause of pain eg . Too much weight being carried from the checkout to the car boot without a trolley . Application The first test was to examine the current practices with the Shopping Jeep . I took this to a grocery store and documented the entire experience door to door with a photographer and videographer following me . During the experience I had noticed back and neck strain when lowering objects into the shopping jeep . The second , most notable flaw in the process was the self - checkout . More bending had to occur to remove everything and return them after scanning . Once the photographs were in front of me , I drew a line over my spine and neck in each of the photos , indicating the frequency and degree to which the bending occurred . These images were then shared with the grocery stakeholders to clearly and visibly make light of the discomfort of their elderly customers . The key images were laid out consecutively before the stakeholders , producing a journey map to clearly lay out a timeline of events and isolate the points in time where strain occurs relative to the other moments in the shop . This position was reinforced with a photograph of a true event , where an elderly woman had placed the Shopping Jeep inside the grocery - provided shopping cart simply to prevent bending and its subsequent back , neck and knee pain . Insight Through doing so the stakeholders were able to all see and understand the same point being made , while understanding the exact process gone through during the shop . The stakeholders were then able to move forward from this point with an empathetic understanding amplified through visual cues that indicate unnatural back and bending positions . From this point of clarity , the various experiences and backgrounds of the stakeholders allowed for diverse points of views and ‘ What If ’ questions . Approach An alternative approach to working around this issue would be to gather a group of elderly people together to discuss their shopping experiences to highlight what is most inconvenient , strenuous or painful during the process . From here we can co - create a journey map that indicates all the shared experiences to suggest an average shopping trip through a visual timeline . From this point , the group can highlight problem areas along the map . This creates a visual device that can be brought into the next stage to strategize a solution .