Usually we, as designers, work from a given brief. Going backwards and creating a brief ourselves was unusual. Yet, that was our assignment: to take any existing product or service and visualize what the initial brief would have been. We had to take into consideration that the information and knowledge of material and technique that came out while designing the service or product did not exist at the time of the brief.
I chose to recreate the brief for a Gel pen. Going back to the time when only fountain ink pens and ball-point pens existed, I considered myself to be in the fountain ink pen business. Coming from that background I designed the brief.
The brief was:
To re-design or create an entirely new writing instrument such that it overcomes most or all of the current problems of ink pens yet incorporating all the advantages.
The problems to be addressed are:
1) leaks in the cartridge
2) requirement of refilling ink every few uses
3) brittle and easily damageable nib
4) small glitches cause large number of defect pieces during manufacture (= loss)
Advantages to be incorporated are:
1) smooth and easy flow or ink
2) requiring less pressure while writing (as compared to a ball point)
3) easy to carry around
SWOT: Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats
Strength: Broadness allows larger number of iterations
Weakness: Problems and advantages very specifically mentioned
Opportunities: Possibilities for structure, shape and design iterations; look into newer technologies and methods; can rethink entire system of how it works
Threats: price of each writing instrument; requirement of a completely different production unit and system
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