Project Brief
This short project is meant to understand Design Process and how to conduct observational study by looking into a simple mundane task and the underlying complexities, behaviors and processes around it and leveraging the insights to design solutions that are highly cintextual.
Project Outcome
Our process led us through observations not only about the details we had never noticed but also through the different perspectives and stories each of us brought in the endless zoom calls.
Actionable Problem Statements
1
People have trouble interacting with their locking systems. They are unable to figure out the direction for the key/ thumb turn rotation and have to cross-check if the door has locked/unlocked properly. There is a need to redesign a locking system that will notify the user about the state(locked/ unlocked) of the door.
2
People leaving their house for extended periods of time tend to hide their main door locks such as to avoid giving any indication of the absence of its residents. There's a need to conceal the locking system which is robust and gives the user a psychological sense of security.
3
During urgencies, people find it hard to find the right key & operate the locking mechanism under pressure. There is a need to redesign the process to be simpler & quicker for the user.
4
People and their Interaction with the door locking system has changed during the pandemic. Proposing ideation for people in a family of five can have revised interaction with the locking system.
5
Some people carry a bunch of keys in their keychain, it is hard for them to quickly find the right keys for their locks. There is a need for a solution where the user can easily find the keys for their corresponding locks.
6
The elderly face difficulty while operating the locking system. They are affected by the effort required to operate a locking system. There is a need for a solution that helps an elderly to operate a locking system conveniently.
Discover
Discover
Discover
For the observation, we began by having a zoom call where each one of us demonstrated live how they operate their locks & doors.
The session involved asking about different scenarios, about different users, and the user's thoughts - the questions often led to the user realizing a perspective they had ignored or adapted to.
Capturing the process
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Observations
Mapping Observations
Mapping Observations
Key Observations: Users
After collecting all of our observations, as a group, we started selecting those ones which we found occurring more commonly in our collective observations. These observations also consists of some observations which we found unique to the context.
Key Observations: Product
We focused on those observations/ occurrence which was impacting the user in any way or the user was forced to act in some predefined pattern. We also observed some areas where the user was impacting the locking system one way or another.
Analysis
Why Analysis
For the analysis, group members questioned the core reason(s) behind each key observation, asking "Why?" at each step. Objectivity, exhaustiveness, and questioning even the obvious were key elements guiding us through the process.
Critical Observations
Post-analysis, group members discussed the ubiquity and/or criticality of the observations to select the critical observations.
Design Intervention
The Problem
Insight #2
People, as they grow, tend to develop insecurities around their valued possessions, and in this case, it's the place they value the most, a home. It's the conjuncture of emotions, a sense of security, valuables, etc.
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For ages, locks were a symbol of trust and security for mankind and to date, it is being widely used. But sometimes, this symbol of security also invites more sights. Thieves tend to look for a lock placed on the main door, which indicates the house is empty and an easy target.
Creating lock and picking locks is a constant war and the repercussions are faced by the owner always. Once a lock is picked, it fails.
What if?
Idea 1: we hide the existing locking systems.
A hanging lock on your front door is a clear indication of everyone's absence from the house and invites theft. This happens because most of the houses still use a padlock, and they can be easily picked.
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The idea is to design a handle that will hide the locking system and only the user knows how to open the handle locking mechanism to access the lock.
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1) The trick handle needs to be slid towards the right to free the hinge.
2) Then it can be pulled upwards, the internal spring mechanism will help to lift it.
3) Now the user can access the lock.
What if?
Idea 2: we hide the keyhole.
A keyhole is a clear indication that the locking mechanisms operate with a lever and it can be picked. So here the keyhole is removed from the general location which is near the handle. The locking mechanism is reimagined and now the frame of the door is housing the lock itself.
Level 1 Defense: At the normal position, it looks like a normal door frame and no one would be able to guess where the keyhole is without a closer inspection. The position of the keyhole is not ergonomic as the handle and the door will obstruct the hand movement to reach the keyhole.
Level 2 Defense: In the normal position, the keyhole is blocked by a metal piece which will discourage any kind of lock picking.
When the lock is rotated in a clockwise direction, the keyhole position changes and becomes more ergonomic to insert and rotate the key. The metal plate is freed from the keyhole barrel and now the lock can receive the key to open the lock. The inner mechanism is inspired by the differential gears used in automobiles to channel the mechanical movement created by the hand which moves the deadbolt in and out.
What if?
Idea 3: we change the locking system
Most of the locking system works on the concept of anchoring. A metal piece is known as deadbolt moves in and out of the door frame. This metal piece holds the door and the door frame together and can resist heavy impacts (If someone tries to break in). But deadbolt locking system still works in the concept of spring-loaded pins and can be easily picked with the help of pins.
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System Flowmap
The idea is to retain the concept of anchoring the door on top of the frame and hold them together with electromagnets. The locking system is electronic with Biometric Sensor, Wifi/ 5G Enabled commands for locking, unlocking, granting temporary access codes. Users can access the lock from anywhere in the world, having full control whom to give access. This gives the user a psychological sense of security knowing, the lock can't be broken by conventional means.
The electromagnets have two stages of locking-
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1) Low Power Mode- In this mode, the electromagnet will draw less power but will be strong enough to hold the door in place. This mode can grant access to normal users without any identification/ fingerprint scan.
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2) High Power Mode- This mode requires more power to generate more electromagnetic fields. This mode can only be accessed by the user for maximum security.
Blasted view of locking mechanism
