The ergonomic school bench is a redesigned bench that addresses the pain points of high school students in their daily interaction with their benches.
Intro
Benches are an integral part of school infrastructure and play a dominant role in students' health and productivity. For years, the design of benches has remained the same in many Andhra Pradesh government schools and some private schools. Based on some personal experience, I took the initiative to redesign benches for secondary school standards."
The Origin
While I recall my school days, everything was fun except for the pain I felt when I had to sit on benches that were not suitable for my size. Additionally, I felt uncomfortable due to the absence of an ergonomic design. As a result of this experience, I decided to pursue this project.
For rich insights, I conducted interviews and surveys with primary and secondary stakeholders.
Student Experiences (Interview)
In order to get a better understanding of the students' experiences with their benches, I visited my childhood school once again to conduct interviews and recorded the experiences of the students from the 9th and 10th standards.
More Insight (Survey)
A survey of 70 students was conducted at a state government school with the following questionnaire.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire consists of 20 questions based on the responses from the interviews, divided into three different sections. Each section represents a different segment:
1. MSD Symptoms
2. Nature of Work
3. Ergonomic Hazard Analysis
Survey Results
Observations
A Visit to the Physiotherapist
I visited a physiotherapist for medical insights and to validate my thoughts and ideas from a physiotherapist's point of view.
1. 6 out of 10 cases he deals with are MSDs (Musculoskeletal Disorders).
2. Bad posture is the major reason behind MSDs.
3. A perfect back support is one that actually supports every curve of the spine.
4. Neck and shoulder pains are interlinked with one another.
5. The height of the desk should be equal to the height of the elbow from the ground while sitting.
6. Exercises can be a remedy, but good posture is prevention.
After all the data was collected, I curated the problems list according to the hierarchy.
Define
Problem Statements
1. Musculoskeletal disorders related to the neck and back.
2. Injuries due to design and manufacturing faults.
3. Restricted motion of students.
4. Abrasions on the wrists caused by sharp edges.
5. Bags occupying leg space.
6. Difficulty in moving the benches between different places.
Need Statements
1. A fully supportive backrest.
2. Fewer joints and concealed fasteners.
3. Freedom of movement for students.
4. Should avoid sharp edges.
5. Proper positioning of bag hangers
6. Should be easy to move/relocate.
A brief study on human anatomy and posture
*Pictures copyrights to their respective owners.
Ideation
My Ideation Board
Final Designs
Future Prospects
1. Create a scaled prototype to evaluate stability.
2. Make a prototype for usability testing.
3. Based on the test results, make appropriate changes and release the updated design.
4. Record periodic feedback for continuous improvement.