Course: Products in Systems
School: Carnegie Mellon University
Role: Ideation, Sketching, Physical Prototypes
Year: 2012
Rethinking the wine experience
Through research I found that people have an attachment to the idea of a cork and prefer it to screw top bottles and they even enjoy the small challenge of removing the cork. It is an experience for the user and not just a task. However, participants voiced a lot of discontent about problems that current corkscrews have and told many stories about bad experiences of getting injured while using one. I figured there must be a better way for people to experience wine.
So I created this system of a corkscrew and a bottle stopper that together, create a richer experience. The Monarch is a corkscrew that utilizes a ratcheting mechanism to make the removal of the cork more fluid. The user must still go through a process, but it eliminates the potential of getting injured. The quark is a bottle stopper that utilizes a neodymium magnet that is proven to improve the flavor of the wine as it sits in proximity. So as the wine is being stored, it gains flavor.
Inquiry is key
In this first part of the project, I conducted both primary and secondary research in order to better understand the problem space. This included a make-tool study in which I asked participants to mold grips out of clay. This study was very helpful in determing the physical form of my products. During each session, I asked participants questions at the beginning:
1)What does a comfortable grip mean to you?
2)Can you describe a memorable grip you’ve used?
I asked the questions first in order to get the participants thinking creatively, reminding themselves of what they have liked in the past.The participants were extremely creative, had very interesting answers to the first two questions and gave me good insight into what associations people have with ergonomic comfort. Materials, form, and scale were all factors that the participants mentioned.
Exploring the form
I explored a variety of concepts in thinking about how the problems of the current corkscrew could be solved. I thought about the mechanism that removes the cork, as well as how the corkscrew interacts with the cork and the bottle neck that it sits on.
In the earlier stages of ideation and development, I used rapid ideation to quickly visualize some concepts and get my ideas onto paper. After looking over my sketches, I found that my ideas generally fell into the three categories of twisting action, top lever-action, side lever-action. I drew inspiration from common hand interactions such as twisting open beverage containers, scissors, pliers, and can openers. I quickly realized that although they are common, not all the motions are natural for the human body to perform.
I decided to create the interaction of a pulling motion from the side that would allow a natural and fluid motion. This motion also avoids torquing the wrist or arm in an uncomfortable manner. This was a beneficial decision for the form as well because a curved handled allowed the form of the corkscrew to mirror the spiraling motion of the tool itself.
Improved interaction
After building some models, I was not happy with the grip. There was a disconnect between me, the user, and the bottle I was holding. I thought about how a design could create a better connection between the tool and bottle. This led to the the concept of a slanted bottom edge to create a “half & half ” grip. By this I mean that the slanted edge allows half of your grip on the tool and half on the bottle itself. Because the slanted edge exposes half of the bottle neck, your fingers are able to contact the object and create a sturdier hold and interaction.
There are two features of the Monarch that are meant to improve the experience of using a corkscrew. The first is a visibleprogress gauge that rotates around during use to show the user where they are in the process of removing the cork. The second is the cork release button that pops up once the process is complete and allows for easy removal of the cork.
After deciding on the final form of the corkscrew, I began ideation and development of the bottle stopper. I brainstormed how I could manipulate similar angles and chamfers to create a similar aesthetic without making the two products identical. By using a similar aesthetic and design language, I created a complimentary set of products that relate to each other while having their own independent presence.
