Changing equipment for cold water surfing - Deva Pérez Orviz EXAMENSARBETE INOM TEKNIK, GRUNDNIVA, 15 HP STOCKHOLM, SVERIGE 2021 - Diva-portal.org
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EXAMENSARBETE INOM TEKNIK, GRUNDNIVA, 15 HP STOCKHOLM, SVERIGE 2021 Changing equipment for cold water surfing Deva Pérez Orviz
Changing equipment for cold water
surfing
Deva Pérez Orviz
Bachelor’s Degree Project TRITA-ITM-EX 2021:171
KTH Industrial Engineering and Management
Machine Design
SE-100 44 STOCKHOLM
1
Bachelor’s Degree Project Thesis
TRITA-ITM-EX 2021:171
Changing equipment for cold-water surfing
Deva Pérez Orviz
Approved Examiner Supervisor
Stefan Ståhlgren
2021-06-15 Stefan Ståhlgren
Conrad Luttropp
Commissioner Contact person
Deva Pérez Orviz Deva Pérez Orviz
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this project is to develop a specialized piece of equipment for cold-water surfers
to use when changing before and after a surf session. The current surfing equipment available is
designed for warmer weather and water temperature and doesn’t cover all the needs the surfers in
the northern countries of Europe and America have.
A research study was performed to better understand the needs of the cold-water surfers from the
different northern countries. Many field studies were also performed at Nynäshamn, a cold-water
surfing spot close to Stockholm in Sweden. Next an idea generation process and concept
generation process were done to find the best solutions for the problem. After choosing the best
concept, it was further developed in detail.
The final product was a silicone bucket and isolating mat that allows storage for both dry and
wet gear.
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Examensarbete TRITA-ITM-EX 2021:171
Ombytutrustning för kallvattensurfing
Deva Pérez Orviz
Godkänt Examinator Handledare
2021-06-15 Stefan Ståhlgren Stefan Ståhlgren
Conrad Luttropp
Uppdragsgivare Kontaktperson
Deva Pérez Orviz Deva Pérez Orviz
SAMMANFATTNING
Syftet med detta projekt är att utveckla en specialiserad utrustning för kallvattensurfare att
använda vid ombyte före och efter en surfsession. Surfutrustningen som finns tillgänglig på
marknaden idag är utformad för varmare väder och vattentemperatur och täcker inte alla behov
som surfare i de nordliga länderna i Europa och Amerika har.
En förstudie genomfördes för att bättre förstå behoven hos kallvattensurfarna från de olika
nordliga länderna. Många fältstudier utfördes också vid Nynäshamn, en surfvattenplats för kallt
vatten nära Stockholm i Sverige. Därefter genomfördes en idégenereringsprocess och
konceptgenereringsprocess för att hitta de bästa lösningarna på problemet. Efter att ha valt det
bästa konceptet vidareutvecklades det i detalj.
Slutprodukten blev en silikonhink och en isolerande värmematta med en torrpåse, som möjliggör
förvaring av både torrt och vått redskap samtidigt. Den har också ett enkelt avlopp för att tömma
kvarvarande vatten före transport.
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FOREWORD The subject of this report is the product development process followed in order to develop a product for a Bachelor thesis in Industrial Design and product development engineering at The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). This project was conceived and solved by Deva Pérez Orviz. I would like to thank all the surfers that took their time to answer my survey as well as my mentors and supervisors of this thesis Stefan Ståhlgren och Conrad Luttropp for your help and guidance. _________________________ Deva Pérez Orviz Stockholm, 14th of May 2021. 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ii
Sammanfattning iv
FOREWORD vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS 7
1 INTRODUCTION 9
1.1 Background 9
1.2 Purpose 9
1.3 Objective 10
1.4 Stakeholders 10
1.4 Delimitations 10
1.5 Methods 10
2 ANALYSIS 13
2.1 Field study 13
2.2 Market study 16
2.3 User study 18
2.4 User’s needs 19
2.5 Personas 19
2.6 Functional analysis 21
2.7 Requirements specification 21
2.8 Functional analysis 21
3 GENERATION OF CONCEPTS 23
3.1 Brainstorming 23
3.2 Braindrawing 23
3.3 Some early ideas 24
3.4 Concept 1 “The bucket” 25
3.5 Concept 2 “The tent” 26
3.6 Concept 3 “The screen” 27
3.7 Concept evaluation 28
7
4 Detail development of the final concept 31
4.1 Customer journey 31
4.2 Function and shape model 31
4.3 Variations and final conceptual design 33
5 final product 35
5.1 The bucket 35
5.3 Components and manufacturing 35
5.4 Fulfillment of requirements 36
5.5 Final product in its environment 36
6 Discussion 37
7 REFERENCES 39
APPENDIX A: Braindrawing 1
APPENDIX B: Decision matrix 1
81 INTRODUCTION Cold water surfing is an increasingly popular sport in need of specialized equipment. This report explains the development process from research to ideas, later to concepts and finally to in-depth development of a product that will help surfers change in and out of the wetsuit before and after a cold surf session. In this chapter the background, purpose, delimitations, and methods used during this project are presented. 1.1 Background In Northern Europe surfing’s popularity rapidly rises. From the Netherlands to the UK, Denmark, Norway or Sweden and Canada and northern USA surfers who mainly surfed warm water and climates have started to surf during the winters at home. The relatively novelty and increasing popularity of this sport has created an immense need for equipment adapted to the freezing cold temperatures. Surfers currently use different homemade solutions (some adapt equipment form other outdoor sports or just use an IKEA bag) in order to be able to change in the forest or beach on top of the frozen snow struggling to even take off their gear (gloves, hoodie or wetsuit) in order to open the car or even their wetsuit zippers. 1.2 Purpose For the user the purpose of this project is to improve the cold-water surfing experience by solving as many of the unpleasant problems that changing clothes after surfing presents as possible. The sought after feeling for the user is a pleasant and straight forward changing process. The current situation forces the surfer to change outside the car in the frozen snow or ground without any straightforward way to warm up their hands or feet before taking off the different parts of the wetsuit. For the assignor it’s to research the possibility of a new product that would be essential for the user and that could be developed and sold to cover a market need. For the surf community this product could mean that more surfers that only surf abroad during their holidays will become interested in surfing back home, supporting the local surf businesses and economy. A great outcome would be a product that takes in account all the different needs of the surfer after surfing and solves all of those in an easy and design-smart manner. An ok outcome would be a product that solves only the main needs of the surfer. 9
1.3 Objective The objective of this project is to through an iterative design process commencing with a research study followed by an idea developing process and concept generation process alternated with smaller research phases, to develop a conceptual portable piece of equipment that would allow for a more comfortable and enjoyable changing process after cold-water surfing. This conceptual product would be able to be further developed into a manufacturing and market-ready product. 1.4 Stakeholders The first stakeholder would be the target group cold-water surfers. Surfers who surf during the winter or in waters under 14ºC in the northern countries of Europe and America. The second stakeholder would be the resellers local and online surf shops who would sell this product in the northern countries where the target group lives. The third stakeholder would be the manufacturer companies and their employees who would make the finished product. The final stakeholder would be the assignor Deva Pérez Orviz. 1.4 Delimitations This project was limited to the development of a conceptual product which means that the final product would need to be further developed for manufacturing and reselling. The final product will be delivered as a 3D model and the process will be presented in this report. 1.5 Methods During the product development process many methods were employed. In this section the main methods used will be shortly explained. The preliminary research study is used to gather as much information as possible about the areas that the product will cover, the current market and what other solutions there are for a similar problem in other fields. The survey study is used to perform a quantitative research to develop a deeper understanding of the target group and their needs (Bohgard, M. et. al., 2015). Interviews are a qualitative method that achieve a broad perspective of the study area. During the interviews a semi-structured style was used where open questions were asked and the interviewee could develop their answers freely (Bohgard, M. et. al., 2015). Brainstorming and brain-drawing are two methods used to get as many ideas as possible about a specific topic or solution during a short period of time. After these methods are performed the solutions can be categorized and summarized (Nilsson et. al., 2015). 10
The requirement specification is a list of all the requirements the product must meet to solve the needs of the user. In this list desired qualities that aren’t a necessity are also specified. These requirements and desired qualities must be solution independent and be able to me corroborate (Bohgard, M. et. al., 2015). An elimination matrix is used to evaluate different concepts and choose the one that fits all the requirements (Nilsson et al, 2015). A decision matrix decides which concept meets are the most important requirements by giving each requirement a weight of importance and each concept a grade for each requirement. The concept with the highest score is chosen (Ullman, 2010). Models are developed to test whether the concepts will work, there is different types of models depending on what needs to be tested for example function models or volume models (Nilsson et al, 2015). 11
2 ANALYSIS The analysis chapter presents the preliminary research done before the idea generation phase and concept development phase. The goal with this research phase was to achieve a broader understanding of the user, the problem in question, the available products on the market and the technology used in other sports for solving the same problem. 2.1 Field study To begin the research by fully understanding all the problems, the different steps the user goes through during the surf session, and how it is to surf in cold-water, a field trip to the closest Swedish surf spot was performed. This surf spot was located close to Nynäshamn in a nature reserve in a forest. The field study was done in February on a cold morning, the air temperature was 4 ºC and the water temperature was 1ºC. The surfers arrived in cars since public transportation was not frequent and would leave them a few kilometers from the surf spot. Every car brought from one to four surfers. Vans and motorhomes were also used but less common. The first thing they did was checking the conditions by walking to the beach since the waves in Sweden are not frequent and the forecasts are often wrong. During the coldest months, surfers need to also see if the water has frozen. The water close to the shore in the Baltic is known to freeze during a few months and it’s dangerous to surf since there could be blocks of ice floating in the water. After checking the waves, surfers began the changing process into their winter gear: 6/4 mm wetsuit with hoodie, 5mm gloves and 7mm boots. The trunk of the car was opened and if there were more than two surfers in the car one of them would move their bags and gear to one of the side doors or further away to the forest so that everyone had room to change. Since waves in the Baltic need at least 10 m/s of wind on the right direction to be formed it was a windy morning, but the forest protected the surfers from this wind while changing. Most of the surfers took out all the gear from the bags first so that the process would go faster once they started to take off their clothes (warm beanie, big winter jacket, warm clothes underneath and winter boots with warm socks). In order to change into the wetsuit, the surfers took off their bottom clothes fast and put on the bottom part of the wetsuit and boots standing on a plastic bag or on their winter shoes to protect their feet and clothes from the dirt of the forest’s ground. After an average of one to two hours of surfing the surfers came back to the parking lot and left their boards by the edge of the forest or by the car as shown in Figure 1. The next step was to retrieve the keys from the keylock or from a hidden spot in the car. Some surfers took their gloves off before retrieving the key. Their hands were numb, and their fingers could barely move so many struggled for a long time with this step making them even colder. Once the hands were freed, they went to retrieve whatever they would stand on, and to find their clothes. The surfer in Figure 1 used a bucket where the gear is stored after it’s been removed. 12
Figure 1. The start of the changing process.
Once the clothes and the changing equipment (bucket, IKEA bag, plastic bag, or surfboard case)
were in place, they started the changing process which varied from one surfer to another but
normally went as shown in Figure 2. The booties were taken off first, some washed them with
water to remove the dirt before storing them in the bucket or bag.
Figure 2. The changing process, taking off the booties.
After that, the hood and the wetsuit were taken off as shown in Figure 3. First the surfer must
open the clip mechanism that keeps the hood and wetsuit closed. This is harder to do with frozen
fingers and since the body’s temperature drop fast after getting out of the water the whole
changing process is to be done as fast as possible. After that the surfer struggled to get the
shoulders out of the wetsuit to be able to put the towel poncho on. The poncho dries the skin as
well as gives privacy while changing.
13Figure 3. The changing process, taking off the wetsuit.
Once the wetsuit is removed and stored in the bucket or bag, the process of getting the clothes on
starts. Even though removing the thick wetsuit is the hardest part, the clothing process is quite
challenging since the clothes can easily get dirty or wet if they touch the ground. In Figure 4 the
surfer had to hold up one leg of the trouser while putting on the other one, the socks and the
shoes so that the leg can be taken out of the wet bucket. Once the bottom clothing is on, the
surfer put on the bikini top, removed the poncho could put on the rest of the clothing.
Figure 4. The changing process, taking off the wetsuit and putting on dry clothes.
14The problems found during the field study were for example the lack of space in the back of the
trunk which forces the user to store their gear and dry clothes in the same place. Once they
change into the gear, the clothing they were wearing goes into the same bag or bucket. This
could be problematic if the gear is not yet dry from a previous session. Furthermore, after the
session the user must take out all the clothes before starting to change since the wet gear has to
be stored there. It doesn’t seem to exist a designated space to put the gear while changing unless
it is on the same bag or bucket the user is changing on which delimitates the moving space a lot
and makes it harder to keep balance. Another problem was that once the user starts putting
clothes on, it’s very easy for the clothes to get wet or dirty because of the wet gear or the dirt on
the ground. All these problems make the changing process longer and the user colder and
frustrated.
2.2 Market study
Even though there aren’t any products specialized for cold water surfing, there is a few products
that some users utilize that come from the surfing industry or from other sports.
Surfing products that already exist are for example changing mats to stand on while changing
that double as wet bags to store the wet gear as shown in Figure 5. These mats are fast and easy
to use but provide no isolation from the ground which is needed in cold water surfing.
Figure 5. FCS changing mat, from Surfers (FCS Ombyttesmatta, 2021).
The second product available is a bucket, from a surfing brand or just a gardening bucket. These
products allow the user to change inside and then double as a storage unit for the gear before and
after the changing process. The bucket shown in Figure 6 is from a surfing brand and can be
pressed down into a compact short shape.
15Figure 6. Ocean and Earth changing bucket, (Ocean & Earth, 2021).
Another product relevant to the project are the bags where the user can store gear and clothes. A
good example of such waterproof bags is shown in Figure 7. This bag has even two different
compartments for dry and wet clothes.
Figure 7. Surf Series Barrel Bag 20L, (Rip Curl, 2021).
Some surfers use mats from other sports such as yoga or camping and others even took the mat
from the car seat. In Figure 8 a popular isolating camping mat used by surfers in Sweden is
shown. It is also common for surfers to bring warm water in a thermos to warm up the hands and
feet after a surf or to pour inside of the wetsuit before going in the water to be able to stay warm
for a longer time.
16Figure 8. The Thermarest mat, (Z Lite, 2021). 2.3 User study The user study was conducted in order to understand who the user is, how cold-water surfing looks like in different countries, and what different problems and needs they face while surfing. The study was divided in two phases. The first phase was the survey study, and the second part was an interview with a cold-water surfing expert. The survey was shared in cold-water surfing groups on Facebook from countries such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, northern USA, Denmark, Canada, and the Netherlands. With a total of 788 answers, the survey could give a better understanding of the user and their cold-water surfing experience and routines. The cold-water surfer respondents were 71% males and 29% females. Most male users were from 18 to over 50 years old while the women were mostly from 18 to 50 years old. The survey clearly showed a big decrease of female users over the age of 30 from 48% to 29% while the male users seemed to continue surfing until they are over 50 since all age groups (18-30, 31-40, 41-50 and > 50 years old) had around the same percentage of users. Surfing has many modalities, threfore the respondents were asked to select their modality. More than 74% of them were shortboarders and longboarders. These two modalities carry the same basic gear (wetsuit, gloves, hoodie, and booties). Windsurfers and SUP surfers who carry a bit more gear specific to their sport accounted for an additional 19 % of the respondents. Cold water surfing is commonly defined as surfing under 14 ºC and the coldest water surfable is 1 ºC since it freezes under that temperature and therefore there will be risk for ice blocks, especially in closed seas such as the Baltic. All the users mentioned in the paragraph above answered to surf in water conditions from under 5ºC (35%), to under 10 ºC (49%), to under 14 ºC (16%). The ambient temperature when these cold-water conditions exist varies from country to country but up to 21% of respondents said to surf in ambient temperatures under 0 ºC and 37% of them said to surf on days with an ambient temperature of under 5 ºC. In these conditions surfers need to wear thick wetsuits and gear. Of all the respondents, up to 61% had to use a hoodie while surfing, 86% had to use a thick wetsuit of 5 mm or even 6mm, 91% had to use boots of more than 3mm, and 75% had to use gloves. This equipment is hard to 17
remove in normal conditions but the colder the weather is, the thicker the equipment becomes, and the colder the user will be after surfing which will also affect their hands’ mobility. The changing process takes place for most respondents outdoors, beside the car or in the car. A smaller percentage changes indoors or inside the van. While changing, the user stands on asphalt, on soil, grass or sand, and even snow or ice during the coldest days of the winter. Their current changing equipment is an IKEA bag or similar, a silicone bucket or a towel. A smaller percentage of the respondents use specialized outdoors equipment, a mat, a towel under the feet or even a board bag but some don’t use anything. According to the study the most challenging moment of the changing process is taking off the wetsuit, closely followed by the coldness or wind, and not being able to warm up the extremities. Removing the gloves and boots also are difficult moments. Another important output from the survey was that 88% of users need a car in order to be able to surf and that the time they spend away on a surf session including commute is of 3 to 4 hours. Some of the qualities the users thought were important in a cold-water surfing changing equipment were protection against the cold, insulation from the ground, a waterproof container, and a way to warm up fingers or toes. 2.4 User’s needs The customer journey, provided by the field trip as well as the user study, can be translated into the user’s emotional, cognitive, and physical needs. The user’s emotional needs are the hope to be able to surf all year and enjoy surfing without dreading the changing process afterwards. The user would like to be able to enjoy the changing process as they do after a warm water surf. The user would like for the stoke after a surfing session not to be taken away by the freezing and uncomfortable feeling of changing. The surfer would like to not have to rush through the changing process in order to avoid getting even colder. The user’s cognitive needs would be for the product to be extremely easy and fast to use and for it to have an easy to learn and intuitive learning process to avoid frustration during the changing process. The user’s physical needs for the product are for it to be robust, durable, functional, isolating from the cold or ground, compatible with a car, portable and easy to clean before storing in the car. The user needs the product to not restrict their movement and for it to allow them to warm up fingers and toes. 2.5 Personas The first persona is Sanna (see Figure 9), she’s 25 years old and originally from Sweden. She started surfing in Hawaii during a stay abroad and currently lives in Denmark. She is part of the Swedish National Team of surfing. She is a photographer and a student but prioritizes surfing 18
whenever there’s waves. She is experienced in cold water surfing. She also started her own
environmentally friendly company.
Figure 9. Sanna, the first persona.
The second persona is called Patrik (see Figure 10), he is 28 years old. He’s an advanced level
surfer sponsored by a big surfboard brand. He has a flexible job that allows him to go
wave-searching every time there’s a storm. He has lived abroad where he leant how to surf and is
now a very experienced cold-water surfer.
Figure 10. Patrik, the second persona.
The third persona is called Malin (see Figure 11), she’s 34 years old. She started surfing on a
vacation abroad and just recently started cold-water surfing at home in Sweden. She is also a
mother to a 1-year-old boy. She has a quite flexible job that allows her to surf, sometimes during
19work hours. Her partner surfs as well so they can take turns watching their child and surfing. She
and her partner own two cars and a small caravan.
Figure 11. Malin, the third persona.
2.6 Functional analysis
The main function of this product is to facilitate the change of clothes after a cold-water surfing
session.
The subfunctions are to allow relocation, improve user’s mobility, maintain user’s body
temperature, provide changing surface, provide protection against elements, and allow user’s
movements.
The support functions are to provide storage, prevent leakage, enable transport of gear, be
vehicle compatible, facilitate repairs, facilitate cleaning, prevent transport of dirt, prevent
unwanted relocation, and prevent user from sliding.
2.7 Requirements specification
The requirement specification was written based on all the information named in the previous
sections collected during the analysis phase. This requirement specification was updated during
the developing process.
Some of the most important requirements are provide isolation against cold ground, maximize
changing area, maximize changing space around user, allow transport of gear and minimize size
when not in use.
202.8 Functional analysis In order to better understand the qualities that the product needed to have, a functional analysis was developed. The main function is to facilitate change of clothes and some of the subfunctions are improve user’s mobility, provide changing surface, and allow user’s movements. 21
3 GENERATION OF CONCEPTS
The concept generation phase was started with a brainstorming based on each of the functions
presented in the functional analysis. For the functions that were easier to draw and overall ideas
the method chosen was braindrawing. From these methods and after many iterations three
concepts were chosen amongst all the ideas.
3.1 Brainstorming
The brainstorming was focused on all the subfunctions and support functions that were easier
solved without drawing. The goal was to find all the important details that the product would
need to solve in order to satisfy all the user’s needs.
For example, for the subfunction allow user’s movements some of the ideas were: enough space
for arms to move and grasp the wetsuit, space for body when user is in coffee table position,
allow to grasp onto something for balance when taking off the wetsuit and allows movements
when wetsuit is off one leg in order to keep the balance on a plain surface.
The brainstorming provided a checklist with all the points that the concepts would have to fulfill.
3.2 Braindrawing
The braindrawing was meant to bring together all or some of the points of the brainstorm into
fast sketches such as Figure 12. The sketches represented a whole product idea or different
solutions to one of the points in the brainstorming list. In Appendix A more of the sketches
developed during this phase are shown.
Figure 12. Sketch of a possible solution from one of the braindrawing sessions.
223.3 Some early ideas
Some of the early ideas conceived were the bucket, shown in the previous section, as well as a
foldable tent where the user could change clothes protected from the elements as shown in
Figure 13.
Figure 13. Sketch of a foldable tent idea.
Another early idea was a heating device that would warm up the user from the roof of the back
door as shown in Figure 14. The user could change on a mat and have a thermos with warm
water to clean the gear.
23Figure 14. Sketch of the heater on the trunk’s door idea.
3.4 Concept 1 “The bucket”
The first concept is called “The bucket” and is an improved and adapted version of the surfer’s
bucket mentioned in the market analysis. Two different versions were developed.
The first version has a circular shape as shown in Figure 15 as well as a screen that can be placed
on top of the bucket by twisting it in place. The isolating mat is placed on top of a protective case
that can be turned inside out after use to save time if the user doesn’t want to clean it on the surf
spot, see Figure 15.
Figure 15. The rounded bucket.
Some studies with male and female dummies were developed to get a better idea about the size
and ergonomics of the concept, see Figure 16.
Figure 16. The rounded bucket concept with a female and male dummy.
24The second version was developed having in mind how it could fold into a more compact shape
when not in use or when carrying less gear. This shape was inspired by paper supermarket bags
that can be stored flat as shown to the left in Figure 17. The insulated mat could be folded and
stored under the bag.
Figure 17. The angular bucket concept with a female and male dummy.
The final version of this concept was a further development of the first circular version, as shown
in Figure 18.
Figure 18. The final bucket concept with a female and male dummy.
3.5 Concept 2 “The tent”
The second concept also had two versions. Both versions are a vertical one-person tent with no
floor, instead a mat can be placed for the user to stand on.
The first version was a foldable tent with a structure of wire that could be folded into a circular
smaller shape and then stored in a case. This case had outer pockets where the mat and the
25thermos could be stored as well as a waterproof bag for the surfing gear. The case could fit easily
in the trunk of the car as shown in Figure 19.
Figure 19. The foldable tent concept with a male dummy and the case in relation to a car.
The second version had the same shape, mat and case but the structural wire was exchanged for
inflatable pressurized air conducts that could be inflated and deflated by an air compressor, see
Figure 20.
Figure 20. The inflatable tent concept with a male dummy and the case in relation to a car.
The version that was chosen, with the help of an eliminating matrix, to be further developed was
the inflatable tent since it was much faster and easier to use.
3.6 Concept 3 “The screen”
The third concept was a screen that could protect from the elements while the user changed. The
first version was a screen with telescopic arms to change height as well as a detachable roof to
protect the user from the rain or snow as shown in Figure 21. It came with the same mat,
protective walls, and thermos. The fabric of the actual screen was waterproof, and everything
could be store in a waterproof case.
26Figure 21. The first version of the screen concept.
The second version of the screen was an adaptable structure that could be positioned over the
trunk’s door, see Figure 22. When not in use the screen could be folded and stored in a
waterproof case.
Figure 22. The second version of the screen concept on different cars and folded.
The version that was chosen with the help of an eliminating matrix to be further developed was
the second one since it had a more stable structure and offered more changing space as well as
protection from the elements.
3.7 Concept evaluation
The product development process continued by choosing one of the three concepts to be further
developed in detail. In order to choose the best concept of the three, a weighted decision matrix
was used. The product requirements were given a weight from 1 tot 5 and every concept (The
27bucket, the tent and the screen, see Figure 23) were evaluated according to each requirement.
The total scored was calculated by multiplying the scores with the weight and added up to get the
final score for each concept. The decision matrix is shown in Appendix B.
Figure 23. The three concepts that were evaluated.
The concept that scored higher was the bucket because it was fast and easy to use, easy to clean,
prevents unwanted relocation and offers more storage.
284 DETAIL DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINAL CONCEPT
After the final concept The bucket was chosen, the product details and construction were
decided. Firstly, a customer journey was studied in order to understand all the steps the bucket
and the user would go through during a changing process. Later, a study of surfaces and
iterations was done to find the best shape, size, and overall design of mechanisms.
4.1 Customer journey
The customer journey highlighted many small problems with the current design that could be
solved by changing and adding features. The product after the customer journey with all the
additions and solutions is shown in Figure 24.
Figure 24. Design development of the bucket.
4.2 Function and shape model
The physical models were developed in order to test: the size and shape of the mat.
The first mat model is shown in Figure 25. From this model was clear that there was some extra
space on the sides with this circular shape on the ends that wasn’t fulfilling any function. The big
foot shapes were of a pair of shoes of a male in the 92 percentile and the feet shown in the
picture are of a female in the 29 percentile (Sweden).
29Figure 25. First shape model.
The second mat model was shaped after the conclusions drawn from the first shape model and is
shown in Figure 26.
Figure 26. Second shape model.
4.3 Variations and final conceptual design
In order to find the best solution for all the mechanisms, shape, and construction a study was
made. Some of these ideas were, for example, how to attach the different parts (the screen to the
30mat and the mat to the bucket). Another variation were the different mechanisms needed, taking
in consideration the user’s need for an easy grip since the fingers might have low mobility.
Another study was about variations for the mat, primarily shape and size. For this purpose, some
anthropometrics data was studied for men in the 95 percentile and women in the 5 percentile.
This was to make sure that the size of the mat would work for the widest spectrum of users
possible. In Table 1 some of the measurements from the Anthropometrics site of Skövde’s
University and their database from 2009 by Hanson et al.
Table 1. Anthropometrics (Hanson and Lewin, 2021)
Object of measure Male percentile 95 Female percentile 5
[mm] [mm]
Shoulder wide stance 520,6 386,9
Foot length 287,1 223,0
Foot bread 109,9 83,3
From the measurements in Table 1 and the measurements of the model, the mat’s measurements
and therefore the bucket’s measurements were altered. The final concept is shown in Figure 27.
Figure 27. Final conceptual design.
315 FINAL PRODUCT
5.1 The bucket
The final product is a changing piece of equipment adapted after the needs of the user and of
cold-water surfing. The bucket meets all the requirements stated in the requirements
specification and therefore all the user’s needs.
The bucket is composed of the bucket itself, a mat to stand on while changing and protective
walls. Figure 28 shows The bucket in its compact setting.
Figure 28. The bucket, final product in compact setting.
5.3 Components and manufacturing
The components and their materials needed to manufacture the final product are listed in Table 2.
Table 2. Components and Materials
Quantity Part Material
1 Mat body Silicone
1 Strap Fabric
1 Bucket Silicone
4 Standard screws M5 (straps) Stainless steel
8 Standard nuts M5 Stainless steel
324 Standard screw M5 (mat) Stainless steel
The silicone components can be manufactured with Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) injection
molding (Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) Parts Injection Molding | SIMTEC, 2021). The screws
and nuts are standard components that can be purchased instead of manufactured.
5.4 Fulfillment of requirements
In order to check if the requirements stated in the Requirement specification had been achieved
the QFD table was evaluated for The bucket and 5 more products that are being used at the
moment. These existing products were a plastic bag, a regular silicone gardening bucket, a
surfing mat, a yoga mat and a surfboard bag.
The evaluation of the user’s needs resulted in a score of 512 points, almost double the score of
all the other products. The evaluation of the product attributes resulted in a score of 170, around
70 points more than the closest competitor.
Overall, The bucket has met all requirements and user’s needs and is therefore a good solution
for the problem presented.
5.5 Final product in its environment
The bucket is a cold-water surfing changing equipment that will protect the users from the cold
ground while making the changing process more efficient. It can store all the winter gear
necessary as well as dry clothes (see Figure 29).
Figure 29. User with The bucket.
336 DISCUSSION During this project an iterative design process commencing with a research study, an idea developing process and concept generation process alternated with smaller research phases was followed. A conceptual portable piece of equipment that will allow for a more comfortable and enjoyable changing process after cold-water surfing was developed. This was the objective of the project and it’s considered to have been achieved. To sum up, The bucket is a viable solution for the problem presented but needs to be further developed in order to become a ready-to-market product in the future. 34
7 REFERENCES 2021. FCS Ombyttesmatta. [image] Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2021]. Ocean & Earth, 2021. Ocean & Earth Compact Wetty Bucket Changing bag. [image] Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2021]. Rip Curl, 2021. Surf Series Barrel Bag 20L. [image] Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2021]. Z Lite, 2021. Thermarest Z Lite. [image] Available at: [Accessed 7 May 2021]. Hanson and Lewin, 2021. Antropometri. [online] Antropometri.se. Available at: [Accessed 12 May 2021]. Lifestystems, 2021. Lifesystems Reusable Hand Warmers. [image] Available at: [Accessed 12 May 2021]. Simtec-silicone.com. 2021. Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) Parts Injection Molding | SIMTEC. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 May 2021]. 35
APPENDIX A: BRAINDRAWING
Appendix A presents some of the sketches from the braindrawing sessions in which whole
product ideas as well as different solutions for parts of the product were sketched.
In Figure 1 the idea of a big bucket where the user could warm up the feet thanks to warm water
in the bottom was studied, as well as some tent where the user could change protected from the
elements.
Figure 1. Sketch from a braindrawing session.
Figure 2 shows some early ideas for a screen that could be hanged from the back door of a car or
van, a screen to be set up on the ground as well as a heating device that would warm up the user
from the roof of the back door. Some studies about the possible placement and shape of pockets,
cases and thermos with warm water are shown as well.
1Figure 2. Sketch from a braindrawing session. 2
APPENDIX B: DECISION MATRIX
Appendix B presents the decision matrix used to choose concept between the final versions of
the three concepts: the bucket, the tent, and the screen. The bucket wins with a total score of 259
points as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The decision matrix.
1TRITA-ITM-EX 2021:171
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