Garden Tool Redesign


This project was to reinvent a gardening fork for a user suffering from Osteoarthritis.
I intended to create a tool to help people with one of the world’s most common diseases, to participate in one of the most popular pasttimes, especially for the elderly, 2019






The initial phase of research involved empathy tests and reasearch into arthritis, including taping up my finger joints to identify difficulties the users could face analyzing garden tools currently on the market, finding areas where they can improve for these users.






Using clay and rapid prototyping, I experimented with form, creating numerous rough solutions for the handle. I also tried several heads, and finalised on one that would allow the user to reach smaller places with less effort and strain.






By consulting a orthopedic specialist and a hand therapist, I was able to narrow down my final form.

I carved the tool out of Maple, and attached a bent metal head that I spraypainted. The final form was made to emulate organic bodies and leaping movements found in nature, especially that of a grasshopper .