Finley La Pick THESIS: 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

Interview

HANGER inc. Prosthetics & Orthotics

Phone Interview:

Interviewer: Certified Practioner-Rebecca Lussier (rlussier@hanger.com)

What do the users have complications with using your product? (Back brace)

- Older people have trouble putting on the product themselves-Independency

- Having leverage to hold on too

- Being cosmetically pleasing

- Fairly new product/design yet people hope for something like the invisible brace or something more streamline.

- Being a new device, there is difficulty with the learning process of putting the brace on and taking it off.

How many hours in a day is the user supposed to wear the brace?

- 90% of the braces that are made are supposed to be worn all day the first day

- There is wear schedule once the brace has been molded

- By the 4^th or 5^th day there is an increase of the wear times

- It is required to wear the brace first thing in the morning, until mid evening, and even times at night

Has there been discussion about adding technology to your product?

-For our scoliosis bracing we have it designed to hold the curves of their back

-By holding their curves it will keep it from their spine shifting

-Sensors are in the braces indicating when the brace is not being worn

-Suggestion of adding pressure sensors to the back brace

-They are looking into better materials that is light weight and breathable

-On a CONSTANT look out for new materials

-Some braces are fabricated accustomed to their contour and curves

Do users complain about the design/look?

-For the younger age group they put fun designs on their braces (pony’s, stars, etc)

- Older crowd tends to not wear brace at all, because of the look

-Very open to making new designs for braces

Would you be interested in adding a slip in your brace that provides a gel pack (hot/cold)?

-Very open to idea of adding a slip where you can put a hot or cold pack in

Users tend to forget not to bend over, How about sensors for that?

-Very open to having something indicating wrong movement

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Where brace is made

HANGER PROSTHETICS:203.377.8820
WWW.HANGER.COM
NATHAN SEVERSKY; NSEVERSKY@HANGERCOM

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_6874796_beauty-tips-pre_teens-back-braces.html

Baggy and Dark Clothing Was the Norm

Nice outfits can be worn over back braces
When a child wore a back brace to school, up until 2008 or so, the customary clothing was loose-fitting and dark clothing. Long T-shirts, yoga and jogging pants and sweaters worked to conceal the brace. Many children wore sweatshirts in all types of weather. The children often sweltered in summer since the brace made them hot along with the tank top under the brace. They complained about being being hot and unfashionable all year long.

Clothes For Back Braces Can Still Be Fashionable

Bulky clothes can still be fashionable
While baggy clothing or clothing a few sizes larger can still be worn, options are now more fashionable than they used to be, and the pre-teen doesn't necessarily have to forgo fashionable clothing when wearing the brace. The baggy or loose-fitting clothing now comes in all types of styles, textures, colors and patterns. The child should stay away from tight-fitting clothing that reveals the brace. Jeans are not always going to be possible, especially for back braces that extend past the waist. Some jeans, however, are made to be loose, such as cargo pants, and if the child wears that style a few sizes larger, wearing jeans may still be possible. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with fashionable yoga or jogging pants or even loose-fitting leggings for girls. Boys can wear the cargo pants and cool-looking sweatpants.

Key Items of Clothing for Children With Back Braces

A shrug or cardigan helps hide the back brace
Layering is a great way to cover up the back brace. It allows for a mix of colors, since there are several layers working to conceal the brace. Layering can include an open button-down shirt, a cardigan or shrug, or a zippered sweatshirt. Loose sweaters can be beautiful and worn in any color since their bulk conceals the brace. Girls can wear ruffled skirts and accessorize with scarves, hats, loose belts and jewelry, which have the effect of making people focus on areas other than the brace. Because today's clothes are loose but come in a wide array of colors, the child is no longer relegated to dark clothes unless he or she wants to be.

Other Ways to Be Fashionable While Wearing a Brace

Fashionable oufit worn over a brace
Pre-teens can still dress up while wearing a brace. Girls can experiment with makeup, if they are wearing it, and can style their hair nicely so that it's noticed. Boys can focus on a good hairstyle and pants, chains or belts to draw attention away from the brace area. Long sweaters, ponchos, hoodies, vests, loose dresses, skirts, and peasant tops can help children feel better about themselves. The key is confidence---if the clothing makes the child feel better, the child will be less likely to be upset about the brace and may tend to forget it for a little while during the day. The brace may soon be off and the child can still wear some of the clothes she wore during that difficult time.

http://www.magneticjewelryshop.com/html/back_braces.html

Adding magnets: Idea of using magnets for straps?

Questions for Class:

Magnets?
Having brace approach from back and strap in front.
How to prevent from reaching behind you
Stay with Velcro?
String Pull Affect?

Rehab Product for after injury

Different types of braces

http://www.ehow.com/list_6748320_types-styles-back-braces.html

Rigid Brace

Typically made of hard plastic, a rigid brace fits tight against the body, wrapping entirely around the front and back. The upper edge of the rigid back brace is generally placed just under the breasts, while the lower edge falls just past the hips. Fabric straps wrap around the brace, securing it to the body. According to Spine-Health.com, a properly fitting rigid brace can limit nearly 50 percent of the spine’s movement. This type of back brace is commonly used to help broken/fractured bones heal, after spinal fusion surgery and to support the spine in cases of lower back pain and instability.

Corset Brace

A corset back brace looks somewhat similar to a woman’s clothing corset. They feature shoulder straps and long ties that lace up on the front, back or side. Although they provide a bit more flexibility than rigid braces, metal pieces run along the back of the corset, providing rigidity and support. A short corset brace might be used for lower back problems, while a long back brace is commonly used for problems in the middle back.

Lumbosacral Belt

Similar to a corset brace, the lumbosacral belt also laces up along one side of the brace. However, rather than wrapping around the torso, they sit lower on the body. Covering the stomach, hips and lower back, this type of back brace helps provide stability and support to the lower back, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Hyperextension Brace

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the hyperextension back brace is commonly used to treat “frontal compression fractures that have occurred around the junction of the thoracic and lumbar spine.” This back brace has a rigid rectangular frame that sits against the front of the body, applying pressure to the upper sternum and pubic bone. A rigid piece also wraps around the lower back, applying pressure to the tenth vertebra in the thoracic spine (T-10). This three-point pressure encourages the extension of the spine, contributing to proper recovery.

Elastic Brace

Cure-Back-Pain.org explains that an elastic support brace is not an orthotic brace used to treat medical conditions. Instead, they simply provide support and stability. The elastic back brace will limit movement of the back, which is beneficial during recovery from a back injury or back surgery. They can also be used to limit movement and encourage proper posture during manual labor.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Hot and Cold

http://www.muellersportsmed.com/Cold_Hot_Therapy.htm

Back Brace for Posture

http://backbraceforposture.com/

http://www.sportsauthority.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2886754&cp=3077641

http://www.musicradar.com/gear/all/drums/drum-accessories/back-brace-272200/review

Time Line

Next Week November 9th: -Finding the right materials -Working with different materials -Researching body form -More paper prototyping Following Week November 16th -Start working on straps -Bring in users -designing brace Week of November 23: -Working with straps -Start gathering materials to build brace brace -research technology to be put in brace -designing brace Week of November 30th: -More users -Gathering fashion ideas -Building brace -How to add in technology Week of December 6th: -Working with technology -Combining fashion with function -More users -More research on technology

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Picture

Prototyping Video

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Prototyping

I like the idea of pumping. Not sure how I would fit that into my piece but I like the concept. I also like the idea of tightening on both sides of the piece, as if they were braces.

Concept Statement

The concept of my thesis is to design a back brace that is comfortable, wearable, fashionable, and functional. The main problem I find with users of back braces is that it tends to be difficult to put it on and take it off. The effort it takes to pull the straps from behind you, has the consumer twisting and turning their back, which ends up injuring them even more. I want to change that but coming up with different ideas of how strap the back brace together. The brace that is provided is very bulky and thick, causing it to be extremely uncomfortable. I am on the hunt for researching material that is both moldable and flexible yet sturdy. The braces are created for medical purposes only, and I am trying to expand that by making it fashionable as well. Users also complain about the style and how its difficult to put clothes over it, or it looks horrible with it over clothes. This is wear material comes in, and depending on what I find, I could develop something that was easier to form with other articles of clothing.

Time Line

Time Line

This Week:
-Paper prototyping
-More research on the creation of back braces
-Moldable materials
-Research on Materials.

Following Week:
-More prototyping- moving from paper to material
-Trying new materials
-Building straps

Following Week:
-Getting users involved: Letting users try out my product, exploring the comfortability
-testing: Testing i on myself
-designing- Fashionable wear

Thesis Group

Thesis group: Noelis, Georgia, Luke and Finley

Noelis: Want's to create a room that relates to her life (installation piece). She wants to have her memories expressed in a room. Very symbolic objects that represent what goes on in her life. She wants the room to be a bedroom with a video in one corner and a skinless body in the other. She isn't sure what she want's to show on the video yet but is looking forward to creating a piece that embodies her.

Georgia: Interested in studying identity and reality. She is going into the virtual world, discovering if it is more successful and helpful than a real life encounter. She is putting a profile up on OKCUPID trying to find her love interest and seeing if depending on her different profiles, she is connected with ones she is compatible for. She wants to display a documentation that include her outside characters. She is looking for the awareness of identity and the virtual world of online dating.

Luke: Wants to create some sort of gaming console that is an itouch/old school gaming controller combined. Luke's idea is to be able to use the joy sticks like old fashion controllers, but being able to add the touching aspect as well. For example: Luke plans on making a shooting game of some sort. You will be able to move your character with the sticks, yet when a grenade needs to be thrown, you simply just swipe your finger, as if you were really throwing it. The problem with the games on itouch's today is that its difficult to hold the object and play with your hands at the same time because of it's size.

Finley: Want's to create a back brace that is more comfortable, easier to put on, fashionable, and functional. More than anything I want to develop a brace that is easy to take on and off, with having the customer make the smallest movement. I want to create a back piece that will keep the back sturdy yet have a lightness to it, so its easier for the user to dress themselves.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Dress

Interesting concept with the hooks on the side. Fashionable and functional. It was just something that caught my eye.

Fashion Brace

http://designcult.org/designcult/2009/05/inspirational-design-francesca-lanzavecchia.html

I really like the thought of adding fashion to my back brace, and making it not only comfortable and easy to put on, but have the customer feel attractive wearing the brace.