Project Brief: Prosthetic Design

It’s all about the tools and the process!

User centered design linked to a prosthetic design project starts by formulating and answering some key
questions:

• What are the key requirements expressed by users from developing countries for a prosthetic socket?
• What are the requirements of the prosthetic socket design in relation to the needs of these users?
• Where would the prosthetic socket be located and how often would it be used?
• What are the key health and safety features that should be incorporated into a new prosthetic socket?
• What are the key sustainable design principles that should be considered for this solution?
• Are there specific materials and manufacturing processes that need to be sourced or considered?
• Has a budget been established for the project?
• What are the project time frame and the schedule for completion?
• What inspires you most about this project?

Process:

• For the Product Design: Prosthetic Design project, you should first identify potential users of the Humure
prosthetic socket. Refer to the resources in Lesson 3 that introduce Claudine and the project content.
These resources describe different types of potential users and the unique context for this project.
• Students can use the process of this course as a framework to pursue other customized prosthetic
designs.

Design considerations used in the example project are as follows:

• Purpose: Design an adjustable prosthetic socket concept that can be adjusted to comfortably distribute
load across an amputee’s residual limb despite daily volume fluctuation.
• Target audience: Above-the-knee amputees from developing countries.
• Size limitations: Using biomedical data obtained from residual limb/cast to meet the needs of the user.
• Materials to be used: Green materials should be researched and selected.
• Manufacturing and distribution processes: This is a personally managed solution for each individual design
but sustainable and ethical considerations should also be sought.
• Scheduling requirements: 12 to 20 hours to complete all design phases
• Budget constraints: Up to $100

Autodesk® Design Academy – Project Brief – Humune Prosthetic Socket Concept 1|P a g e