A1: DESIGN PROBLEM

Shopping has become an essential, common routine for a broad range

of individuals. Carrying styles vary depending on the weight, shape and
type of handles of the bags. However, generally, the daily act of carrying
heavy bags poses risks of the development of low back pain, strains
and sprains in the ngers, wrists and shoulders.

PRIMARY RESEARCH:
Jana is a 25-year-old female who lives alone and does various sorts of
shopping frequently. Following an interview about her user experience,
the main concerns were numb fingers and aching shoulders due to
carrying numerous weighted bags. Additionally, Jana recognises her
posture usually either leans on one side or forward while carrying
heavy shopping bags.
Fig.1. Poor material
SECONDARY RESEARCH: handling due to
Data shows 84% of sales occur in physical stores (Marian, 2021). overloaded weights
People do grocery shopping at least 8 times a week on average. 5
trillion plastic bags are used per year, meaning that each person uses
over 700 a year. However, regular plastic bags don’t match hand
measurements (Fig.10). Its imsy nature exerts large pressure on
customers’ hands.

Fig.2. Di culties in handling Fig.3. Plastic bags not tting Fig.4. Bad posture due
multiple bags customers’ hand measurements to unbalanced and
overloaded weights

Potential injuries/e ects from carrying heavy bags for a long duration
with frequent repetition, especially when consumers allow unbalanced
forces to exert on bodies include:
Type Injuries/e ects Consequences

Ergonomics Lean-forward/bad posture A ects nervous system

Fatigue Reduced alertness

Biomechanics Rotator cu injuries Aching shoulders

Wrist strain Pain, swelling in the wrist

Carpal tunnel syndrome Numb, swollen ngers

Spiral shrinkage Lower back pain, reduces height

of the intervertebral disc
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 Fig.5. Numbness in ngers due Fig.6. Marks on Fig.7. Illustrations of carpal tunnel
to carrying overweighted bags wrist/swollen wrist syndrome

Fig.8. Fig.9. Illustrations

Illustrations of of lower back
rotator cu pain & a ected
injuries intervertebral disc

The research shows the high demands of shopping and the extremely frequent act of using and
carrying shopping bags, amplifying a great design opportunity for a product that makes the
experience more comfortable and safe for consumers.

ANTHROPOMETRICS

Fig.10. Percentile values of

hand dimensions (mm)

Client’s hand dimensions:

Length: 193mm Fig.11. Hand measurements of man and woman
Breadth: 88mm

Client ts into the 50th percentile. WORD COUNT: 291

A2: DESIGN BRIEF

The expected outcome is a 1:1 prototype of a fully functional shopping bag carrier that is
lightweight, durable and portable ( t the dimension of 50x100x30mm). It has to be strong enough
to withstand the weight of 6-8kg or 2-3 shopping bags. The design has to be aesthetically
pleasing, but also allow high learnability, making the carrier easy to use. The target market is
users in the age range from 25-80 and for both genders, especially those who shop regularly and
experience discomfort and strains whilst carrying the shopping bag. It is aimed to be
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 ergonomically designed to reduce the burden on the 50th (hand width of 80-95mm) percentile’s
bodies, yet still remain ergonomic for some of those do not fall into the
percentile group to prevent the large population of users from getting
short-term and long-term injuries in hands, wrists and shoulders. WORD COUNT: 143

B1: CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

IDEA 1

Rubber grip to
High learnability, enabling increase comfort No nger grip,
low memory burden available to a wide
range of percentile

Clearance allows
comfort for a wide
percentile range
70 mm

Grooves to carry bags

Curves increase strength

and stability, able to hold
105 mm heavy weights

IDEA 2

Su cient clearance, Symmetrical shape

allowing comfort for a to allow even
wider percentile range Ergonomically-designed grip,
distribution of weight enhancing comfort for users

Wide and
multiple grooves
to allow carrying
of multiple bags
45mm

Grooves to restrict
movements of
bags, increasing
operational
comfort
100 mm
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 IDEA 3
Ergonomically-designed grip,
100 mm enhancing comfort for users

Su cient clearance,
allowing
comfort of a
wide percentile

100 mm

Grooves to restrict
movements of bags,
increasing operational
comfort

Multiple grooves allow Hook to prevent bags slipping out

carrying of multiple bags

IDEA 4 Made of silicone: soft,

elastic and durable No nger grip,
available to a
wide range of
percentile
Can carry multiple
bags at once

Su cient space to
suit di erent sizes of Rubber grip,
bag handles increasing
comfort for users

100 mm
Weight is dispersed across
all ngers, reducing
30 mm signi cant pressure

Ease of use, high learnability

and low burden of memory Very portable, convenient to carry
INSIDE VIEW
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 B2: DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

PROTOTYPE 1

100 mm

Contoured edges, providing

user comfort when holding

25 mm
85 mm
Ergonomically-grips
enhance comfort for users
100 mm

Need to curve up hook more,

preventing bags slipping out

Large spaces, which make slipping However, unnecessary space = unnecessary

bags easier and increasing e ciency material = waste, unsustainable

Leads to a bulky design/large size, not portable

Great clearance between Su cient clearance

hands and bags, enabling from handle, suiting a
comfortable user experience wide percentile range

Weak support, cannot

Reduced arm strain and carry multiple heavy bags
results in better posture

More support is
needed to prevent it Heavy load on the bottom part
from breaking/failing can cause breaking/bending
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 PROTOTYPE 2

100 mm

25 mm 27 mm
45mm

Grips may be
confused with grooves

Hooks are curved up enough

Balanced, symmetrical design allows to prevent bags slipping out
a more even distribution of weight

Reduced strains on hands

Contoured edges, increasing
user comfort while holding Design’s structure is
stable, indicating high
functionality and strength
Can withstand heavy
weight, taking o pressure
onto client’s hands

Ergonomically-grips are suitable for

the 50th percentile group

Large grooves allow

multiple heavy bags
to be hold

Middle part’s width is thick, causing

discomfort to client’s ngers

Need to increase
top part’s length, Client’s ngers t right to the grip
preventing ngers
slipping out

Design is
aesthetically Design is small in size, making it portable
pleasing
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 PROTOTYPE 3

105 mm

Contoured edges,
improving user
comfort while
holding

83 mm
70 mm
Curves improve strength

Grooves are too

small and narrow

Easy for bags to slip out -> need hooks

Cannot carry multiple heavy bags

Bottom part is poorly supported Improved support for
bottom part is essential
to prevent breaking

High a ordance, clear indication

Low strength and durability on how to use handle

Not aesthetically Design is quite bulky

pleasing and portable

Clearance between hands and bags,

increasing comfort and removes strains

Bags cannot t into the grooves

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 B3: JUSTIFICATION OF FINAL DESIGN

After considering the 3 prototypes, I decided to further develop Design 2 due to its excellent
functionality and user experience. The design best met the requirements for function, material and
aesthetics.

Its balanced structure and wide grooves allow weight to be distributed evenly, enabling multiple bags to
be carried at once as up to 2 bags can fit in one groove. As a result, clients can still handle many bags
with much less hand and shoulder strains in a good posture.

Moreover, the grip is ergonomically designed to improve operational comfort for users in the 50th
percentile group. But it is also appropriate for those <50th, making the design user-friendly for a
broader range of percentiles.

Furthermore, being made of ABS plastic, it is lightweight and has a high strength to weight ratio.
Along with its dimensions, these give the carrier great portability and compactness, which allows it to
be stored and transported with ease. ABS’s properties include great tensile strength and resistance to
physical impacts, allowing the carrier to be highly durable and able to carry up to 6-8kg or 2-3 shopping
bags. Finally, ABS’s shiny appearance and the carrier’s symmetrical shape create an aesthetic look for
the product.

Increased height for greater clearance,

improving operational comfort Top part’s length is increased to
improve operational comfort

Su cient space, allowing di erent

types of bag handles to slip in

Higher hooks to prevent bags

from slipping/make design rmer

Symmetrical shape allows

Middle part’s width is reduced, even distribution of weight
removing discomfort for client’s ngers
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 100

8.5

27
10.5

85

100
25
25

47
Component Materials: ABS
Name: Main body Scale: 1:1
Plastic
Part number: 1 Quantity: 1 Unit: mm
 FINAL DESIGN IN ENVIRONMENT

REFERENCES

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• J, Hemanth K. "Anthropometry: An Overview." Medium, 12 July 2021, hemanth-99.medium.com/
anthropometry-an-overview-1e4dc09bb116.
• Jacqueline, Rachel. "Hong Kong Physio’s Advice on How to Carry Bags and Loads Correctly to Avoid
Injury." South China Morning Post, 8 May 2016, www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1941671/
hong-kong-physios-advice-how-carry-bags-and-loads-correctly.
• "Just a Moment..." ResearchGate | Find and Share Research, www.researchgate.net/figure/Percentile-
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full#:~:text=Data%20shows%20that%2084%25%20of,sellers%20(Marian%2C%202021).
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