OBA
A personal grocery trolley for the city dweller
Embedded Files
How might we make it easier for people without cars to transport groceries in a city environment?
the problem
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When living in a city, grocery shopping can become a fatiguing part of everyday life with painful consequences.
Why is this?
RESEARCH / /
the context
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New York City was chosen due to the fact that with 54.5% of households that are car-free, its car ownership percentage is one of the lowest in the country. This leaves many people to traverse the city in other ways when grocery shopping.
RESEARCH / /
interviews
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I interviewed people of various ages who both lived in New York City and did not have a car. We discussed their experiences with shopping in NYC.
RESEARCH / /
survey results
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I surveyed people who lived in New York City about their grocery shopping habits and experiences.
RESEARCH / /
environment
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I asked one of my users for a photo diary documenting their trip from apartment to the grocery store and back again. From this I found that there were many obstacles that a potential product would have to overcome.
RESEARCH / /
current solutions
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I then categorized and analyzed the most common ways people transported their groceries. In the end, I chose to focus on grocery trollies due to their low market saturation and the fact that it keeps the weight of the user’s body.
RESEARCH / /
current solutions
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For this part of the research, I looked at forums, articles, reviews and interviewed people about their opinions on grocery trolleys.
RESEARCH / /
design goals
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After compiling all the data from my research, surveys, and user interviews I settled on my design goals.
small footprint
It should take up a small amount of space both when it is in use and when it is not for easy storage and easy transportation.
spacious
The grocery trolley should be able to hold between 2-5 standard bags of groceries with various sizes of items.
ease of use
With the trolley’s simple system, the user should be able to easily load and unload groceries.
mobile
Considering all of the obstacles identified so far, the cart should be able to traverse a variety of environments.
stylish
The user should not feel embarrassed of this product when walking the fashionable streets of New York City.
IDEATION / /
sketches
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IDEATION / /
prototypes
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I made simple prototypes based on the developed concepts and got feedback on them.
IDEATION / /
chosen direction
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I got input from both designers and my users who ranked my final concepts. A designer I spoke with emphasized the fact that if the system is not approachable and intuitive, people will be less likely to use it. These two inputs ended up aligning with one another as my users chose the system with the least complexity.
While the final direction was chosen, there were features from other concepts, like the separation of groceries, that I brought into my final design.
PROCESS / /
refinement
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I had a lot of specifics I needed to address in the refinement stage. I worked on the base structure, and storage and folding methods. I continued to prototype and get feedback from designers and users.
PROCESS / /
refinement
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A major concern was keeping the product’s foldability without sacrificing structure. In order to keep the groceries intact, the trolley would need to be able to stay upright and not fall over.
I considered many methods but, in the end, I took inspiration from food delivery bags because of their ability to get food to its destination warm and intact.
PROCESS / /
prototypes
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I continued to prototype throughout the process. I first figured out optimal dimensions and then went into construction methods. I tweaked the design as I went, based off feedback and unforeseen design issues.
PROCESS / /
materials & color
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FINAL SOLUTION / /
final prototype
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FINAL SOLUTION / /
loading/unloading
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Shelves adhered with velcro allow for the separation of groceries, preventing crushed food. It can be loaded and unloaded from above while upright or while it’s on its side.
There are three sections of equal size available to be used. When groceries are too large for a section, the shelves can be folded towards the back to make more room.
FINAL SOLUTION / /
wheels
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With stair-climbing wheels, the trolley can go up stairs seamlessly. In a city environment, these wheels could handles stairs, curbs and broken pavement.
FINAL SOLUTION / /
backpack
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With adjustable backpack straps, the user can carry their groceries on their back and be more mobile. The wheels can be removed and stored in the front mesh pocket. When not in use, the backpack straps unclip at the bottom and go into the back pocket.
FINAL SOLUTION / /
base
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The main fabric bag and bottom structure are attached to one another with velcro. They can be separated from each other, allowing for easy cleaning. The base is made out of a strong, durable plastic.
FINAL SOLUTION / /
storage
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With a flexible fabric body and removable wheels, the trolley can be folded and stored away in a separate bag and easily carried on the user’s shoulder.
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