Final Copy - Shower Caddy

Created by: Dayna Hedges Adi Krupski

Kelly Kusevich Pavara Ranatunga

EDSGN 100H The Pennsylvania State University

1 March 2013

Shower Caddy

SHOWER CADDY

Created byDayna Hedges 1

Adi Krupski 2

Kelly Kusevich 3

Pavara Ranatunga 4

1 March 2013

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The design project worked to find the most user friendly shower caddy that is not only easilyaccessible to the user but also organized so that it will not get cluttered in its use. Additionally, theheight-adjustable strap attached to the caddy allows for the user to wear it across his/her shoulderand place it around the shower head conveniently. After brainstorming what needs to be included inthe shower caddy, researching different materials for the caddy to be made out of, qualitative needsand quantitative specifications were evaluated. Each member of the group then created severaldesigns for either the shower caddy as a whole or individual components. Eventually the top threedesigns were chosen, so that collaboratively, there were twelve different concepts to work with.Next, each concept was screened based on customer needs, such as removable compartments formake-up and waterproof compartment for a razor, toothbrush, etc.

The first prototype, constructed with cardboard and hot glue, was tested for height ad-justment, organization and spacial needs by hanging it from the shower head. Finally, the actualprototype was built, starting with the box structure and adding in all attachments separately.

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH

During the generation of concepts and prior to the construction of the shower caddy, re-search was done on other shower caddies in the market, benchmarking the concepts against alreadyexisting ideas. Initial research showed that there are both caddies designed to remain hanging inthe shower and those that are designed with the typical college student in mind to be carried downthe hall. One website, Simplehuman.com, shows caddies designed for maximum bathroom effi-

1https://sites.google.com/site/daynasdesignportfolio/2Sites.google.com/site/adikrupsiseportfolio/home/3https://sites.google.com/site/kellykusevich/4https://sites.google.com/site/pavararanatunga/

1

Figure 1: This is an isometric view of the final prototype of the shower caddy.

ciency. While their four designs are designed to stay permanently in the shower, not be carried toand from, they feature many interesting components that can be applied to a removeable design,such as a secure way to hang from the showerhead, convenient storage hooks, a soap dish, towelhangers, and wire frames for drainability. 5 In its Ultimate Dorm Decorating Guide, SeventeenMagazine emphasizes the importance of tons of compartments to hold everything needed by theconsumer. 6 Upon shopping for materials to use in our construction, the design of other caddieswas also noted and expanded upon in our designs. Many shower caddies were either made of wireor made of plastic with holes in them to allow for the drainage of water. Other shower caddiesalso featured different ways to hang including hooks and suction cups. Concept generation wasexpanded from the observed research.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this project is to develop an efficient shower caddy. This report offers adesign that is waterproof, customizable, mobile, and organized. What makes this caddy stand outis its user friendliness. It has modules specially designed for each individual’s specific needs. Thecustomer can "build" their customized caddy from a variety of detachable hooks, compartments,and dispensers. In addition to being customizable, the caddy must be drainable, but also provide

5http://www.simplehuman.com/bathroom/shower-caddies6http://www.seventeen.com/college/dorm-accessories-caddyslide-9

2

waterproof compartments. Mobility is also a key feature in our design. The caddy needs to becomfortable and easily carried. With all the different features, the design must be organized aswell. This is an important asset so it is accessible and aesthetically pleasing.

IDENTIFYING NEEDS

The primary objective of identifying needs is to find out what the customers want in ashower caddy, as it is an essential part of the concept development phase in the Product Develop-ment Plan. Doing so allows for the group to have a general idea of what the customers want ina certain product. Generating product concepts and finally selecting the concept that will lead tosuccess is the ultimate goal.

The design team identified what the customers need in a shower caddy with the use ofsocial media by posting a survey asking what the audience looks for the most in a shower caddy(with options to vote on) on Facebook:

1. Hanger for Pouf / Washcloth - a small hanger-like structure to be installed on a side of thecaddy for a shower pouf / washcloth to be hung for user convenience

2. Waterproof Compartment - this compartment can be used to store certain small items, whetherit is a cell phone, electric razor or any desired item

3. A Way to hang from the top of shower - this component is used to hang the shower caddy bythe shower head (just like it sounds)

4. Soap / Shampoo Dispensers (Built in) - using pumps, this component saves the hassle ofhaving loose bottles floating in the caddy

5. Detachable Compartment for other products (toothbrush, zipper pouch) - everything that onewould need in the bathroom (with the exception of shower) can be stored in these detachablewaterproof compartments.

6. Cover for Tooth Brush - Having a toothbrush laying around in a shower caddy is very un-sanitary. For this reason, a detachable toothbrush holder with a cover was implemented

Here were the results based on the numbers:

Addition Survey Results % TotalHanging from Shower Caddy 26 24.8Detachable Compartment 29 27.6Cover for Tooth Brush 15 14.3Waterproof Compartment 18 17.1Soap / Shampoo Dispensers 8 7.6Hangers for pouf / washcloth 9 8.6

3

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

After brainstorming individual thoughts and designs for the caddy, information was com-piled collecting different data. Opinions of others were used to collect data on what college stu-dents and other caddy-users would like to see in a customized caddy. Creating a survey to collectcustomer needs and building different matrices and charts helped the organization of qualitativeand quantitative information. This provided the lists of specifications for what the finished productmust have and be able to do.

Calculating Metrics

To clearly obtain the target specifications and to give the proper metrics to those specifi-cations, the group evaluated the different options for each component. Afterwards, they asked thestudent body for their opinions based on the options obtained. Some of these implementationswere quantitative while the others were qualitative.

Figure 2: This is the Needs Metrics that the group incorporated from the raw data received fromthe survey conducted on Facebook.

CONCEPT GENERATION

Individually, each member of the group generated several different concepts and designsfor shower caddies each member envisioned. Then, the designs were narrowed down to each

4

individual’s top three. The designs were drawn out and descriptions were written about all thecaddies, so that there were a total of twelve final designs. These consisted of three from eachmember of the group, which could then be used to create matrices and narrow down the group’sconcept selection.

Some of the methods the group incorporated in their concept generation included theGallery Method and the 6-3-5 Method. In using the Gallery Method, each member drew eithera component of or the entire shower caddy based on how they thought it should be. Then, theyreceived feedback from the the classroom on area for improvement, the ups and the downs of eachdesign. The group also incorporated the classroom in asking for their opinions on how each com-ponent should be implemented using the 6-3-5 method. This was very helpful because it providedan opportunity for an outside viewpoint.

Figure 3: (left) This shows the feedback the group received in using the gallery method.

Figure 4: (right) This shows the feedback the group received in using the 6-3-5 method.

CONCEPT SCREENING MATRIX

Using different concept generation techniques, the group collectively had twelve designs.These needed to be evaluated and assessed further so concept screening and scoring matrices werecreated. Selection criteria/requirements for each caddy was determined by customer needs (foundfrom survey) and what the group thought the caddy needed to be successful in the market. The con-cept screening matrix narrowed down the designs to the top three: Compartments for everything,Removable attachments, and Adjustable hooks. These were then evaluated in a concept scoringmatrix with drain-ability and customizable being weight the heaviest because these were the mostimportant compartments of the design.

5

Figure 5: This is the concept screening matrix of the shower caddy, displaying the top three designsthat were chosen for the next step.

From the concept screening matrix the design group was able to determine that the top threedesigns of the twelve were Adjustable Hooks, Compartments for Everything, and the RemovableAttachment Design. These ideas were then expanded upon and put through a concept scoringmatrix

CONCEPT SCORING MATRIX

Figure 6: This is the concept scoring matrix of the shower caddy, scoring each individual compart-ment separately.

From the concept scoring matrix the design group was able to see that Removable Attach-ments was ranked the highest. The group chose to primarily focus on this design but also took

6

concepts and ideas from the other two top designs as well as key components from the other 9designs to create our final design for the prototype.

PAIRWISE COMPARISON CHART

After the Facebook survey was conducted to find out what the customers preferred in thedesign of the shower caddy, the concept screening matrix was used to to narrow down the manyideas to the three top ones. The design group fleshed out these ideas and created detailed imagesand drawings of three different designs. The group then surveyed a random group of customers(using some PSU students, some PSU faculty, and people outside PSU of different ages (teenagersand adults)) regarding these designs and acquired the following data:

• 9 People said: Removable Attachment Design > Compartments for Everything > AdjustableHooks

• 4 People said: Compartments for Everything > Removable Attachment Design > AdjustableHooks

• 3 People said: Adjustable Hooks > Compartments for Everything > Removable AttachmentDesign

• 2 Person said: Removable Attachment Design > Adjustable Hooks > Compartments forEverything

• 1 Person said: Compartments for Everything > Adjustable Hooks > Removable AttachmentDesign

• 1 Person said: Adjustable Hooks > Removable Attachment Design > Compartments forEverything

Figure 7: This is the pairwise comparison chart for the survey of random group of customers.How it works–Middle top row means Removable Attachment Design beats Compartments forEverything 12 times in the rankings above.

Rankings were: Removable Attachment Design: 27 > Compartments for Everything: 22 >Adjustable Hooks 11.

7

FINAL CONCEPT SELECTION

From the concept scoring matrix, it was found that Removable Attachments was the bestdesign. The group met in the workshop and began assembling a prototype of the caddy. Theprototype was made out of cardboard and hot glued together. For this project, the group followedthe spiral design process, so changes were easily made early on; which is what occurred in theworkshop. While building the prototype, compartments, hooks, and a handle were added and thedesign was modified slightly. This first prototype was tested. A group member took the caddyhome, filled it with the items they bring to showers and tested it.

PROTOTYPE

The prototype was a success. Small modifications were necessary though. The width ofthe caddy was decreased by one inch, the walls were made higher by a couple of inches, and a fewother hooks for a brush and a razor were added. Material selection also occurred at this point. The"shell" of the caddy would be a flexible, drainable material. One of the group members found acheap, weaved material at a local craft store. Small waterproof containers and pumps were alsopurchased as "separate components." The materials were brought back to the shop, where theywere tested for flexibility, waterproof-ness, and drainability. After it was confirmed that theseselected materials were suitable for the caddy, construction of the final product began.

The material used for the "shell" was cut and a stiff wire was weaved through it to addsturdiness. Fishing line was used to attach the walls together. The shell of the caddy was thencomplete. A separate compartment was built out of the same mesh material as the shell for atoothbrush holder, toothpaste, and floss. The detachable pumps and soap holder were attachedsecurely to the mesh with wire. Hooks for a washcloth, shower loofah, and holders for a hairbrush and razor were also fashioned out of the mesh and fastened with wire. Two waterproofcompartments can be found in the inside of the caddy along with two more detachable waterproofcompartments on the outside walls. A shoulder strap was the last component added to the caddywhich makes it easy to carry and hang from the shower head.

The final design was tested. All shower materials were put into it, and it was taken into theshower with one of the group members. It was hung from the shower head and barely got wet, butthe little water that did get in was quickly drained. The waterproof containers kept their contentssafe and dry. All materials necessary in the shower were easily accessible. The final design wasfinished and ready for the market.

8

Figure 8: First prototype of the shower caddy.

Figure 9: More pictures from prototyping in lab.

CONCLUSION

The typical shower caddy used by the everyday college student has many flaws in its de-sign that do not allow for the most convenient usage. The goal of this project was to design amore efficient shower caddy through modifications of existing designs and the creation of newdesigns. The design group achieved this goal through many concept generation methods, designtools, prototyping, and iteration of the design.

When beginning the design process, the group found that although there was an idea of

9

what direction the prototype would be heading, the concept generation methods led to new ideasand different tools, such as the concept screening and scoring matrices. These were helpful innarrowing down which ideas would be best to execute in prototyping; thus, the group was able tochoose the top three designs. After initial prototyping, it was found that there would need to besome modifications to the initial design plan. For example, it was found that increasing the heightof the walls would ensure shower products would not fall out but would also allow for more roomfor products to be hung on the shower wall, adhering to one of the top designs, Adjustable Hooks.

Throughout the project, the design team determined that the main objective of the showercaddy and the true selling point of the design was making it customizable to any individual. Thefinal design chosen features the best components of the top three designs that follow this principle- removable attachments, adjustable hooks, and compartments for everything. In the final design,there are ten removable components, all of which attached with hooks, that can be removed orplaced to fit the consumer’s needs. The team also agreed that it could be an option to market eachcomponent separately to allow the consumer to simply buy whichever piece they felt that theywould need in their caddy. The design team has successfully created a shower caddy that can trulybe personalized to fit any user’s needs while still maintaining functionality and efficiency.

10

REFERENCES

"I'm Adjustable." Simplehuman . N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.

<http://www.simplehuman.com/bathroom/shower-caddies>.

Rosenfeld, Laura. "The Ultimate Dorm Accessories Guide!." Seventeen. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar.

2013. <http://www.seventeen.com/college/dorm-accessories-caddyslide-9>.

Appendix A: Top 3 Designs

Compartments for Everything

This design has specialized compartments. The ones with pumps can be used for body wash, shampoo and conditioner. There is a

zipper pouch made out of material like a raincoat, that can be used to store electronics, make up, or anything that needed to be

water proof. Other containers or essentially “bins” can be detachable where you can store hair supplies, tooth brush, and tooth paste, or virtually anything you need in the bathroom, but

not necessarily in the shower.

Removable Attachment Design

(For extra storage)

This caddy features many removable attachments and is very customizable to each individual user. The caddy would include

its own shampoo / conditioner / body wash bottles that would be attached to the wire wall of the caddy by clips that would allow

them to be removed to be filled. There is also a removable, clipped soap holder for users who prefer a bar of soap but can be removed for those who don’t. On each side of the caddy, there are two hooks to which additional bags can be attached to hold additional items (razors, make-up, etc.). Because they are made

of cloth and not wire or plastic, they are more versatile as to what can be stored in them.

Grate with Adjustable Hooks Outside

This design will filter the water through (that gets into the caddy

during shower). It will be built from a wire or metal grill material and we can attach hooks to the bars of the grate.

Can hook:

• Wash cloth • Shower pouf • Hair brush • Soap?

Appendix B: Prototype Pictures

Floss Holder Hairbrush Holder

Razor Holder Shampoo Pump

Side Bags Soap Holder

Toothbrush Holder Waterproof Container

Full Shower Caddy

D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THISDRAWING IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF<INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE>. ANY REPRODUCTION IN PART OR AS A WHOLEWITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF<INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE> IS PROHIBITED.

PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION

DIMENSIONS ARE IN INCHESTOLERANCES:FRACTIONALANGULAR: MACH BEND TWO PLACE DECIMAL THREE PLACE DECIMAL

INTERPRET GEOMETRICTOLERANCING PER:

MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 1:4

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED:

SHEET 1 OF 1

Assembly 2

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

1.50

1.75

R.25

.28 .55

.75

R.25

Thickness: 0.025 inches

D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 2:1


SHEET 1 OF 1

Floss Holder


.75

2.00

.96


D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 3:2


SHEET 1 OF 1

Hairbrush holder


.75

1.00

.69


D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 2:1


SHEET 1 OF 1

Razor holder


5.0

0 0

.50

0.13

3.

00

1.25

0.60

2.

50

0.23

0.2

0

0.5

0

1.36

0.9

6

D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 1:2


SHEET 1 OF 1

Shampoo Pump


R0.50

5.0

0

12.00 2.08

6.0

0 3

.03

R0.25

R0.15

0.5

0

R0.50


D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 1:2


SHEET 1 OF 1

Shower Caddy


4.25

6.23 6.00

.92 .75

1.78 1.78 .45 .45

.89

D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 3:4


SHEET 1 OF 1

Side bags


R0.35

4.00

0.7

5

TRUE R0.03

0.53

R0.50

3.0

0

0.7

1


D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 1:1


SHEET 1 OF 1

Soap holder


4.0

0 8

.00

0.91

1.10

0.51

0.70

0.9

6

D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 1:2


SHEET 1 OF 1

Toothbrush holder


3.25

2.50

R.50

2.26 2.20

TRUE R.25

D

C

B

AA

B

C

D

12345678

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



NEXT ASSY USED ON

APPLICATION



MATERIAL

FINISH

DRAWN

CHECKED

ENG APPR.

MFG APPR.

Q.A.

COMMENTS:

DATENAME

TITLE:

SIZE

BDWG. NO. REV

WEIGHT: SCALE: 1:1


SHEET 1 OF 1

Waterproof container


Final Copy - Shower Caddy

Documents

Transcript of Final Copy - Shower Caddy