Andrea Kim: Assignment 6 - Hypothesis/ Stakeholders/ Prelim. Design Plan

Main goals: Keep target location local, no international direction just yet.

Hypothesis:

Prosthetic topic: If provided proper materials, people can assemble successful prosthetics that requires little training.

Military Topic: Provided information of what kinds of hi-tech gear or products the military uses, simplifying them down can create very functional objects for the mass market. (This is really a push) - eliminated

Biomimicry topic: Nothing yet. I am having a very hard time coming up with one. If anyone has any ideas, it will be very much appreciated.

Coffee: Coffee is not only a drink…it is also a culture. (Culture in where the product is from to the type of trend it depicts.) If we can find out why people spend so much money in cafes, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, you can find a correlation between economic growth and trend. (Example: Britney Spears walk out with Starbucks = A potential boost in sales?)

1) Stake-holders

Prosthetic topic:

The poor and unemployed (in the US market): Homeless people to people who have no income to provide themselves or their family any care.

Uninsured/ Insurance Companies/ Lawmakers: “Unlike Medicare or Medicaid, private insurers often cap annual coverage for prosthetics. In recent years, some insurers have reduced or eliminated these caps, driving up patient costs for already-expensive prosthetics and sparking a nationwide push for so-called “prosthetic parity,” or an equality in prosthetic coverage for public and private insurers. The almost decade-long effort is making headlines again, with several states passing or considering legislation in 2008 and 2009.” http://www.healthjournalism.org

“Eleven states have passed laws requiring private insurers to offer prosthetic coverage equal to Medicare standards or to hip and joint replacement coverage, and amputee advocates are pushing for legislation in a number of other states (including Pennsylvania, Utah, Texas, Idaho and Iowa) and at the federal level (alternative link).” http://www.healthjournalism.org

Patients: “It is well known that lack of access to these devices leads to poor rehabilitation outcomes, and places amputees at a greater risk of developing dangerous and costly secondary conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and additional amputation. These in turn lead to decreases in mobility, productivity and the ability to live independently. These factors combine to create additional costs of care, significantly impact the quality of life and shorten life expectancy.” http://www.healthjournalism.org

Doctors: They are the ones finding out what the patient needs. Prosthetic limbs only have the life span of 3-5 years. So doctors need to keep up with what is changing in the patient.

Coffee topic:

Farmers: Top 10 locations of coffee production, farmers located in:

1. Brazil (22.5 million bags)
2. Colombia (10.5 million bags)
3. Indonesia (6.7 million bags)
4. Vietnam (5.8 million bags)
5. Mexico (5 million bags)
6. Ethiopia (3.8 million bags)
7. India (3.8 million bags)
8. Guatemala (3.5 million bags)
9. Côte d’Ivoire (3.3 million bags)
10. Uganda (3 million bags)

…are affected by coffee production. Income, land, labor laws, etc.

Distributors: $$

Consumers: Prices of coffee not only in Starbucks and in other cafes, but grocery stores. This may also affect sales of cream?

Small and large businesses: From Starbucks to Joes, to the local café shop will be affected. May domino affect to hiring of employees, cuts in other products?

2) Preliminary Design Research Plan

Prosthetics:

My research plan is first and foremost, to find situations in the United States that need prosthetics…perhaps the sick, soldiers returning from war, accident victims, etc. I am keeping my target location somewhere in the US and not in third world countries. Services where people can create their own prosthetic do exist in other countries – people devise their own limb from found parts.

I have e-mailed DEKA Research and have high hopes that they will respond, if not…I plan on harassing them for information. I plan on finding other organizations but I find that DEKA has an interesting approach because they have separated their business in different professions in one facility. A lot of companies do the same, but for my purposes, I find that they are one of the good companies to watch.

In the future, I would like to meet up with a representative and discuss my design argument. I feel that this dense topic cannot be easily surveyed. Right now my topic seems really broad. I have a small foundation, but I’d like to get a lot feedback to possibly to help guide me.

Coffee:

My research plan for this is find more sources located here in the US. One of the problems I am already facing is that a lot of the main coffee production is in other countries. I was hoping to some how find a liaison that works with Brazil or etc. with the US…and with that information push it in the US direction. I think surveys and questionnaires are highly beneficial in this topic, because the US is such a huge part in the coffee drinking culture. I can also talk to consumers, buyers, business owners, and employees. I plan on devising a more concrete idea about the coffee industry without forgetting to keep it local.