Project
Why are stepladders always hidden?
2017
Role
Designer (research, design and prototype)
Highlights
Description of my Industrial Design thesis process. From research findings regarding a domestic product like a stepladder to a new redesign - not only of the product, but also the perception, usage and value of it.
![PDF File [Industrial Design] Oslo step l](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1c5929_16081f614c6745018a91cf519cc4c578~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_859,h_483,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/PDF%20File%20%5BIndustrial%20Design%5D%20Oslo%20step%20l.jpg)
Why are step ladders always hidden?
It all started with this one question. It seemed to me that this product is usually disliked, or used for many other things when not in use. Therefore, for the first part of my senior thesis, I conducted an extended research about stepladders.
1 Product oriented
Reframe the problem, map the user journey of their interaction with the step ladder, pros and cons of materials usage, and an in depth analysis of the product.
2 People oriented
User interview to learn their perception of the product and try to understand why are step ladders always hidden.
3 Market oriented
Benchmarking on similar products, what makes them trendy and desirable and what is the overall perception of these alternatives.
The research showed that a home, step ladders have very low usage. On the contrary, they are more used in construction environments. Because of this, step ladders at home are often considered useless, or are forgotten when saved/hid somewhere; and market has a massive industrial-like type of product offer instead of a domestic one.
The new stepladder, the design process.
Research helped to narrow down the scope of possibilities when envisioning the new product. The following worked as the new guidelines.
1 Design a product to be used in domestic spaces. This allows to narrow down requirements: types of tools used, ladder height, etc.
2 Play around warmer materials to make the product visually more attractive. Avoid using materials perceived for industrial purposes.
3 Because usage is not very often, is crucial to save it easily in tight spaces, where it won’t disturb visually and physically.
Brainstorming.
It consisted in the exploration of different materials, production processes, typologies and aesthetics for the step ladder.
As a result, I was able to identify the different pieces of use, the ones I had to work on (eg: grip, steps, a lock). These would be designed with more detail.
The grip, an example of my design process.
It consisted in the exploration of different materials, production processes, typologies and aesthetics for the step ladder.
As a result, I was able to identify the different pieces of use, the ones I had to work on (eg: grip, steps, a lock). These would be designed with more detail.
The product.
Here are some pictures of the final product. You can also check the final thesis book to see more details.
Thank you for reading!
![PDF File [Industrial Design] Oslo step l](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1c5929_fd07163354e84b4e85d07c1bf000e72b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_859,h_483,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/PDF%20File%20%5BIndustrial%20Design%5D%20Oslo%20step%20l.jpg)