Change of Form

Following on from the pre-submission presentation I began evaluating how the proposed method of attaching the product to the window would work. Through this testing I discovered that due to the weight (at least 5kg) and width of the product, a large torque is produced that twists the product away from the window. It also brought up other issues with the attachments, such as how it would actually be fitted by the user.

From this point decided to evaluate the product as a whole and see whether it would be best to try and develop a new attachment system or change the form of the product.

Main disadvantages of the proposed concept:

• Difficult to install. If I were to develop a better attachment system that could definitely support the weight of the product, it would still require some kind of screw fitting. I feel this would put of a number of potential users, as it's designed for people who have previously never grown their own food, who would be looking for a simple, easy way to do so.  
• Too large a scale. Once I had completed a scale model I realised that the product is quite large. This is mainly due to the water reservoir. In hindsight I think it would be better to develop a smaller product that the user could potentially buy more than one of; this would be a much more versatile system and better for people with limited space.
• High cost. After finalising the design and carrying out rough costing, it became apparent that the RRP would be at least £80. I feel this is a high price for the function of the product and means it has a smaller market of potential users. 

I originally chose a larger hydroponic planter as it would allow a greater amount of food to be grown. However, in hindsight, I think it would be better to have a product which grows a single plant, and allow the user to build them up to grow a small range of food. This would be cheaper, remove any issues with installation and provide a more flexible system of growing food.

With these new insights, my next step will be to re-evaluate the form of the product to create something which better fits the user requirements I set out at the beginning of the project.