Final Submission

I've finalised my product and redone my presentation sheets, taking into account the feedback I received last time, for the final submission. See my product poster:

I've tried to tailor the features of the product to meet the needs of the user, thinking about what would enhance their experience of using it. 

Features:

• Wick Hydroponics - easy, clean, low maintenance growing system
• Detachable Water Reservoir - for simple cleaning. 
• Water Level Indicator - to see at a glance whether the product needs to be topped up
• Adhesive Strip Attachments - stick to window design utilises wasted space, adhesive strips provide a string, safe attachment mechanism. They also allow the product to be removed and reattached if required. 
• Complete Growing System -  product comes complete with everything you need to grow, no other purchases required. 
• Product Sizing - perfect size for growing one herb or salad plant, without using up too much space.
• Reasonable Price - should hopefully allow a range of people to purchase a single unit, and then also allow them to build up a collection once they experience the benefits of it. 

Final Prototype

My final concept prototype!

Feedback

I wanted to gain dome feedback prior to the final submission to see if there were any major issues which needed to be addressed and also just see if people liked the concept!

To gain feedback I posted a link to my poster and a short product description on Reddit to try and reach a wider audience. I also spoke to friends and family who I thought would be interested in the concept. I got a really good response from Reddit, when I last checked 13 different people had posted up comments, questions and feedback on the design. I found these were a lot more questioning and therefore useful than the face to face feedback I got, as people tend not to judge you as harshly in person!

My responses to some of the questions / comments I received:

• How would it attach, what kind of adhesive would it use, would it be strong enough etc. - I feel like the attachment system I have developed should be fit for purpose. The product has been designed with thought into it's scale; I couldn't make it too large as it would lead to attachment problems. 
• Where would water drain to, would you need to oxygenate it etc. - I got quite a few comments related to not understanding the hydroponics concept. It is something which lots of people, especially novice growers, wouldn't be familiar with. The system is simple and used frequently by hydroponics growers, but I think I need to work on how best to convey it to my target user. 
• Could you open your window? - If windows open straight up and down, the product could be kept in place while the window was opened. However, if it opens at an angle, the product could be removed and placed back on later. This obviously not ideal, but I can't really see any way around the issue. 
• Would love to see different versions, larger, coloured etc - This is something I had been thinking about. If I were to continue with the product I could look at creating different sizes, designs, colours etc. 

Overall, I was very happy with the feedback I received. Lots of people seemed to really like the idea and a few commented on how useful it would be in there small apartments, exactly the market I was aiming at. 

Product Details

I've decided to go forward with a triangular form for the product, so have since been working on refining product details. I've been evaluating the general arrangement, looking at the scale, attachments and form.

I've also been playing around with the overall look of the product in solidworks, adding in details such as a clear front panel to check reservoir levels and curving some of the edges. The final model is shown below:

Further Prototyping

Following on from my decision to investigate a different form for my product, I've created some more concept prototypes. I wanted to investigate a few different designs and also begin to prototype at full scale so I could better envisage how the user would interact with the product (something I did too late with my first product concept).