Integrated Product Design Student Blog

University of Pennsylvania's Integrated Product Design program merges design, engineering and business for the purpose of creating compelling new products and experiences

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NYC Trek

This Friday a couple of IPD students went on a nyc trek to visit two very cool companies Fab.com and Smart Design. 

Fab has been all over the news lately and they are going through some big business transition right now. The VP of Human Resources Renee Lee greeted us warmly and they were very nice to offer us lunch. Evan Clabots, the director of design shared and discussed with us his insights on the design work there. We were given a tour around their fabulous and colorful workplace. Everyone has some cool stuff around their tables and they bring pets to work on fridays! The fun environment explains their philosophy - smile guaranteed.

After that we headed over to Smart Design on 601 West 26th Street. Their studio setting tends to alleviate hierarchy and facilitate conversation. We met with Joey, their industrial designer and Clay, their director of interaction design. After the Q&A session we did a short and interesting design challenge with them.

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DesignPhiladelphia: The Bleeding Edge of Design Research: 9 Ideas You Haven't Heard Before

IPD Associate Director, Sarah Rottenberg was invited as a speaker for "The Bleeding Edge of Design Research: 9 Ideas You Haven't Heard Before", an event organized as a part of Design Philadelphia 2013. The speakers came from fields of fashion, industrial design, human-computer interaction, and product design, and each of them shared an original idea relating to understanding human needs. Sarah's presentation shed light on how changing cultural norms bring business opportunities and how researchers can catch them.

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IPD T-shirt Printing

IPD students got together to make tee-shirts for this year during the first week of classes. We made Wood Blocks of the New awesome logo and printed them ourselves!! We all got really creative. It was a great way to bond with the new students!!

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On the second day of staying in Yonso, we visited Kwabena’s bamboo storage room and picked up several to make prototypes. Yoshi made a chair that’s covered by Ghanaian fabric on three bamboo tubes connected with hemp.  I made a flexible rear rack using mainly bamboo straps and hemp. Anna made a set of bamboo construction toy and tried letting the Ghanaian kids play with it. We also experiment the bamboo as a sound amplifier.

In general bamboo is hard to manipulate with limited tools offered by Kwabena. What they’ve got there were a handsaw, a hole saw, a sander that we brought for them, and a splitting tool they made. Kwabena showed us how they made thin bamboo straps- split the tube first and slice it with knife.

After the strategy session with Kwabena, we narrowed down our products to bike accessories such as basket, water bottle cage and bags. We brainstormed a bunch of concepts and sketches. Then using paper and tape, we built some bag and basket prototype, put them on the bamboo bike. In order to get some special shapes, we went to the sawmill with Kwabena to get them cut on a band saw. Apart from cutting two water bottle cages, we got around fifty cross sections of different diameters. With them we did another round of prototyping, making some bracelet, coaster, belt and bottle holder. We had an artisan Mallam Issac from Kumasi joining us in that afternoon. He is Kwabena’s friend and he made amazing rattan furniture for a living. We discussed around one of our basket concept of using different size cross-sections and Mallam talked about how that could be produced. We suggested Kwabena cooperated with him in the future to figure out manufacturing and brainstorming new products.

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Day 2 of our trip to Cape Coast in Ghana. The canopy walk is a huge tourist attraction for domestic and international visitors in Kakum National Park in the Central Region of Ghana. There were large groups of school students and tourist groups including our own when we arrived already getting their nerves settled to take on the walk.

The canopies are connected by these cable/rope/wooden bridges that allow access to 7 tree tops across the rain forest in Kakum National Park. Some points reach up to 40m (130ft) in height, giving you a vantage point of the forest and the wildlife that you can only imagine once you’ve done it. For even the most fearless person it takes a few steps to get used to the wobbly swaying and creaky old sound of the tension of the ropes. We did have a few that stayed back as well as those with tears running down their faces as they bravely took on the challenge.

Unlike zip lines and other high altitude attractions in the U.S., the canopy walk in Ghana has no safety precautions, no safety harness, helmets, warnings aside from a brief disclosure to keep quiet so as to not disturb the wildlife. This makes for a nerve racking but very ‘free to roam’ experience while getting one of the best views in Ghana. A definite recommendation to see if you ever get the chance.

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The Wednesday night before we left, the IDSI Penn students, along with the KNUST students and faculty threw a goodbye party in the faculty club on KNUST campus. We ate all of the typical local Ghanaian dishes that we grew to love during our trip. We listened to a drum troupe play for everyone. It was a great time! Most people wore the African clothes that they had made for them while on the trip. The party was a great way to say goodbye to all of the people we'd worked with on the trip.

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Kwabena took us on a hike to the top of a mountain that overlooks all of the villages in the area where Yonso Project works. The hike up was pretty strenuous, but really fun. The mountain has camps set up on the way up and at the very top where people go every day to pray. We got to the top just as the sun was about to set. It was an absolutely breathtaking view. The rock formations, foliage and sky were incredible. We even got to try fresh picked coco fruit on the way down!!

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This is a video of one of Kwabena’s wife and son preparing fufu by flashlight. Ghana suffers from rolling electrical blackouts. Some nights we ate, cooked and bathed in the dark, using our flashlights. The entire country has this problem, so even some nights at the KNUST campus there were power outages. Luckily lots of buildings have backup generators to use during these times. Unfortunately, there are entire days when the power is out, which causes issues delaying production and manufacturing for small businesses and organizations.

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Preliminary Research Presentation and Business Strategy Session in Yonso

On the second day of our stay in Yonso, we gave Kwabena a presentation of our early research discussed about our hunches from what we’ve learned. We started from telling the Yonso story from our understanding, stating our goal for this intern, which is to help Yonso grow its business and develop a design strategy that identifies the right products to produce.

We then showed him our research on manufacturing, including bamboo bike manufacturing process, current products categorized by different manufacturing process of bamboo, products landscape of different industries. We then went through the bike market research for the US and Europe, other bamboo bike companies, and similar non-profit organizations and their brand identification. We also had a binder of bamboo products or concepts images to share with Kwabena for inspiration.

We invited some other students to participate in the meeting. They are Sam and Melisa from IDSI program between Penn and KNUST (a university in Kumasi which is one hour drive from Yonso) and Diksha, another Penn Wharton undergraduate working close with Kwabena since a month ago.

Kwabena was inspired by our presentation and that opened up a discussion. He mentioned some of his current issues that we did not know before, like his office and workshop space being taken back by the community and some small problem with his bike building stuff.

  Following this meeting, we scheduled another business strategy session on the next day. Instead of developing a focused business canvas, we decided to take into account more aspects of his business. According to the priority and urgency, we listed out five issues- space, funds, products, marketing and stuff.

The outcome of this session was narrowing down to a few solutions in each field. For product specifically, we agreed upon carrying out products around the bike accessories that both meet the US market needs and are within their manufacturing capability.

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Understanding the Yonso Project was much more than understanding its beautiful story, hardships, and the products it produces. Yonso Project exists because of the group of dedicated staff that make the entire operation possible. 

The story of the Yonso Project starts with its Founder, Kwabena Danso -- a man with knowledge, a huge heart, and the drive to use them both to make a difference. His education and the love for his people drove him to start a truly selfless mission to better the community. He is a father, a joyous singer, and a full hearted leader. For two weeks Kwabena hosted us in Ghana and made our visit the best it could be.

Albert, Cerina, and Cecilia are the manager of the company, manager of micro-finance, manager of educational programs respectively. These three are the backbone of the organization and are a group of dedicated workers who have moved away from their homes for something they believe in. It takes a rare type of person to dedicate their life working for people other than themselves. These three are made of that stuff.

Finally we have the bamboo bike builders. This team of four is the muscle of the operation. A large portion of the organization is funded through the beautifully handcrafted bamboo bicycles that these boys and young men produce. Lead by a master forman, these guys they are currently able to put out fifteen bikes a month with only the bare minimum tools from an electric sander and drill, in blistering hot conditions where power outages are a regular. These are guys that know the true meaning of hard work.

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The collaboration between Penn and Bresslergroup has been a powerful relationship in coming up with products to help grow Yonso Project's product portfolio. Prior to our trip to Ghana Bresslergroup hosted several ideation sessions. Along with their best engineers and designers, Penn IPD students brainstormed product categories as well as manufacturing methods of unique bamboo products. With little knowledge and information about the Yonso Project goals and capabilities to scale up operation we were able to ideate around a wide range of bamboo products from camping equipment, bike accessories, all the way to toys and musical instruments.

Once we arrived in Ghana, within a few days our direction became very clear. Yonso Project creates beautiful handcrafted bamboo bicycles for the American and European markets -- designing a line of bike accessories was the right move. We gained a clear understanding of long term goals, target buyers, and the brand  by spending time with the founder of the Yonso Project organization. We observed the workshops and prototyped using the simple tools that they have available to them in Ghana. We returned to the States fifteen days later with a clear idea of what these products should say to the customer and how they can be made.

We are now putting the skills gained through the program to the test. Within a week of our return from Ghana we put together a presentation for the folks at Bresslergroup for an internal review of concepts for three bike accessories. Research involved identifying target buyers, purchase intent, competitive landscape, while illustrating the use of visual branding throughout the new product line. Through this discussion we now have a handfull of concepts to bring to the table on Friday morning where we will present finalized concepts and make recommendations for our next move.

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Kente is the hand woven cotton or silk cloth original to Ghana from the Ashanti Kingdom. Back in the day it was the cloth of kings. It is worn today in times of extreme importance for celebrations or funerals. We visited a weaving shop where the workers gave us background and a quick weaving tutorial. Once the mill is set up feet pedals are used to alternate the vertically running threads while you pass a spool of thread horizontally through them. It is a relatively expensive item even by American standards, but totally worth the quality you get (each weaver has a different style and quality pattern). Most typically have Adinkra symbols woven as patterns. These symbols each have meanings ranging from sayings like "God Is King" to "times change" to obscure meanings like "sack of cola nuts" and "the hen steps on its chicks but doesn't kill it." (what?!) These symbols are also pressed into cloth by stamps. The Stamps are carved out of bamboo and dipped in an ink that stain the cloth permanently. 

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The tro tro is the Ghanaian means of long distance public transportation. You can hop on one of these bad boys from any taxi station in a village, town, or city and can get to pretty much anywhere you want where there is a road. They load a tro tro up with people going to the same destination or on-route to that destination, i.e. they don’t depart until they are completely full. Each tro tro fits about 18 “comfortably” but for more business they will cram in a couple extra passengers. With that much cargo the vehicle tops off at 70kph (45mph). The driver tag teams with a man in the back who keeps an eye out for potential passengers as they drive through. When he spots people looking for a ride, the drivers stops, the people hop in, and the man in the back slams the sliding door shut. An hour and a half long ride costs about 1.80 GHS, is less than a single dollar. There are people selling water, fried plantains, ice cream, peanuts, and more at traffic jams and intersections. The sweltering heat and +95% humidity doesn’t seem to bother the Ghanaians, except when there’s a drenched Obruni (white man) trying to stay conscious riding next to them!

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Ghanaian Food

We love Ghanaian food! My favorite one is Red-red. It is spicy black-eyed peas with plantain pillows. When we were staying with Kwabena’s family, his wife Grace made us our first Red-red.  Her homemade palm oil tinted the stew and the bright orange color of the fried plankton was so attractive.

  Fufu is the most popular among locals. They pound it in a wooden bowl with a long stick to mix steamed plantains and cassava root. Kwabena said we would have trouble eating Fufu because Ghanians swallowed it without chewing. To eat Fufu, use your right hand to tear off a bite-sized piece, shape it into a ball, make an indentation in it, and use it to scoop up the soup.

  Kwabena’s family making Fufu

  Other traditional food, like Banku and Okro, are also tasty. We eat Banku with our right hand (the same way with eating Fufu). The use of left hand for many activities is seen as impolite in Ghana.

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Anna, Sarah, and Yilin’s first day in Accra!

The first day in Ghana,  Yilin, and Sarah, and my luggage was lost, so we stayed in Accra to wait for it. Yoshi’s plane came in earlier and he went straight to Kumasi.

Accra

                We spent Monday touring Accra. We hired a cab driver for the day and asked him to show us around the city. Our first stop was the cultural museum. It has displays on gorgeous, brightly colored stamped fabrics, carved wooden stools, and other arts native to Ghana. The cultural center also has artwork from other countries around Africa, such as headdresses and accessories made from animal pelts and horns. There was a temporary exhibit of local painters and seamstresses.

Next stop of our day was to Jamestown, the oldest neighborhood in Ghana. It is a fishing village on the coast. Sarah and Yilin climbed to the top of a lighthouse where you can see all of Accra.

After the lighthouse, we toured he fishing village itself. It is a crowded, noisy village full of action. We walked along the coast to see the fish brought in and children playing and bathing in the surf with their dogs and even a goat!

We then visited the memorial Park of Kwame Nkrumah, the man who liberated Ghana. The park has a mausoleum to the leader and his wife, a fountain pool, and a museum in honor of him containing photos of him, many of his possessions, and chronological depictions of events in his life.

Our final stop of the day was Bojo Beach outside of Accra. The beach charges for entry, and once inside, you can take a boat to the beach which is a giant sandbar about 50 meters out from the coast.  We walked along the beach a bit and tried to get food at the open restaurant and bar on the beach. They were out of everything we ordered, but the environment was gorgeous and relaxing!

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The aptly named Heaven's Gate, near Yonso, Ghana

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April 1st, a few of us accompanied the ID+B club to the second annual MBA Innovation Summit in NYC.  The theme for the event was “From Ideation to Implementation.” The day started out with an Ideation workshop, formulated around the idea of improvisation and supportive brainstorming environments. The session was hosted by David Chernicoff, a Strategist for Purpose. We moved on to the next session: identification of good ideas.  We heard short explanations from members of Jump Associates, SYPartners, Booz and Co., Continuum, Innosight LLC, and Sylvain Labs. Each speaker offered unique insights on finding the right solutions for the specific clients they work with.  Some common themes throughout the session were an emphasis on really understanding the culture of each company they work with, asking the right questions, and identifying what solutions were most likely to be implemented.  The third session was a “fireside chat” with the CEO of Nature’s Variety, raw dog food manufacturer; Pete Maulik of Farenheit 212, who were brought in for strategy on the product; and Scott Dahnke of Catterton Partners, who invested in Nature’s Variety. The three discussed how they were able to implement the innovative idea of bringing the raw revolution to dog food quickly, and removed the extra work and “yuck factor” involved. They got the product to market in only 9 months! This was followed by a session based around the role of failure in innovation. Representatives from retail companies and consultancies interviewed each other on their first-hand experiences dealing with specific failures in their projects.  We heard from representatives from Under Armour, Weight Watchers, Vivaldi Partners, ?WhatIf!, Verizon, and Smart Design. The Final session of the day was the Keynote speaker, John Heath, SVP of innovation at Chobani. He gave a great talk on the entrepreneurial culture of Chobani, and how the infuse innovation into everything they do. A cocktail hour on the roof of Studio 450 closed the day with great views, drinks, and food. An all-around successful day.