The Tape Dispenser | Kriscamariano

The Tape Dispenser 2.0

The Redesign of Everyday Objects

OBJECTIVE

The basis of this project was to redesign an everyday object by improving its mechanics.

MY ROLES

Design Research

User Testing

Prototyping

The basis of this project was to redesign an everyday object by improving its mechanics.

DATA GATHERING

Data was gathered through interviews done by the Master-Apprentice model in which the target demographic, under graduate students of the University of California, were given two tasks:

1. Cut a 1 or 10 inch piece of tape

2. Tape a cardboard box together or to tape a piece of paper to the wall

THE DATA

1/18 describe the functionality of the tape dispenser as "good"

7/18 as "clumsy," "cheap," or "frustrating"

11/18 interviewees overshot their estimated tape length

TRENDS & OBSERVATIONS

1. Poor & unwieldy cutting mechanism, leading to

2. Imprecise tape length

3. A need for two hands when ripping tape

Secondary Issues

Difficulty finding the end of the tape when it got stuck to the roll or "lost"
Poor visibility of clear tape on clear plastic
Wrinkled tape after application

THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

"The core problems when conducting our interviews were a result of a lack of precision tied with poor efficiency. Poor cutting mechanisms (cheap “teeth”) created a problem in which interviewees were unable to cut accurate lengths of tape on demand, while the need to use two hands with the dispenser created annoyances such as the tape getting tangled."

THE DESIGN SPACE

Precision | Versatility | Price

THE REDESIGN

Prototype 1

Addressing the issues of precision & versatility

For precision, the focus was on consistently getting an accurate length of tape. We needed to address two issues: knowing how much tape has already been dispensed, and being able to accurately cut the tape (preventing “sliding”). For measurement, markings on the tape were added. In addition, the roller would click every inch as feedback. The mechanism to control this is a roller which spins as the tape is pulled with a single tooth which collides on the tape dispenser every revolution

For versatility, one handed operation was focused on. Design ideas were pulled from already existing one handed objects, such as scissors. The tape was stored where two arms met.