Design a shower for the blind.

Clarifying Questions:

• Will this shower be in a home?

• I am assuming the bathroom is available with proper plumbing and electricity?

• Will this be for all ages?

• Will this be an entire shower unit or just a specific function or add-on?

• Does it need to work for blind people only?

A shower has a simple function of providing water and at a certain temperature. I am making the assumption, a bling person can find the bathroom, take off their clothes, locate the shower, turn on the water, test the temperature of the water, locate the shampoo and soap, wash and put on their clothes. So, why should we design a shower for blind people?

Problem Statement: Blind people can not see or are visually impaired. They can use sound and touch. They are able to move around. 

The goal would be to design a shower that is easy to use, safe, and innovative that blind people will love. 

Who are we solving for?

Segments:

• Caretaker

  • Someone who goes to the blind person’s house and helps them

  • It could be a family member who lives in the same house

• The person taking the shower

  • Could be living alone and in an apartment or house.

  • Owning or renting (can not remodel the bathroom but can install add-ons)

• Faculty: Gym, Hospital

  • Public showers and a shower is need for people with special needs

Why:

I would focus on solving for the blind person who is the person taking the shower

• Our goal is to design a shower for the blind

• My assumption is they will widely adopt it compared to other segments

• If we can provide a good experience to the blind, then we will solve the problem for other segments such as caretakers and facilities. 

What are their Problems / Needs:

• 1.) Supplies: How much shampoo is left? Is this Shampoo, Body Wash or Conditioners?

  • They can feel the weight to estimate if it’s below average.

  • They can remember the location or smell of supplies

• 2.) Washing Process: If you are using wash clothes you don’t know if you got enough soap on it. 

  • They can use their hands instead of a washcloth

• 3.) Safety:

  • Getting in and out of the shower

    • Any moisture that can make you slip and fall

    • There may not be any resources for getting up after a fall may not be

When I think of showers today and the functionality, I would make the assumption that showers are easy enough for a blind person to operate and complete. Today was functions have simple buttons to click and have sound activation to change settings. What I don’t see is anything that provides safety precautions. I am doing a quick gap analysis and believe that blind people are underserved in safety features. The other problems mentioned have workarounds. They can be solved in a different way, therefore, won’t provide meaningful value. 

Solutions: solving for safety

• Moisture Sensor

  • Recognition of moisture to warn a person to be careful and approx location.

  • Automatically turn on the shower fan or open the window

• Get Help

  • Voice-activated call to 911

  • Call caretaker, friend or family member

  • Integration with Amazon to buy something

• Anchors

  • Grab Bars: Prevent from falling (holding on) or help to get up

  • Rugs or mats could move to cause you to slip

Moisture could cause a person to slip and fall, which may require them to seek help. But I am assuming you can feel moisture with your hands or feet.

Getting help could have multiple use cases, such as remembering/asking to order more supplies, seeking help, or forgetting something such as your towel. 

Anchors can prevent you from falling and also in some cases can help you recover. 

I will prioritize solutions based on a few parameters: is it a common use case, cost of development, and dependencies.