Kruimelzuiger

HANDHELD VACUUM CLEANER Redesign Handheld Vacuum Cleaner | Evolutionary Product Design | University of Twente Annet Kodde | S0198889

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

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Table of contents

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Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

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Philips 5 MiniVac Home & Car

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Analyses 7 Target group 9 Requirements 11 Design concepts 12 Final concept 16 References 21

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HANDHELD VACUUM CLEANER In this survey the handheld vacuum cleaner will be redesigned. The previous survey focussed on the development of this product (Kodde, 2013).

Product phase The previous survey showed that the vacuum cleaner is in the segmentation phase. Many different designs are on the market, for example: wireless- / wet and dry- / steam- / in stick- and playful little vacuums. Also, a lot of different target groups are reached, like kids, women, men or people focussed especially on design.

The next phase is an expansion to the differentiation phase. Little more of the awareness phase will probably be seen. Awareness is a hot item these days, however, less of this is seen in the vacuum business.

The different types of vacuum cleaners will continue to be sold, however, companies are more focussed on the environment and durability than before. Philips pays a lot attention to these subjects, but she does not communicate this in an obvious way. This is because when it comes to environmentally friendly products, people tend to think that an environmentally friendly product has lesser quality or is more expensive.

Different vacuums nowadays showing the segmentation phase Product design In the previous survey, a comparison between the Philips (MiniVac Home & Car), the Dirt Devil (Accucharge Technology Cordless) and BlackDecker (Dustbuster Pivot) was made. A further look on this analysis is given in the next chapters. Handheld vacuum cleaners which can be compared to these vacuums are shown below and give a good example of the designs nowadays.

Different vacuums, showing the design of today 3

Technology The many types of handheld vacuums actually look quite similar to eachother, using mostly the same technology. The arrangement of intern components is more or less the following:

Arrangement of the most important components in handheld vacuum cleaners Cyclone technology This technology is invented in 2006 by Dyson and causes permanent high suction power using cyclonic airflows (Dyson, 2013).

Many vacuums use this principle now; Philips uses a two step cyclone technology. Because the dirt does not block the filter there is a continuous high airflow.

HEPA filter This is the most effective filter of all filters today, because it can filter air so well that the wind blown out of the vacuum is cleaner than the air blown in. Most vacuums are equipped with a dust filter in front (to seperate to big particles), a motor filter (to prevent the motor from being damaged by dust) and a fine dust filter (cleans the air blown out). Some have a combination with a carbon fibre filters, which filters unpleasant odours (Miele, 2013).

Dry & wet sucking Some of the handheld vacuums can suck up both dry and wet dirt.

These ‘wet vacuums’ are equipped with a mechanism of special filters to prevent the water from reaching the motor, which can cause damage. Also, a special airflow is needed to cool down the motor.

Vacuums that can suck up wet dirt are often somewhat more expensive.

Digital motor The digital motor is smaller than the conventional one and can reach very high speeds. Advantages are increased efficiency and the enviornmental benefits. This motor does not use carbon brushes; these can wear because of resistance, which is bad for the environment (Dyson, 2013).

Attachments Some handheld vacuums have a lot of attachments which can be placed on the nozzle. For example, brushes or long and small attachments for reaching small slits and crevices. However, most people use this product for little and fast cleaning work and do not want to exchange these attachments a lot. Therefore some vacuums are equipped with an extendable nozzle. The dust compartments are almost always transparant, in order to see whether it needs to be cleaned.

Lithium batteries Most wireless electrical goods are equipped with Lithium batteries, which are better for the environment than cadmium ones (NASA, 2013).

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PHILIPS Durability Philips is focussed on designing environmentally friendly, however as stated before, she does not communicate this because people think those products have negative side effects. Philips uses the assembly and disassembly principle: old product parts can be used in new products. Also, parts in the products are more easily replaced. Furthermore, the company is developing technical solutions for using energy as efficiĂŤnt as possible. An example was the use of lithium batteries instead of cadmium. Durability is seen in using high quality material which lasts longer and does not break or get damaged easily. As they quote on their website, their vision is to design durable products and reject the use-and-trow-away-mentality. The company has an EcoVision4 initiative that stimulates them to make environmentally friendly improvements in 2012 (Philips, 2012).

Sense & Simplicity Philips makes products to improve the quality of life. They design for health care, lifestyle and lightning for people oriented solutions.

Their slogan is Sense and Simplicity, which means that products have to be easy to use and have no unnecessary functions. Innovative and useful products with a ‘simple’ look .

Most of their products have a simple interface and bit of a mainstream look which gives the company their reliable character.

Philips products: sense & simplicity 5

MINIVAC HOME & CAR Product The Philips Minivac Home&Car vacuum cleaner is chosen to be investigated further. This company produces vacuum cleaners that might be a bit mainstream in terms of design, but Philips is known as a reliable producer of electronic goods.

The following model is taken as a starting point for a redesign of the handheld vacuum cleaner for Philips:

MiniVac Home & Car Specifications The most important technical specifications are given below (Philips, 2013): Price Use time Accu Charging time Voltage Power Sucking power (max) Noise Sucking Variable power Charging indication

â‚Ź 52 / 80 9 min Lithium Ion 8 hours (16 hours first time) 10,8 Volt 100 W 22 W 81 dB Dry No Yes

Capacity Attachments Colors Wall mounting Filter Fine dust filter Principle Weight Size Material

500 ml Slit nozzle / brush nozzle Beige, grey, green Yes Not replaceable No Cyclonic, in two steps 0,8 Kg 460l x 160b x 160h (Hard) Plastic

Philips uses bagless cyclonic airflow technology: the dirt is captured in a 2-stage filtration system. The first filter blocks most dirt and the second traps the finer dust particles. Philips has an assortment of about 7 different models. They look quite similar, but differ in the input power / suction power and battery capacity. Philips uses Lithium-Ion batteries; however, when not working they cannot be replaced by the customer. The vacuum looks very aerodynamic because of its smooth and nicely curved surfaces. The black color and transparent materials look simple but elegant. However, the design also looks big and a bit heavy. The switch is positioned at the top. The model can be bought in black or orange.

It is likely all products are made in China or other low labour countries. Not much information about production is available, for example due to production in foreign countries. But it is likely most products are made in China.

All brands experience the influence of the internet. Consumers can easily compare specifications and prices of products.

They can read reviews or leave comments, which can have high impact on buying behaviour. Companies must communicate very clearly what specifications a product has and what makes their product unique. Products should also be easily available by online ordering. Mostly the consumer can choose between a wide range of products and functionalities. Within these models of Philips only the color can be chosen, the consumer does not have a big influence on the final product.

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ANALYSES In the previous survey a comparison between the Philips (MiniVac Home & Car), the Dirt Devil (Accucharge Technology Cordless) and BlackDecker (Dustbuster Pivot) was made. Also an analysis with the EPRO tool is made. This tool shows the product phase of this product in combination with the two analysed competitors:

Product phases of Philips handheld vacuum cleaner versus Dirt Devil and Black & Decker 18 points analysis Combining these two analysis results in this 18 analysis points:

1 Functionality and reliability Philips has a good functioning product, but the functionality of sucking liquids is missing, also an attachable hose and integrated hose should be available.

2 Technology Philips technology is good, improvements can be made in the filter design and battery capacity.

3 Number of parts Philips has a minimum amount of parts which should be kept that way, an integrated extendable nozzle is an extra option.

4 Ergonomics The ergonomics are good.

5 Safety The safety of the product is good and should be kept that way.

6 Assortment / amount of choice Philips does not have a wide assortment, different designs, colors and sucking abilities can offer more choice.

7 Ethics Philips focuses on environmentally friendly products, however parts should be easily replaceable for more sustainability. The company can distinguish itself more from competitors by communicating good social behaviour, for example concerning the environment, child labour etc.

8 Product development Philips uses new technologies for product developments and should continue doing this. The company can focus more on the individualisation phase by offering opportunities for consumers to compile their own product. For example by offering design options or extra features. Philips can also develop different types of handheld vacuums for more specific target groups or market channels.

9 Styling Philips uses fine, ergonomic designs, however it can be seen as big and heavy. It can offer a wider range of colors and shapes or more expressive designs.

10 Integration of form The styling of the parts and their integration is good, not much changes indented.

11 Price 7

Philips is quite expensive, prices should be reduced to attract more customers. Prices can be made variable when using customizing of individual customers.

12 Production Production is presumably automated at high level, no action intended.

13 Assembly Assembling is presumably outsourced to low labour countries, no action intended.

14 Influence of the consumer on the final product The consumer has no influence on the design or composition of the vacuum.

15 Service organisation Philips has a well-developed service organisation. Philips does have an appealing website; however, information should be directly available on screen in a comparative way.

Improvements Not all the advices are helpful for further design of the vacuum. The following points are usefull for a redesign of the MiniVac. - Philips can use a wider assortment, less choice is now offered. An expansion can be made by focussing on different target groups, offering more functions / technologies or producing different designs with a wider range of colors. Designs can be more expressive.

- Philips can offer more technical options, like sucking wet dirt. Also (integrated) attachments are an option, like a cords, hoses or extandable nozzle for lits or crevices.

- The product is quite heavy and also looks quite big, this can be solved by designing a smaller product in an elegant way.

- The product is expensive, this can be fine when it is noticeably better than competitors. Philips’ image is reliable and qualitative, which makes offering high prices more easy.

- The company can focus on the individualisation phase. However, it is not very likely consumers really want to ‘design their own handheld vacuum cleaner’, for the product is not that personal. This would also raise the price.

- Having a focus on the environment and on durability is good and can always be better.

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TARGET GROUP Target group: eldery people Philips can use a widening of their product group, therefore a special segment is chosen. The redesign of the vacuum cleaner will be made for a special target group: elderly, people from the age of 65 and older.

The following diagram shows the population growth in the Netherlands.

This shows that a big group of elderly people can be expected in the near future. Looking at the behaviour and preferences of this group can help to sell the handheld vacuum cleaner. This product really is a handy tool for people who are a little less mobile. It is useful to look at the young seniors, for they are the next generations of old seniors, they are the future.

age

Age effects target group The diagram at the right shows the increase of deficiencies over time.

The following points are characteristics for these age groups (Eger, A.O. (University Twente), 2013):

50+ - Do not consider themselves to be elderly and don’t want to be addressed as such - Most are still working - Love convenience and ease - Have a lot of money and like to spend it (exclusive) - They are still interested in the economy, technology, new media - Children are mostly living away 60+ - Love convenience and ease - Have a lot of money and time to spend it - Assertive and critical - No children at home - Are focussed on health and also mortality - Love service - Have a high quality demand - Focussed on pleasure, but also on meaning 70+ - More living alone - Less mobile - Dealing with health problems. 30% of them gets major flaws and about 80% has at least some problems with their health - More dependant on help - They have accepted being elderly and don’t mind too much being treated that way - Are focussed on health and also mortality - Living smaller

Population growth in 2013 in the Netherlands (left: men / right: women)

No deficiencies Moderate deficiencies Minor deficiencies Major deficiencies

Elderly showing more deficiencies by the time 80+ - The close circle of this group is getting small - Their friends and relatives die, their mobility diminishes - More living alone (especially women, for they live longer) - Less mobile - Their need for medication grows - In this group women have the upper hand in number - Dealing with health problems. More depending on help - Living smaller 9

Designing for elderly Most people tend to think elderly are capable of doing less things. However, it is more positive and respectful to look at what they can do. Mostly they are capable of a lot of things and have good affinity with technology.

One way to design for elderly is using the cohort effect, by looking at the formative years. These years form the opinions and design preferences and knowledge for a big part of the rest of their lives. This will be one concept direction and shown later on.

Some design focus points are made by the Saxion (Overbeek, 2011), they are very specific: - Clear buttons which are easily findable and usable - Clear colors / high contrast (sight is becoming less) - Textures (sensitivity / motoric is becoming less) - Elderly are less willing to adapt to big changes - Elderly are less powerfull and less mobile, so some movements are tiresome or simply impossible - Elderly not like to be treated as old and uncapable Collage target group The following collage shows the target group.

Collage elderly people

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REQUIREMENTS Requirements Most requirements will be the same as for the MiniVac, because the analyses showed this product is already quite good. The analyses clearly showed Philips can use a wider assortment. Therefore the redesign is focussed on creating a new handheld vacuum cleaner design for eldery people. Important requirements which makes the difference between the MiniVac and the redesign are: Sucking Capacity Attachments Colors Wall mounting Filter Fine dust filter Weight Size

Wet and dry Can be less than 500 ml Integrated nozzle -> extendable nozzle for lits and crevices Offering a wider range Yes (optional) Should be washable and replacable Should be washable and replacable Less than 0,7 Kg 400l x 200b x 200h

- The dust compartment should be detachable and cleanable.

- The dust compartment can be emptied without touching the compartment and with minimum risk for whirling dust.

- Buttons should be clear and unambiguous - The design should be focussed on elderly - The product can be easily charged

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DESIGN CONCEPTS Philips At page five, many products of Philips were already shown. Although the product should fit the target group it should also be in line with the general Philips design focus.

Philips products Concept 1 The first concept is designed by the theory of the formative years, therefore a collage is made, based on preferences of people who are now 65+. Their formative years were the 70’s. Characteristics are the sharp lines, bright, plain colours and the simple or square shapes.

Collage formative years 65+ (70’s) 12

Many sketches were made having this collage in mind, the most appealing one is drawn in colour.

Sketches based on collage formative years 65+ (70’s)

Final sketch based on collage formative years 65+ (70’s) 13

Concept 2 The second concept was designed based on a collage made out of simple designed products, with simple shapes and colours. This is more focussed on a design statement that design for eldery should be clear and simple, having only the real necessary functions.

Characteristic are the white colours, the round or simple shapes and the few buttons.

Collage simple design

Sketches based on collage simple design 14

Final sketch based on collage formative years 65+ (70’s) Rough foam shapes The two best concepts were made in foam in order to create a better feeling of proprtion, shape and looks.

Foam models concept 1 & 2 15

FINAL CONCEPT The final concept is the first concept; a design based on the principle of the formative years.

This design is the most interesting because of its more exclusive design with sharp lines and specially focussed on eldelry people. During the presentation sessions this design was chosen to be further elaborated. This is done in SolidWorks and by a real tangible model.

The following pictures show the design. On the next page an explanation can be found.

Final design SolidWorks: side-back view

Final design SolidWorks: front-side view 16

Final design SolidWorks: bottom-side view

Final design SolidWorks: side view

Final design SolidWorks: bottom view 17

On-switch Ventilation holes

Batteries / motor / rotor blades / motor filter / fine dust filter and carbon filter Dirt filter Button for opening the bottom valve (emptying) Transparant dust compartment Connection for loading Extendable small nozzle Button for taking of the dust compartment (cleaning) Design The lines and shape are based on the collage of the formative years (see collage page 12). Sharp lines and a square shaped look were typical for that period. These lines and the shape of this vacuum give it a fast appearance and make it look less big and heavy than the MiniVac (see page 6). This fits better to the target group.

Also very bright, plain colors like orange, red yellow or green were typical for the formative years. Therefore the red line is added and the buttons are striking red. In order to let the product fit in the brand of Philips it is chosen not to give the whole product this color, but instead of that, a clean white appearance. This white color comes back in many of their products (see collage page 12).

On-switch To make it as simple as possible the on switch is positioned in the handle. Like in the MiniVac the switch does not have variable power, so the product has a constant high sucking power. By simply grabbing the handle the machine does its cleaning work, but one can take of the forefinger so the on switch will not be pressed. The button is made out of nicely round shaped ridges, which give tangible information about the position of the button. The clear colors of the buttons fit the formative years as well as the Saxion design focus points for elderly (see page 10).

Ventilation holes The ventilation holes are, like the basic shape line, inspired by the Ford Mustang. These square shapes come back a lot in the collage of the formative years (see page 12).

Button for opening the bottom valve This button is positioned at both side to make it more user-friendly. By pressing this button the bottom valve opens and the dust compartment can be emptied. This valve has a pivot point close to the button and will open at the nozzle side. Therefore the chance of contact with (whirling) dust is minimized for this is seen as very unpleasant. The valve can be pressed back to close the compartment.

Button for taking off the dust compartment This button causes the dust compartment to seperate from the handle and motor. When the dust compartment is very dirty it can be cleaned in a washing machine or by hand. Also, the filter can be taken off and be washed separately. In some cases this dust filter needs to be replaced, which is easy.

Batteries / motor / rotor blades / filters These items were positioned close to the handle, like in the MiniVac and almost all other handheld vacuum cleaners. Lithium Ion batteries were used. A digital motor causes a very high sucking ability and is better for the environment than conventional motors (see page 4). The motor filter protects the motor and the fine dust filter combined with carbon elements filter the air so effectively that it is even cleaner and nice smelling than before being sucked into the machine.

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Transparant dust compartment This dust compartment is, like in many vacuum cleaners (see page 3), transparent. This gives the consumer information about whether the compartment needs to be cleaned or not. Looking at dirt is not that appealing, therefore this transparant plastic has a texture to make it a little less clear. The top of the vacuum cleaner is consciously made from white plastic, so the dirt can not be seen from there, which gives it a more clean look.

Extendable nozzle Many vacuum cleaners are equipped with optional nozzle attachments. However, mostly it is not very handy to switch these nozzles for this is an extra action. People like vacuum cleaners to be easy and fast and this is really in line with Philips’ slogan: Sense & Simplicity. Therefore an extendable nozzle is integrated in the front of the vacuum. At the bottom of the machine is an opening and by pushing it forward, the nozzle can be easily extended or retracted. The ribs are for extra grip at the nozzle extension.

Dimensions The dimensions are smaller than the MiniVac, which was an requirement (see page 6-7). Especially the height is a little less, to give it a faster and lighter look. The dimensions are: 400mm (length) x 100mm (width) x 85mm (height). This also reduces the weight, which is more comfortable for elderly, and the capacity of the dust compartment. This dust compartment now is about 0,350 L. The dimensions of the handle were based on average dimensions of elderly hands derived from DINED, Delft.

Charger A standard charger is delivered with the handheld vacuum.

However an optional wall mounting is possible. The consumer can decide whether he wants to attach it to the wall or simply let that vacuum stand in a closet or somewhere on a flat surface.

The standard charger is made as simple as possible. The wire has a long cable (1,5m), which is handy when charging (not showed on the picture).

The wall mounting is flat at two sides, so that it can stand on a flat surface as well as be mounted to the wall. The materials and colors are the same as the casing for the vacuum.

Standard charger

Optional wall mounting charger

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Cost price A rough calculation for the costprice can be made.

Production parts Injection molding hard plastic casing Injection molding dust compartment Injection molding small parts Painting & finishing Batteries Motor parts Filters Adapter

1,50 1,00 1,50 1,00 0,50 3,50 2,50 2,00

Assembling parts (China)

2,00

Transport Primary packaging Secondary packaging Transport

1,00 1,00 4,00

Costprice Selling Price

21,50 60,00

Handheld vacuum cleaner in an elderly kitchen context 20

REFERENCES Dyson. (2013, 01 12). Dyson. Get from: www.dyson.com: http://www.dyson.com/vacuums.aspx Eger, A.O. (University Twente). (2013). Evolutionary Product Development. Product design for Elderly. Enschede.

Kodde, N.A. (2013). Handheld vacuum cleaner. Enschede.

Miele. (2013, 1 12). Kroniek van de stofzuiger 1927-2002, 75 jaar Miele-stofzugiers. Opgehaald van www.miele.nl: http://www.miele. nl/apps/vg/nl/miele/e17_1.nsf/LookupPage/Miele+en+de+ontwikkeling+van+de+stofzuiger?

NASA. (2013, 01 12). Spinoff from a Moon Tool. Opgehaald van spinoff.nasa.gov: http://spinoff.nasa.gov/spinoff/spinitem?title=Spino ff+from+a+Moon+Tool Overbeek, K. (2011, maart 14). Behoeften en ergenissen. Doelgroep 50+. Opgehaald van http://www.55plustoolbox.nl: http:// www.55plustoolbox.nl//toolbox_bestanden/1.2A-2.3A_20110105_Behoeften_en_ergernissen_V1.pdf Philips. (2013, januari 22). Duurzaamheid. Get from: www.philips.nl: http://www.philips.nl/about/sustainability/index.page Philips. (2013, januari 22). MiniVac Kruimelzuiger. Get from: www.philips.nl: http://www.philips.nl/c/stofzuigers/minivac-home-car12-v-fc6149_01/prd/nl/

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