[10] Design Frontiers 2024
Team Name
Team 1X
Elevator Pitch
In 3-4 sentences, provide a short description of the project.
<aside> ⚡ With an increasing number of ADHD diagnoses in the general youth today, there is a significant concern of the effects of such a disorder on the learning efficacy within classrooms. It is an under-diagnosed disorder with potentially serious consequences that can shape the lives of those affected for the worse if left unchecked. Untreated and undiagnosed childhood ADHD may cause problems in job retention as well as increased substance abuse in the future and more debilitating issues, furthering the significance in assisting students with ADHD to better perform in schools. We designed our product, the Tabee, a revamped version of the conventional desk that allows an opportunity to channel excess energy into inlaid fidget tools under the desk and a real time transcription device for those with hearing disabilities or auditory processing disorders, another disorder associated with ADHD.
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About the project In a paragraph for each section, write what inspired you, what your deliverable does, what you learned, how you built your project, the challenges you faced, and what’s next. Detailed bullet points are accepted.
<aside> 💡 *Background Research Our information is rooted in research articles that highlight the significance in properly treating childhood ADHD and the scale of which it affects the population. On a personal level, we understand how debilitating ADHD and subsequent learning difficulties can be towards our academic performance. According to CDC, there is around 6 million diagnosed minors in the United States. Additionally with the advancements in technology, detecting ADHD in children has improved leading the number of diagnosed minors to continue to increase. To help combat the attentional impacts of ADHD various methods have been implemented, the most commonly known being the fidget spinner. Although the fidget spanner is an effective concept, it is still classified as a toy which takes from the learning process as students are drawn towards concentrating on the spinner instead of class material.
According to Lisa Fields, medically reviewed by Dr. Smitha Bandari, children with ADHD struggle with impulsivity, and attention difficulty, and emotional regulation problems whereas teenagers with ADHD may experience falling behind academically and the inability to catch up and potentiality for substance abuse. It increases the rates for expulsion and academic misdemeanors and thus impacting their futures, further signifying the importance in assisting these students towards academic excellence, one of the channels for success.
What it does The Tabee came about from our understanding and experiences with the limited resources schools provide for students experiencing learning difficulties. The Tabee is an innovative solution tailored to support students with ADHD by providing a range of tools and stimuli aimed at enhancing concentration, reducing stress, and offering sensory stimulation. Additionally, the Tabee addresses the needs of individuals who struggle with maintaining attention by allowing them to channel their excess energy and restlessness into a controlled output designed with nondisruptive mechanisms to not affect other students.
To help maintain focus, the Tabee provides students with a variety of customizable fidget tools under the desk that cater to the diverse preferences of students to create an environment conducive to learning. Given that our goal is to assist students with ADHD to improve their attention and thus their understanding of the content taught, we did not want to further divert their attention away from the teacher and so we removed the visual aspect of these fidgets with this intentional positioning under the table. The transcriptive device is a visual aid we specifically incorporated for those with hearing difficulties or auditory processing disorder. It allows the user to be able to follow along by reading the displayed text as it follows the voice of the teacher as well as see the graphics shared by the teacher. Aside from the transcription device, every aspect is customizable including the desk foot strap designed to be an extra feature for those who express their energy through foot tapping.
How we built it Taking on a more environmentally friendly approach as well as reducing costs, the desk is crafted with sustainability in mind featuring recycled and reclaimed wood. Supporting it, is a sturdy four-legged metal frame, reminiscent of traditional desk design offering both stability and durability for long-term use. Taking a spin on the traditional desk, the cubby has been replaced with an organizer attached to the side, fashioned from recycled plastic, providing convenient storage while minimizing distractions. One of its standout features is the customization options for fidgeting tools crafted from metal and plastic. These tools can be effortlessly maneuvered across the bottom of the desk's surface for convenient customization catered to the student’s needs.
To ensure optimal functionality, a sensor mechanism is seamlessly integrated detecting when the fidgeting tool is in the correct position and locking it in place preventing unnecessary movement and maintaining a clutter-free workspace. A corresponding app was also created to not only unlock the tool for interchangeability but also provide the teacher with a detailed layout of the current desk formation. To enhance the learning experience, a screen displaying the transcript or diagrams was added into the corner laying flat and seamlessly integrating with the desk surface. The screen is encased with an acrylic cover to prevent breaking and is additionally adjustable for students to prop up for easier viewing. Further improving the learning experience, the app allows teachers to share their screens and display diagrams and visuals.
Challenges we ran into During our discussions on implementing tools and methods into our design, we encountered several challenges. One significant obstacle was the tendency to overcomplicate the design, as we grappled with incorporating numerous ideas simultaneously. This led to difficulties in prioritizing and streamlining our approach. Screen location was a topic of discussion deciding how it should be implemented to promote various concepts such as a flush design or convenient viewing. The abundance of ideas also posed a challenge, as we found ourselves navigating many possibilities, potentially overwhelming students. These challenges prompted us to reassess our approach, emphasizing simplicity and focus to ensure that our design effectively addresses the needs of students with ADHD while remaining practical and feasible to implement.
Accomplishments that we're proud of We’re proud that we were able to come up with this idea in a short amount of time and develop it into what it is now in a short amount of time. We’re also proud that we were able to efficiently divide up the work to ensure a smooth process with more time to be spent on refining details and our slides.
What we learned We learned more about the difficulties face by children with ADHD and how as designers we could come up with mitigating solutions to improve academic performance. We learned more about how to efficiently distribute work while still effectively communicating whenever we faced issues that needed clarification.
What's next? Our next steps in improving this prototype would be to focus on reducing the cost of building and implementing the desks. Given our limited time, cost was not our main priority, focusing on the effectiveness of aiding students with ADHD. Going beyond this, we can further develop the desk to tackle other issues with learning disability and enhance learning.*
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Built With What platforms, languages, or other technologies did you use? (i.e. Figma, Sketch, Adobe Illustrator)
<aside> ⚒️ Figma, Procreate, Google Slides
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🔗 "Try it out" links
Add links where people can view or try your project.