I’m so fed up with my impractical utility black chair so as part of Brunel University London’s Co-Innovate programme we challenged final year Product & Industrial Design students to come up with new ideas. They have produced designs which address some key issues for practical, yet chic, wheelchair use. The results are in the photo gallery below and include:
- Bag – wheelchair users have to hang their whole life on the back of a chair. The bag needs to be secure and accessible while seated, but also make it fashionable and stylish.
- Party – A practical cocktail holder. It’s hard to hold a drink and wheel at the same time, impossible with a canapé too! Most drinks holders are for water bottles, not cocktails.
- Chair – Style my wheelchair. Chairs are still uncomfortable and come in any colour you like as long as it’s black. Comfort and style should be key.
- Rain – A waterproof wheelchair cover that also says I’m on trend. It’s impossible to hold an umbrella and wheel at the same time. Whilst there are waterproof covers available, they’re not very stylish.
Other design ideas that came out of the project include a phone charger powered by wheeling, a tablet holder and somewhere for wheelchair users to place a placard on a demonstration. If you want to get any of these produced please vote for your favourite. The winning design will be put forward for prototyping and eventual manufacture!! So get voting and bring our wheelchairs into the 21st Century…….
The Bag category:-
The Accessory category:-
The Innovation category:-
