Final call for product design ideas to help people living with arthritis

Arthritis Research UK and Design Council Spark are making a final call for innovative design ideas that would be life altering for people with arthritis. Applications close at 12 noon on 21 November 2017.

The most recent winner is Geoff Rolandsen with the Workey design. Workey helps people with arthritis open doors more easily. Geoff was inspired after he discovered that his father, who lives with arthritis, struggled to use certain door keys. Geoff started sketching some ideas and the original Workey assistive device was born. Keys slide into it and it creates a larger and more ergonomic surface area for the user to turn. It can be kept attached to a keyring or just left on a key without becoming too big to slip into a pocket or a bag.

“It seems like a small thing, but an inability to use keys properly is a real problem,” explains Geoff. “One awkward situation because of it, and people can lose confidence for months or even years. It can mean a loss of independence.”

By winning the competition last year, Geoff was able to take his product beyond the initial design stage as Spark provided him with funding and monthly workshops with mentors and design experts. Four months on from completion of the programme, the Workey is close to being re-released as a fully-fledged commercial product.

Charlotte Guiver, director at Arthritis Research UK comments:

“We hear time and time again from people with arthritis that one of the frustrating things about living with the condition is the how it limits a person’s ability to do everyday things. One of our goals is to bring more products to market that help people remain independent and carry on with the things they love. We are very much looking forward to working again with Design Council Spark to find more innovative designs out there.”

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