A Usability-Based Innovative Design of Labor-Saving Mop

The mop is essential household items, play an important role in the clean sweep, impact on the family floor clean. This research developed a usability-based innovative design procedure, including divergent thinking, creative design and usability evaluation. By observing and interviewing users, the desired functionality or operation problems of mop can be clarified. The process of conceptual design leads to optimal plans satisfying the required functions, technical and economical index. By possessing a symbolic system and transformation rules, the Su-Field analysis model can assist designers to diagnose and solve most design problems. Its content, characters, path and method are discussed in detail, and applied on the process of product design. In addition, the usability evaluation is applied to assist extending-tree method and the optimal appraisal method, two of extension methods. The advantage to combine construction of symbolic system in Su-Field model and the transformation and extension of matter-elements are also assessed by preceding an innovative design case, labor-saving mop. The case study successfully demonstrates that the proposed design process is feasible and efficient.