Minor Project
23/09/2025 - 31/12/2025 (Week 1 - Week 14)
Shema Goldie Angwen / 0372129
Minor Project
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
On our first week, we formed a group and decided on our group leader. Then,
we chose our topic which was: Patient Transfer Device. This project is about
elderly people's problem when moving from a bed to a wheelchair. Most of the
time, they rely on family members, nurses, or helpers to do the transfer for
them, but current wheelchairs aren’t really designed to help with this.
Because of that, transfers can be tiring, unsafe, and frustrating for
caregivers. The goal of this project is to understand these issues better
and design a more practical transfer solution that can be used at home or in
hospitals.
Research
1. Wheelchair Research
For our first research, we looked through wheelchairs that are available nowadays to observe and get ideas on how to potentially create our transfer device.
From what we observed, Most wheelchairs today are mainly designed for sitting and moving around, not for transferring patients. They usually have features like wheels, foldable frames, seats with footrests and armrests, and basic safety features such as brakes and seat belts. However, there are many limitations, especially for elderly or weak users. Manual wheelchairs takes a lot of strength, while electric wheelchairs are heavy, expensive, and hard to transport. Most importantly, we noticed current wheelchairs do not have a built in transfer system, so caregivers still need to lift patients manually, which increases the risk of injury.
Minor Project
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
CONTENT LIST
INSTRUCTIONS
TASK
Fig 1.1: Project Brief Patient Transfer Device
Research
1. Wheelchair Research
For our first research, we looked through wheelchairs that are available nowadays to observe and get ideas on how to potentially create our transfer device.
From what we observed, Most wheelchairs today are mainly designed for sitting and moving around, not for transferring patients. They usually have features like wheels, foldable frames, seats with footrests and armrests, and basic safety features such as brakes and seat belts. However, there are many limitations, especially for elderly or weak users. Manual wheelchairs takes a lot of strength, while electric wheelchairs are heavy, expensive, and hard to transport. Most importantly, we noticed current wheelchairs do not have a built in transfer system, so caregivers still need to lift patients manually, which increases the risk of injury.
Figure 1.2: Wheelchair References
We also looked at Sara Stedy to understand how existing solutions work. It’s designed to help elderly patients move from bed to wheelchair and comes in two sizes to accommodate different user heights.
Figure 1.3: Sara Stedy
We noticed that while it has useful features like a pivoting seat, knee support, adjustable chassis legs, and a crossbar handle that lets patients pull themselves up, there are also some limitations. The Sara Stedy is quite bulky and heavy, which makes it harder to store and use in homes or smaller clinics. It’s also expensive, which can be a barrier for wider use. Moving it in tight spaces can be difficult, and the plastic seat surface may cause comfort or slipping issues for some users.
From this, it helped us better understand what works well and what could be improved when designing a patient transfer.
After researching, we decided to interview 2 user personas who had
experience in taking care of patients:
1. Medical Officers
2. Family Members
We formed interview questions and had our members interview 3 medical officers and 4 family members.
Interview Questions:
Persona 1 : Medical Officer
1. Can you tell me a little about yourself? (name & age?)
2. What’s your current role or daily routine like? (job?)
3. How long have you been working as a medical officer?
1. Medical Officers
2. Family Members
We formed interview questions and had our members interview 3 medical officers and 4 family members.
Interview Questions:
Persona 1 : Medical Officer
1. Can you tell me a little about yourself? (name & age?)
2. What’s your current role or daily routine like? (job?)
3. How long have you been working as a medical officer?
4. And in which department are you working in right now?
5. How do you usually transfer a patient from one place to other places? How often does your patient need to be transferred from one place to another?
6. What challenges do you face when transferring patients from a wheelchair, and which conditions make it harder?
7. How do you recognize if a patient feels uncomfortable or unsafe during a transfer?
8. Have you ever witnessed or experienced accidents during transfers? If yes, what caused them?
9. What features would you consider essential in a new patient transfer device?
Persona 2 : Family member
1. Can you tell me a little about yourself? (name & age?)
2. What’s your current role or daily routine like? (job?)
3. How did you start as a caregiver?
4. Did you have any prior experience before this?
a) If yes, can say “can u describe it?”
b) If no, can say “how is the current experience?”
5. What is your relationship to this person?
6. How long have you been helping as a caregiver?
7. What is the daily routine of the person that needs care? Can you describe it?
8. How do you usually transfer a patient from one place to another? What part of the transfer process do you find the hardest (like lifting, positioning or balancing) ?
9. How do you make sure both you and your family members are safe during the transfer?
10. Have you ever witnessed or experienced accidents during transfers? If yes, what caused them?
11. What would you wish a new device could help you with during the transfer process?
5. How do you usually transfer a patient from one place to other places? How often does your patient need to be transferred from one place to another?
6. What challenges do you face when transferring patients from a wheelchair, and which conditions make it harder?
7. How do you recognize if a patient feels uncomfortable or unsafe during a transfer?
8. Have you ever witnessed or experienced accidents during transfers? If yes, what caused them?
9. What features would you consider essential in a new patient transfer device?
Persona 2 : Family member
1. Can you tell me a little about yourself? (name & age?)
2. What’s your current role or daily routine like? (job?)
3. How did you start as a caregiver?
4. Did you have any prior experience before this?
a) If yes, can say “can u describe it?”
b) If no, can say “how is the current experience?”
5. What is your relationship to this person?
6. How long have you been helping as a caregiver?
7. What is the daily routine of the person that needs care? Can you describe it?
8. How do you usually transfer a patient from one place to another? What part of the transfer process do you find the hardest (like lifting, positioning or balancing) ?
9. How do you make sure both you and your family members are safe during the transfer?
10. Have you ever witnessed or experienced accidents during transfers? If yes, what caused them?
11. What would you wish a new device could help you with during the transfer process?
Interview Results
After conducting the interview, we made the transcripts (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1m3ZZcCrSYDs8kiRGmoofylc-VxTXciuc) and categorize the results.
We also created 2 user personas to help us understand their struggles more.
Fig 1.4 Affinity Diagram Medical officers
We also created 2 user personas to help us understand their struggles more.
Fig 1.5 User Personas
Another thing that kept coming up was how difficult transfers are when moving between different heights, especially from a wheelchair to a car. Many shared that accidents or near misses usually happen because someone rushed, forgot a small safety step, or wasn’t positioned properly, not because the equipment broke. Almost everyone wished for better transfer tools that feel safer, are more stable, and help reduce the strain on the caregiver’s body. Even though their situations were different, the challenges they faced during patient transfer were very similar.
Prototype
In week 7, we were instructed to draw 8 crazy ideation based on our project
which is patient transfer device, and we were given 8 minutes only to
creates ideas many as we posibble. This method help us to generate many
ideas by sketching eight concept in just eight minutes (one minute one
sketches) to break the creative block and explore a wide range of solution
for the design problems and makes us think quickly. After finishing this
activity, we came up with some similar idea with others and we start to
shared and discuss our ideas with group members.
Figure 1.6: Crazy 8 Ideas
After the discussion, we begin to develop our ideation. Our first ideation explores a patient transfer device that combines a chair and stretcher into one adjustable system. The design can change from a lying position to a seated position, allowing patients to be moved without manual lifting.
The leg rest can be extended or folded, making transfers smoother and more comfortable for the patient. The height-adjustable base helps caregivers align the device with beds or wheelchairs, reducing physical strain. Adjustable armrests and headrest provide extra support during movement.
Figure 1.7: First Ideation
Overall, this concept focuses on improving transfer efficiency, reducing caregiver effort, and increasing patient comfort as a starting point for further design development.
After receiving some feedback from our client, we improved our design and this was our second and final ideation. Our second ideation focuses more on adjustability and patient support. The design includes an adjustable headrest that can tilt and move up or down to fit different torso heights. The armrests can be extended, folded in, and rotated, allowing flexibility based on the patient’s condition and transfer needs.
Figure 1.8: Second Ideation
Here the explanation details based on number on the pictures :
1. Adjustable head rest, can tilt
2. Can be moved up and down to adjust for torso
3. Arms can be extended as well depending on patient, can also fold in and can the whole arm can turn up and down on its axis
4. Whole chair rests on this main cylinder which can move the chair up and down and rotate
5. Legrest can also be folded
6. Comfortable footrest that can also fold in.
7. Belts to secure the patient
Fig 1.9 Second Ideation
The entire chair is supported by a central cylinder that allows the device to move up and down and rotate, making positioning easier during transfers. The leg rest and footrest are foldable, helping the device adapt from a seated to a reclined position smoothly.
Safety is improved with belts to secure the patient during movement. Overall, this ideation explores a more detailed and ergonomic solution that prioritises comfort, flexibility, and safe patient handling, building on the limitations of the first concept.
User Testing
Our testing plan was to show our interviewee videos of our 3D Wheelchair Prototype, and then we ask them some of questions that we need to collect the data.
Below this is the interview questions that we ask to our interviewee :
1. Can you tell us what you think of the wheelchair? Do you think it will solve the problems that wheelchairs have right now?
2. Does the design of the device looks stable and safe?
3. Will this device reduce your physical effort compared to the usual method?
4. How useful is the adjustable height and foldability features?
5. Are there any more features that you feel are missing or could be further improved?
After we do some interview, we begin to collecting and combine our data that we received and we analyze our data.
Data Gathered from User Testing
Overall, feedback from the interviews was very positive. The patient transfer device was seen as practical, stable, and safe, which made caregivers feel more confident during transfers. Features such as the adjustable backrest, leg support, and height adjustment helped improve comfort and reduced the need for manual lifting.
Many interviewees highlighted the hydraulic system as especially helpful when transferring patients between a car, bed, and wheelchair, as it reduced physical effort. The foldable design was also appreciated because it saves space and makes the device easier to store and transport.
Fig 1.10 Summary Result
Some improvements were suggested, mainly related to comfort and size. A few users felt that the seat and backrest could have softer cushioning, and others suggested adding soft side supports to prevent patients from sliding. There were also suggestions to make the design more compact and lightweight, and to include automatic position adjustments to increase user independence.
Overall, the user testing shows that the device meets user needs well, while also highlighting areas for further improvement.
Fig 1.11 Final Design
Fig 1.12 Final Presentation Day
Fig 1.13 Changes Made After Testing
Side by Side Comparison:
Fig 1.14 Side by Side Comparison
FINAL WORK
FEEDBACK
Feedback 1
The PPT structure is not well organized. Some points need to be highlighted, and the font size on several slides needs to be adjusted.
Feedback 2
Create a Customer Journey Map by referring to examples from the Nielsen Norman Group or others. A FigJam template can be used.
Feedback 3
The presentation has shown many good improvements and now contains minimal text.
Ideation
Feedback 1
The side handle limits the patient’s movement, so it would be better to redesign or modify it.
Feedback 2
The cushion is not comfortable enough, which may cause discomfort when the patient is sitting.
Feedback 3
The footrest would be better if it could be opened wider.
Final Presentation Feedback
Prof. Manohar (Client): The only feedback given was regarding the
footrest, which needs to be adjustable. Apart from that, everything
is good, the armrest looks very comfortable.
Dr Wong: There has been a clear improvement in the presentation
slides. The slides are more refined, with minimal text. Overall,
well done for this group!
SELF REFLECTION
To sum up these 14-weeks work, Minor Project has truly been a
transformative learning experience. This project has been a
privilege because it gave me the chance to work with actual
clients under the direction of Dr. Wong and collaborates with
my amazing teammates from various design specialities. Working
in a team required strong communication, mutual understanding,
and teamwork, where each member's strengths complemented each
other.
Through this design project, I gained a better understanding
of how to create a transfer patient device that not only
functional and safe but also meets the needs of both family
members and medical officers. This module guided us through
all five phases of design thinking stages: empathy, define,
ideation, prototype, and testing, which helped me understand
how a design evolves from identifying user problems to
developing practical solutions.
Through this project, I was able to put my theoretical
knowledge to use in a real-world setting, especially with
regard to user needs, ergonomics, and safety considerations.
In order to inform and enhance the design, I also learnt how
to carry out appropriate research, which includes observing
actual procedures and obtaining user input.
Overall, this module felt like a trial run for the
professional working environment. It taught me to collaborate
with people from different backgrounds, manage
responsibilities, adapt to challenges, and continuously
improve through feedback. The skills and experiences gained
from this Minor Project will be valuable for my future
professional journey, thanks to Dr. Wong.
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