Tricia Flohr

Ottawa, ON
Canada

Tricia.Flohr@hotmail.com

Portfolio

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     Tricia Flohr is an industrial design student at Carleton University. This portfolio aims to demonstrate the process of designing a product, following the process from the first step of research to the final look-alike model. ​

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Embrace: Shiatsu Massager

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     This purpose of this project was to find product in that needed to be improved upon in the product category of home health care. Research showed that with hospitals suffering from over crowded and understaffed facilities, there is an essential need for preventative treatment and healthcare in the home. A variety of ailments can be treated in the home, or prevented by measures taken by potential patients to help maintain there health and prevent hospital visits from ever occurring.

     One such ailment is chronic pain. Chronic pain (such as back pain and shoulder pain) effects 10% of Canadians aged 12-44. Additionally, 85% of Americans have reported experiencing back pain at some point in their lives. This kind of pain, which is often related to stress and daily activities (such as being leaned over a desk, or doing repetitive motions), can lead to more severe issues when left untreated. Massage is one form of treatment that has been shown to reduce pain and prevent further issues. While not a medical cure for pain in all cases, deep tissue massage can act as a medical preventative treatment outside of hospital settings. Portable home massagers provide users with the benefits of massage with out the cost or discomfort of going to a massage parlor.

The Project