Arthritis and limited dexterity.
Joint disorders like arthritis cause swelling and pain in joints, mostly commonly in the hands, making tasks requiring a high level of dexterity like buckling a helmet strap difficult and painful.
Big Handles.
Hands with arthritis need larger handles to avoid pain involved in small, intricate movement of the fingers.
Styling Cues.
In a sea of helmets that are inspired by the aggressive forms of supercars, I wanted this commuter helmet to stand out amongst the crowd by echoing a more classic Italian aesthetic, drawing from Vespa, Guzzini, classic Ferrari and Futurist art.
How can we design a helmet to be put on, secured and removed with only one hand?
Forms and Function
These initial sketches show an exploration of form and different fastening alternatives to a buckle.
Adaptive Straps.
This round of sketching took a deeper dive into various alternative fastening straps.
Final Two Straps.
After two rounds of ideation and refinement, these two strap designs seemed to be the most plausible for a strap that would loosen enough to slip under the chin.
Which one would ultimately be the best? Only physical mockups could tell that story.
Single Rear Strap Lever.
The single rear-strap lever would not provide enough slack when loosened to comfortably slip under the chin.
Dual-Strap Hinge Lever.
While a little less streamlined than the one strap adjustment, this design allows for the necessary range of adjustment.
Athletic to Geometric.
Athletic and geometric were two form languages that I wanted to synthesize in my final design, but too much of either one would miss the mark. By sketching a spectrum between the two forms, I found that somewhere in the middle was the perfect balance. This design is highlighted in red.
Asymmetrical Design.
With the oversized fastening handle being the highlight of the piece, why not create a unique design that is asymmetrical from side to side to further highlight this innovation?
This design would be produced in two variants, a right and a left.
No Buckle, No Problem.
With the help of the new lever design, only a one-time strap adjustment is needed using the standard strap adjustment rings. From this point removing and tightening is all done without a buckle.
Fidlock
Although marketed as a one-handed solution, consumer reviews complain that the buckle ends are difficult to locate.
Buckle
Standard buckles are difficult to open for those with arthritis and tough to close with one hand.
Latch and Go.
One Hand Removal
A thumb hole is cut into the shock absorption layer of the helmet under the shell, allowing the rider to use one hand to remove the helmet. This hole doubles as a vent running the length of the helmet.
Sustainable Materials
Pivot Bamboo Polypropylene.
This material uses bamboo fibers to reinforce common plastics like polypropylene, polylactic acid and polyethylene to make them mimic stronger, yet less sustainable materials. For this helmet, Pivot Bamboo polypropylene would be the right choice because this material could mimic the toughness of ABS (commonly used in skate helmet shells) while maintaining recyclability.
Expanded Polylactic Acid.
This bio-based material, expanded polylactic acid, is a sustainable alternative to the universally used expanded polystyrene (EPS) in helmets because it is derived from corn.
Anodized Aluminum.
Anodized aluminum is perfect material for the lever arm because it is recyclable, weather resistant, scratch resistant, strong and lightweight.
Right Hand Variant.
Colorway Options.
