comfortabel experience

After doing readings on both psychological and physical comfort and looking at the difference of comfort and discomfort I found that the psychological accept played a more fundamental part of creating comfort then a physical object, as it was easier to determine wether an object was my physically uncomfortable or not uncomfortable rather then determining if it was comfortable due to comfort being a subjective phenomenon (Vink, 2005) and also we take physical comfort for granted as physical comfort is stronger after discomfort (Farrell, 2009).

There are two parts I want to portray in my experience

First I want to create an environment to prevent discomfort physically, such as;

• Using soft fabrics and textures such as fur, or satin and having soft padding that works ergonomically. Also colours that are deemed warm like orange, white or yellow
•  a warm environment with temperature and and humidity. 
• Also prevent pain, ache, numb hurting and other discomfort sensations. 
• consider the ergonomics and posture to the experience, will they be standing or sitting, will it have support or not?

second I want the experience to be psychologically comfortable;

• use a smell that will bring comfort in the use of memory and history, I personaly see the smell of lavander as comforting as I relate lavender with going to sleep, when I couldn't sleep when I was a kid my mother used to rub lavender on my chest and wrist to help me relax, so now when I smell it I relaxed which I fell is a sense of being comfortable. 
• create a safe, relaxing, calm and restful environment 
• when presenting show positive attributes of, kindness, gentleness, goodness and friendliness
• think about the history behind peoples experiences of putting on shoes and use the idea of memory to create a comfortable environment 

I feel that it is important to have two parts of the experience, my theory is that you can't create physical comfort only try to prevent physical discomfort as we as humans take the physical aspects of comfort for granted. so preventing physical discomfort will only act as a catalyst to creating physiological comfort, this will then be created by making a comfortable environment using memories, safety, relaxation and positive attributes. 

Comfort

From doing readings I found that there are two different types of comfort mental and physical. mental is where you are comfortable with the sorundings mentally, you feel  reassured and safe, it plays off your memories, trust and relationships. This type of comfort takes a long time to create and is studied a lot with nurse where they try to create an environment for a patient to feel comfortable. while physical is where for feel comfortable from and physical product or service this type of comfort is taken for granted as people only feel comfortable after discomfort and this comfort is only temporary and last a short amount of time, I feel that it only last the length of the kinetic movement such as rubbing a soft surface, once you have stopped rubbing it and just leave you hand on the surface you no longer feel the comfortable sensation, this style of comfort is used in industrial design, such as chair making where you are not trying to create comfort but prevent discomfort.

I feel that the main difference between these two types of comfort is time as mental comfort takes a long time to create a comfortable environment I feel would take a few days to create the mentally comfortable environment while physical comfort only lasts a few seconds as when you stop moving/smelling/listening you lose the focus on comfort and will then only consider comfort again when the the action or product is deemed uncomfortable. the factor of time then becomes a big issue of making my experiment as you have to get the time just right to try to create mental and physical comfort.


Physical Comfort:

Vink, P. (2005). Comfort and design: Principles and good practice. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

To get a better under standing on physical comfort I read a book by Peter Vink- Comfort and Design.
it book when into great detail on the principles to create a comfortable chair and environment. Vink described comfort as 'freedom from pain; well being', there is at least three problems face us in striving for comfort; 1. the exact cause of discomfort or comfort is unknown, there is no model available that describes the cause of comfort. 2. every individual has his or her own meaning of comfort. comfort is a subjective phenomenon. 3. the comfort design process is not described and the approach is unknown." and 'the product its self can never be comfortable; it becomes comfortable (or not) in its use." This then shows that it is difficult to create an environment or product that is deemed comfortable to ever user. Vink looked into a study by Slater (1985) who "defines comfort as a pleasant state of physiological, psychological and physical harmony between a human being and his or her environment "this shows that for product and physical comfort we also have to factor in the mental aspects of comfort it was also stated "the history of our comfort experiences determines our expectations of a product based on what we are used to" (looze et al. 2003 (comfort and design) which relates back to the physiological aspects of comfort and how it relates back to memory. Vink also described that there was three manifestations when considering making comfort;
"Discomfort- the participant experiences discomfort because of physical disturbances in the environment.
No discomfort- the participant is not aware of discomfort or comfort or there is no discomfort.
Comfort- the participant experiences noticeably more comfort than expected and feels comfortable."
when trying to consider where the user would lie with the different manifestations when using the product Looze et al. (2003) created a model to show the different factors that can action on resulting in the different manifestations;

it described that you not only had to physically feel comfortable but other factors acted on it such as temperature, humidity, noise, state of the person, history and smell, it was reported that even though we are mostly not aware of the effect that smell has on us with comfort it actually influences our experiences. 

The book went into detail on the comfort and discomfort specific to seating and how people experienced comfort in their seats, studies where found that the absence of discomfort did not result in comfort. it showed that discomfort was associated with pain and if that was taken away then nothing was experienced, while comfort is retaliated to the sense of well-being and the pleaser the chair gives; 

discomfort highlights more physical aspects, such as pain, ache, hurting while comfort shows more of the mental aspects happy, relaxed safe, calm and restful.

Vinks Theory on comfort changed my views on Physical Comfort, even though I know it is hard to create a physical object that is deemed comfortable in the sense of touch as comfort is a Subjective experience I can try to create an experience that could create an experience that results in safety, restfulness, happiness and being relaxed with a physical object it will result in the objects making a comfortable experience. 


Physiological comfort:
 I found that it is very difficult trying to find information on psychological comfort that can be related to design. I found that there is research that has been done with in nurses to help create a comforting environment for their patients, I felt that this could help to relate to the design world. it was described that comfort is the overall role that nurses have to focus on and to achive this they have to first identify patients’ perceptions of their needs (Orlando, 1961). it is also the process to developing a close relationship with the patient which can result in healing and growth (hall, 1964). 

I found a study buy Elizabeth Tutton who looked it to the relationship between elderly people and their nurses in a ward and try to make it more comfortable for them. (Tutton, E., & Seers, K. (2004). Comfort on a ward for older people. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 46(4), 380-389. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03005.x)  As a whole didnt relate on what I was trying to find out about physiological comfort but it give some good insight on how nurse perceive comfort and how they create comfort for their patients, The study showed that comfort was an individual process in which every one is different, and staff find out the patients wants and wishes and tries to fulfill them. it was found that the patients felt more comfortable when the nurses had more positive attributes such as; kindness, gentleness, goodness and friendliness. if was found that comfort was also created when the nurse know the patient, their background, likes and dislikes and simple facts about them, this was because knowing the person created a sense of normality and community. The environment provided is also deemed as an important factor in creating comfort, as the patients are in the ward for a long period of time they have to create a space which is welcoming and personal, we the patient can have their own space. comfort is also created in every day activities such as helping to wash someones hair or cutting their nails, also helping assist them in knowing what is happening like providing a mirror so they can see their injuries heal.
this studied show the long term ways to create a comfortable environment and playing on the physiological aspects on comfort, even though I don't have the time to lean the background to the tutors and find out their likes and dislikes and base this experience over the space of a few weeks caring for them and providing their wants and wishes, I could use some of the concepts of what nurses use to create comfort an make a lot shorter experience.
 

physical vs mental comfort

I have read quite a lot of readings on comfort and they cover two different concepts of comfort one looks at the physical concept of comfort where they make an object comfortable with the help of space and ergonomics and the other is on the emotional aspect of comfort, making someone feel mentally comfortable in an environment, a lot of nurses use this concept of comfort to make the patients more feel more at home and reassure them that it will be ok. so I when coming to deigning my experience I can go down either paths, to make a physical comfort and make an activity that enhances comfort or I could make the environment more comfortable  so when doing the activity you felt reassured and comforted, make the user feel at home, care for them. another reading I had read it said that we take comfort for grated so for us to appreciate comfort we have to have had discomfort

I felt the next step was to thin about different was to create comfort using these different concepts;

• I feel that as we take comfort for grated and we only notice it at the beginning I could make an experience that on focused at the begging of the act for initial comfort. I could look at different materials, like the bootie I had made for the last project that was made of fur and ribbon so that you initially feel comfort but over time you no longer feel comfortable, I found that that bootie was only comfortable with kinetic movement once your foot was inside and you had done up the bootie you no longer noticed the bootie
• another way I could create physical comfort is to make the environment comfortable, such as make a comfortable chair, one that is ergonomically designed to make tying up your shoes easier, such as having it on an angle so that it can be easy to bend down. or have padding around it to create warmth and softness, play soft soothing sounds, pleasant smells. 
• I could use the reassurance to create a mental comfortable experience using soft soothing voice and positive words, ask them questions that mother them, and talk to them personally so it wasn't as awkward situation. I feel that the problem with this is that it would be hard to pull off well they could find the situation awkward as they might not understand why you are asking them all those questions and find it more irritating rather then comforting, and as it is such a small task you cant create that closeness and personal interaction. 
• in a reading I had found that to create comfort you need discomfort i find that this would be a strong concept as you do feel comfortable on the last experience, but the problem with this projects is that the whole experience as to be comfortable so if I make some components uncomfortable it then defeats the whole experience of being comfortable. 

changing the act;

I want to make the act of putting on and tying up your shoes different so you notice the comfort elements. so it decided to think of different was to do this;

• I could pull apart all the different steps of the activity and make each component comfortable in a different way. loosening your lasses, pushing your foot int the shoe and the tension of pulling it on, tightness up the laces, tying the bow. I could take the main ideas of these steps and make them separate and focus on home to make them physically comfortable, such as changing the materials, smell, taste, sight, sound that reflect the steps
• I could enlarge the act and move it away form the foot, such as use the whole body or take it away from the body and have it as an external act, this way you would look at it differently and experience it in a different way, as it is an act you to subconsciously and don't take any notice of it as you do it on a daily basis 

comfort and design

Vink, P. (2005). Comfort and design: Principles and good practice. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

I found a book that looked at comfort in the use of products. it focused mostly on ergonomics and space rather then anything else. it described comfort as "influenced by many factors in the environment. that means that it is not easy to design, market or manage with factors of design." "there is at least three problems face us in striving for comfort; 1. the exact cause of discomfort or comfort is unknown, there is no model available that describes the cause of comfort. 2. every individual has his or her own meaning of comfort. comfort is a subjective phenomenon. 3. the comfort design process is not described and the approach is unknown." i found this book more interesting then other reading i had found as it talked more about the physical aspect of comfort rather then the mental aspect. I feel that this would be easier to create an experience. 

The problem that keeps on coming up when I read about comfort is that it is a subjective phenomenon this then means that it is up to the user to decide if they are comfortable and everyone will experience it  differently. i also fell that comfort can come off as an initial factor and over time you get use to the surrounding and you take comfort for granted so when making my experience I would want it to be short so the user will appreciate it fully.

comfort on a ward for old people

I found a reading by Elizabeth Tutton who had written about trying to make elderly patient feel more comfortable with their nursers, I though this reading would give a different approach to how to make an experience more comfortable.

Tutton, E., & Seers, K. (2004). Comfort on a ward for older people. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 46(4), 380-389. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03005.x

but I found that it didn't relate to the type of comfort I was looking for, it was showing the long term relationship between an elderly patient and there nurse. The study drew on the principles of ethnography (Hammersley & Atkinson 1995), the primary focus of which is to provide a description of a culture by observing, descri- bing and analysing what is happening (Aamodt 1991). This study explored comfort as a specific aspect of a culture and, therefore, is more focussed than traditional ethnographies (Leininger 1985).  Gaining trust and having a bond, learning about their lives and hearing their stories. making a more comfortable living environment. Hall (1964, 1969) suggests that comfort is a part of the process of developing closeness with patients which leads to growth and healing. I don't have the time to give my whole life to get to know the tutors and make a comfortable living environment, so I found it was hard to pick out was would be useful to use. 

First concept

one Idea I had was to make a foldable hat. one that could have a hard casing but in sections that then could be folded up, so that on a hot day you could take it off, fold it up and put it in your pocked but when wearing it you had more protection then a beanie,

i want to keep to the normal beanie look as posable so looked at the different common shapes. the first was the normal shape with the flappy ear parts to keep their ears warm and the folds would go down the center of the ear parts. the next I looked at the normal round one where the bottom rim is folded over, I felt if I did this one I would make that part elastic so it would hold on to the head better as I am scared that if the segments are hard then they wouldn't hold to the head as well so I would be scared the hat would fall off, so having the elastic part it would hold on but it would also be easy to fold.
My last idea I felt would fit my preference better, I enjoy skiing with only ear warmers (a headband type thing but sits tightly over the ears) i like skiing with ear warms as it means my head were the hair is can breath but my ears and forehead can stay warm, but in this idea it would have the segments but between them will be made of mesh so it can breath, the problem with this one is that on wet days the snow/rain could get inside the hat and defeat the purpose of it and make your head could and uncomfortable so would have to find a way to get air into it but keep it waterproof.

Sketch model;

I decided to try make a sketch model to see if my idea would work, I know the actual shape docent match a shape of the head but I wanted to see if you could get it to fold and it does fold in the way I want it to fold. but as your head is not cone shaped and rounds over, either the materials would have to be able to fold flat when not on the head or would have to be in segments that are curved when in the hat position so have tension on the fabric when like that so it sticks to the shape of the head and then flattens out and collapses when not on the head.

Skiing.

I have the hobby of going skiing and love the freedom of the sport and a part of the joy of the sport is the adrenaline of risk taking, so in a way safety has to be kept at a minimum but now days it is becoming more common for people wear more safety gear such as helmets and some snowboarder wear wrist guards to prevent strains, but me personally don't like waring the helmets i find them quite heavy on your head and don't breath well so by the end of the day you have a sweaty head, I also feel that their is a fashion/status element when you are on the mountain as you just don't look as good with a helmet, if you aren't a pro you come of as bit of a wimp or just to over protective. But I do find them kind of useful as the last time I went skiing I bailed on a run and landed on my head which not only hurt but also resulted it not being able to move my neck for a week and I know that people have died while on the mountain and they would of survived if they were wearing a helmet like actress Natasha Richardson who died in a skiing accident for not wearing a helmet.

I would like to design a helmet that wasn't noticeable and was breathable as I find that the temperature of the mountain changes rapidly throughout the day, it is normally cold in the morning and on a good sunny day you are hot by lunchtime, and always find my head and chest area are the first to over heat (the head heats up after with a helmet of as it isn't breathable and also heavy and restricting so heat is contained inside it). so if I had a helmet that could keep your head warm in the cold wind and mornings but could also not over heat your head in the sun.

I found a website that looked at different skiing and snow boarding injuries and it describes that head injuries is the most fatal and can have the worst outcome, can end up with death or severe head injuries. 'Individuals who have sustained serious head injuries often need advanced airway procedures such as intubation and ventilation in order to maintain adequate levels of oxygenation. Additional complications can include respiratory depression, seizures (fits) and associated spinal injury. If the brain has been badly damaged, bleeding both in and around the brain can occur and the brain itself can swell. This is a real problem, because the brain is encased in a solid case (the skull) which has no vent for this increased pressure. The brain therefore gets squeezed by this increasing pressure which damages it still further. All in all, not good. Unfortunately, as a result, serious head injuries, even with appropriate management, frequently result in death or permanent and significant disability.'  There are three main outcomes that can result in a head on accident; Collisions - either with another person or an object (e.g. tree, rock, fence, pylon, snow surface), Impacts with snow surface (e.g falls onto a hard snow/ice surface or jumps that go wrong) or Lift accidents (e.g hits on the head from swinging T-bars, chairs or poma buttons). so there are many factors that could go wrong if you are not careful. 

head injuries account for at most 10-20% of all snow accidents but I feel it is the most dangerous.

Over the last 10 year in the USA there has been 39 deaths on the slops due to head injuries, and 30 of them were skiers and of the 39 eight of them were reported to be wearing helmets, so it shows that helmet do save the lives but do slow down the chances. 

There are also arguments against wearing the helmet, it suggest that wearing a helmet puts strain on the neck and makes you more prone to next injuries, it also states that helmets affects your vision as you cant see a wider range as you cant see on your sides. As you have the helmet on squashing on your head and coving your ears it is thought that your hearing is more impaired  I have found this when trailing the helmet, I did find it more difficult to hear. and also it is thought that when wearing a helmet  you are more prone to take more risks as you feel you will be fine if land on your head  the "risk compensation theory"

I looked it what ski helmets are made from and I found a web site that explained the different types of padding inside the helmets and what they feel are the safest type of helmet. http://www.allsportprotection.com/Types_of_Ski_Helmets_s/662.htm;

EPS

 EPS (Expanded Polystyrene). Low-profile and light in weight, EPS foam liners are the industry standard for action sports. EPS liners are not multi-impact, but they do meet CE/CPSC standards. 

SXP from Pro Tec

 SXP (Surface Activated Expanded Polypropylene). Patented multi-impact material that is ideal for aggressive riding style. Multi-impact SXP liners have built-in rebound control. Once the liners have been compressed, multi-impact SXP memory kicks in and the liner rebounds, maintaining its impact-absorbing qualities. Multi-impact SXP are the only lightweight multi-impact helmets to be CE/CPSC-certified and still deliver the style and fit that customers deserve. 

SEPP/EPP from POC

 SEPP (Super Expanded Polypropylene) / EPP (Expanded Polypropylene). The difference between the materials is that SEPP and EPP, unlike EPS do not deform permanently on impact and is therefore suitable to absorb repetitive shocks. Meaning, essentially that an EPS liner will break, distributing the force from the impact throughout the helmet. The EPP and SEPP are similar in that they will also break when the maximum force of impact occurs, but SEPP and EPP have higher stress limits when it comes to breakage and flex. 

Hard Hat Brock Foam from Bern Unlimited

 Bern Hard Hat is an interior foam called Brock Foam. Brock Foam is a soft, very comfortable foam that is rated as a multiple impact foam. When an impact occurs on a Brock pad, each bead moves the adjacent two beads laterally which diffuses the impact. Friction between the beads turns much of the force into kinetic energy. Multiply this by the thousands of beads in each pad and you have the essence of why Brock absorbs impact better than standard foam pads. It is made up of a polypropylene bead that offers a firm protective layer and has excellent moisture and heat wicking properties.

Brock foam is not certified ASTM or CE for skate, snow or bike. The helmet is still a great helmet, but you do need to be aware of this fact. 

Zipmold from Bern Unlimited

 The Bern Zip-Mold is what other companies will often call an in-mold helmet. The Bern Zip-Mold is similar in build to an EPS helmet except the outer shell and inner shell are combined into one during the manufacturing process. This allows for a better strength to weight ratio and gives the helmet a lower profile without losing its protective qualities. 

Most of this didn't make much sense to me in if I want to make my own as I don't really know how to get ahold of the different polypropylenes or how to work with them so I felt I would go for a different approach on making one and thought about changing the materials and form, if I want it to be breathable and to protect your head. I kind of want to mix the normal hat with the helmet; I don't think it it would be a helmet good for the risky skiers or the ones that jump off cliffs but a step up form the the beanie.

I then looked into the precedent that was given in class the Hovding- airbag for cyclists, using the airbag concept to make a cycling helmet, The airbag is designed like a hood and made in an ultra-strong nylon fabric that won’t rip when scraped against the ground. Hövding protects nearly all of the head, while leaving the field of vision open.

The inflated airbag covers a much larger area than a traditional cycle helmet and is designed according to current accident statistics. The protection is greatest where it is needed most and the airbag provides extremely soft and gentle shock absorption. The pressure remains constant for several seconds, making it able to withstand multiple head impacts during the same accident. After that the airbag slowly starts to deflate.

I think the problem with this helmet when it comes to skiing as it wont work as effectively is that it is more common to fall over on skis then it is on a bike as I feel that this type of helmet is more of a one it thing and then would have to spend some time to sit and put it back in and make sure it is ready to go off again, and I feel that the force you fall of a bike is different then on skis and it would be hard to deuterium if you are fall over or just flying down the mountain at top speed. also this helmet is designed not be be on your head most of the time and have your head exposed to the elements which isn't ideal for skiing as you want to keep your head warm in -0 temperatures. But it is a good precedent as it shows a different way to make a helmet then just the normal with a Polypropylene inside and hard plastic shell. 

I then looked at different types of helmets out there not designed for skiing but designed to protect your head. and I thought about rugby and boxing headgears, they aren't made out of hard plastic, they are soft flexible and breathable. they aren't the look I want to go for but they are good to protect your head on impact, so its a good indication to know where to put the points needing most protection.