Mission
Design a next-generation power drill that brings modern simplicity and everyday usability to the mass market.
Duration
8 Weeks / Individual Project
Skills
User Research / Ergonomics / CMF / 3D Modeling (Rhino) / Rendering (KeyShot) / Form Development
DRILL BITS
MOTOR
TRIGGER
CHARGING PORT
CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT
SWITCH
BATTERY
Inside a drill
Before redesigning, I disassembled a typical power drill to map its core components and understand how layout and mechanism affect usability and ergonomics.
Usability problems for beginners
To further understand the usability challenges faced by novice users, I conducted a small usability test in Home Depot’s interactive display area. Participants were asked to operate a cordless drill without any instruction manual and complete simple tasks.
Meet with
Emilia Helena
— International student who values comfort, convenience, and efficiency.
“I want my home to feel warm and cozy, but moving is exhausting—so many tasks, tools, and things to assemble. I just wish everything could be easier.”
Understand Her Pain-Points
Assembling Furnitures
Unstable Posture
Damaging Surface
Noise & Vibration
Hanging Pictures
Alignment Issue
One-hand Challenge
Cleanup Burden
Fixing Lightings
Arm Fatigue
Poor Visibility
Screw Dropping
A Tool Should Empower Users,
Not Confuse Them.
— Even for the first time
Introduce Aero
In the early 20th century, the arrival of streamlined automobiles etched a bold mark in design history with their sense of futurism, speed, and energy efficiency. Today, we weave those lines into everyday tools, paying homage to the pioneers of that era and crafting a new narrative of high-performance tools.
Bold
A bold and avant-garde design that dares to challenge the aesthetics and functionality of traditional products.
Effortless
Interactions are simple yet intuitive, allowing new users to easily get started without feeling frustrated.
Nostalgia
Inspired by the past century, brings a retro aesthetic to elevate moments in life.
What makes a hand tool feel ergonomic?
The development of form starts from shaping oil-clay grips, I found that rear-weighted mass and long tale allow the drill to anchor naturally in the thumb-index webbing.
A home for every bit.
A built-in storage module holds your essential bits by magnets, turning bit-changing into part of the seamless workflow.
Smart
charging.
Drop the drill into the dock and it begins charging automatically. A row of LEDs tracks battery levels, so you always know when it’s ready for the next job.
One action, two controls.
Instead of multiple switches and toggles, the front end sets direction and adjusts speed–torque in one motion, removing complexity for beginners while keeping control within reach.
More color choices
To further understand the usability challenges faced by novice users, I conducted a small usability test in Home Depot’s interactive display area. Participants were asked to operate a cordless drill without any instruction manual and complete simple tasks.
Components inside
To further understand the usability challenges faced by novice users, I conducted a small usability test in Home Depot’s interactive display area. Participants were asked to operate a cordless drill without any instruction manual and complete simple tasks.
Where speed once carved through air,
it now shapes the way we hold and make.
Design is the act of
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