A hair dryer designed with a hollow ergonomic handle that balances form and comfort, reducing hand fatigue during use.
Tsinghua University (Student Project)
2 Months
Product Designer
Rhino, Grasshopper, KeyShot
BACKGROUND
Blow-drying hair often takes over ten minutes, which can lead to arm and hand fatigue, especially for users with longer hair. By examining the structure of conventional hair dryers and common usage patterns, the project identified opportunities to improve comfort and control through redesigning the hair dryer’s form.
CHALLENGES
Reducing Use Fatigue
Addressing fatigue caused by prolonged holding and repeated wrist movements during blow-drying.
Ergonomic Hand Interaction
As a hand-held device, hair dryers interact closely with the user’s hand, requiring ergonomic consideration.
RESEARCH
I disassembled a hair dryer to analyse the functions of individual components and how they work together as a system.
I recorded the hair-drying process of several people with long hair. Based on these observations, I analysed the typical blow-drying workflow and identified key pain points.
I analyzed user grip patterns and finger movement ranges to identify key interaction zones on the handle.
IDEATION
Refining the handle shape and button placement to reduce fatigue from prolonged use and improve ease of one-handed operation, creating a more comfortable hair-drying experience.
PRODUCT DESIGN
Game controllers were used as styling references due to their ability to be comfortably gripped for long periods without causing fatigue.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
This project highlighted that design should be grounded in real usage behavior. By analysing grip patterns, finger movement, and prolonged use scenarios, I gained a clearer understanding of how users interact with a hair dryer and applied ergonomic considerations to inform the handle design.