When I was thinking of something interactive to pick to study this week I had a think about things that I use on a regular basis and which are made in a myriad of different shapes, styles and effectiveness. I immediately thought of kitchen utensils and cookware, which vary in price and quality depending on the materials and the reputation that they have. The price of these household commodities doesn't necessarily correlate to the effectiveness and ergonomic quality of the item, something which intrigued me.
For example, the following image shows a fairly standard corkscrew bottle opener which has the kind of shape and functionality that is immediately familiar to most people. The operation is fairly straight forward - you screw the metal spike into the cork of the bottle until it is fully submerged; the 'arms' lift during this process and in order to release the cork you press down the 'arms' which uses the inherent leverage of the design to help with the pulling gesture.
The following opener, however, has been designed with ergonomics in mind, and even has the name 'Good Grips Easy Twist Corkscrew'. This design helps the user form their hand into a more comfortable position whilst applying pressure, thereby providing a better user experience and potentially helping less able people use such devices.
The last opener shows how such everyday items can become more than just functional and can be styled into attractive products, with equally attractive price tags! Designed by Alessandro Mendini, the Alessi Anna G. corkscrew is available in a multitude of styles and even comes in a male format (Alessi Alessandro M.) and a professional sommelier style bartender screw, which is, of course, a parrot! The functionality and ease of use may be the same as the first bottle opener, but for some, the design makes opening a bottle so much more enjoyable!
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