idea generation part 1

Mind Map

Garden hose nozzle mind map

I started this mind map with the information I gathered while performing user research, including my customer base and what that customer base looked for most in a garden hose nozzle. I also wanted to include some of the common complaints users have to possibly start on some solutions right off the bat. I also included nodes for the material and the handle of the nozzle, as those two main components of a nozzle were main points of contention for many users.

Exaptation

Music and Theatre

Most of my interests and passions aren’t very “garden hose nozzle-adjacent”, including music and theatre. Singing in choirs and acting in plays and musicals took up much of my pre-college life, so I was excited to bring my knowledge to this product. I focused on including musical and dramatic characteristics into the function of the nozzle, as well as shifting the use of the nozzle to one that would be useful for set-building or other applications onstage.

1. “Singing” nozzle: similar to the singing toothbrush, these can be targeted at kids and built-in with a timer to signify when a plant has enough water or when a set amount of water has been used.
2. Bluetooth nozzle: can be synced to your music and can spray water to the beat
3. Plant-therapy nozzle: multiple studies have shown that playing classical music around plants have impacted their growth positively. This nozzle will have pre-set classical songs the user can choose from, as well as a bluetooth sync option.
4. Pseudo-airbrush: nozzle/hose system that can be hooked to a mixture of paint or other medium and used to paint theatre sets quickly and seamlessly. Less expensive and more expansive than an airbrush machine.

Nutrition and Cooking

“Food is fuel” is my mother’s favorite saying. She’s always insisted that a healthy relationship with food includes recognizing that it should be nourishing for both the body and mind. Understanding nutritional value has always been a big part of my life. Relating nutrition and food to gardening seems like a more obvious association.

5. Nutrition Scanner: nozzle will scan the plant while watering it and alert the user if the plant is at peak nutritional value and is ready to be picked.

6: Smart water bottle-inspired: the nozzle can be synced to an app where the user can enter or scan the types of soil and plants they are watering. The app will track the soil hydration based upon the weather in the user’s area and alert the user when the plants should be watered.

7: Recipe nozzle: expansion on the nutrition scanner, the nozzle can input the plants ready to be picked and give nutritionally valuable recipe ideas with the plants the user is growing.

Fashion

I started making tiny clothes for my Barbies as soon as I can remember and the fascination with fabric and clothing construction hasn’t really dulled since then. My absolute favorite things to do in my off-hours are stalking runway shows online and checking out student work; they’re an endless source of inspiration.

8. Fredrik Tjærandsen balloon dress-inspired: inflatable handle attachment where a hand can be inserted, a pull releases the air, and the rubber attachment conforms around the wrist as a wrist strap. Help those who can’t hold the nozzle easily.

(left): Fully inflated balloon, pull inside to release air (right): wearer can escape through the opening in the top of the balloon

Balloon dress deflates

9. Iris Van Herpen-inspired 3-D print: based upon Biomorphism jewelry collection where glass was blown into an organic honeycomb pattern. Usually, her clothes are 3-D printed, like the skeleton dress (polyamide powder). Same honeycomb technique can make a metal lighter and resistant to dents or cracks.

(left): Biomorphism honeycomb structure (right): skeleton dress 3D printed with polyamide powder

10. Corset-inspired pressure control: corsetry techniques can be implemented in the interior of the nozzle to change the size of the water opening and therefore controlling the pressure of the flow.

TILMAG

I started the next phase of ideation by identifying the 5 essential characteristics that must be found in a garden hose nozzle:

1. Portability
2. Can control the flow of fluids/turn on and off
3. Trigger mechanism
4. Attaches to water source
5. Multi-functionality/Versatility

I then crossed these essentials with each other into a matrix and matched each pairing to 2 products (excluding garden hose nozzles) that satisfied each set of parameters.

TILMAG matrix featuring 2 products per pairing

After I organized these products, I started crossing them with each other to formulate solutions that could satisfy the garden hose nozzle customer.

1. Salt sprayer x Water gun: A water gun’s trigger mechanism and handle attached to a small hose and portable water bank
2. Cleaning spray x Flashlight: Spray nozzle and trigger connected to a flashlight-like handle, also acts as a flashlight if need to access soil under a plant.
3. Sprinkler x Fire alarm: Hand-held long sprinkler attachment that has a fire alarm-like lever to pull instead of a small trigger or hard-to-press button. Lever can control water flow through the sprinkler.
4. Bike pump x Water cooler: Bike pump stand that diminishes bending over to water plants, lever to push the water out through the top where a water cooler-like faucet waters the plants below.
5. Backpack x Water cooler: Water reservoir able to be worn on the back like a backpack, hose and nozzle attachment connected to pack.
6. Coffee maker x Cleaning spray: Coffee maker’s easy-to-push “trigger” button on a nozzle with a soap attachment so the nozzle can spray soapy water (with the push of a button).
7. Flashlight x PEZ dispenser: Long handled (like a flashlight) hose attachment where the top can be lifted toward the user and the water flow comes out of the opened top.
8. Power strip x Fire alarm: Long power strip-esque hose attachment with a long lever handle like one on a fire alarm, the water can escape through the outlet style openings.
9. Washing machine x Power strip: Long garden accessory, can be adjusted to fit over a garden bed (like a produce sprayer at a grocery store), water settings can be set like on a washing machine, slow and steady soil hydration over a period of time.
10. Rug Doctor x Sprinkler: Sprinkler that can be wheeled around a lawn like a push lawnmower so one spot of lawn doesn’t get oversaturated.

SCAMPER

Substitute

Can I replace or change any parts?

• Replace locking latch on the trigger with a magnet to hold the trigger in place
• Handle becomes a “hose gripper”, textured rubberized tube slides over end of hose, hold the textured rubber tube as a handle, nozzle very small and metal can be screwed into opening of hose

Can I use other materials?

• Polyamide powder derived from wool or silk, type of protein-based plastic
• Compostable plant-based material, can be replaced after each season and planted in garden after each year

Can I change its shape?

• Circular, hold one side of the plastic ring, water openings on the other side, hose attaches on side
• Cylindrical, flashlight inspired, with indented and rubberized sides where fingers can grip

Can I use this idea in a different place?

• Can be used for mural artists to quickly paint large surfaces by spraying paint through the nozzle (sheet setting)

Combine

What ideas or parts can be combined?

• Handle and trigger combined, squeeze handle to release water from nozzle, harder squeeze=more water pressure
• Plant fertilizer and water can be combined, fertilized water comes out of nozzle and nourishes a garden twice in one pass
• O-ring (leak guard) and screw-in base can be combined into one leak-proof piece that can be inserted into the hose and screwed into place. Prevent against losing or jamming O-rings in hoses

Can I combine or merge it with other objects?

• Combine with a Croc (hear me out), buy nozzle with large uniform holes in the dials, can buy spray pattern inserts to go into the holes, fully customizable spray combination
• Combine with an adjustable light switch, water pressure can be controlled by sliding the pressure gauge up or down on handle
• Combine with garden sheers to prune plants while watering

What materials could be combined?

• Stainless steel interior to prevent rusting, reinforced with a slightly more durable metal to prevent cracks or dents

Adapt

What else is like it?

• Lawn sprinkler, can move water flow without human intervention, attaches to hose
• Produce sprayers in the grocery stores, no human intervention, spray picked produce indoors on a timer

What other ideas does it suggest?

• Spray patterns can be in different shapes like cookie cutters, shower pattern in different shapes?
• Light-up shower heads, play music, apply to garden hose nozzle

What could I copy, borrow, or steal?

• Telescope fold out lens, could be applied to a fold-out nozzle handle
• Pet shower silicone bathing tool, connects to hose, silicone massaging tool to calm animal

What different contexts can I put my concept in?

• Kitchen/bathroom faucet attachment
• Baby bathing tool, attaches to bathroom faucet, gentle pressures and spray patterns, insertable baby soap

Magnify/Modify

What can you add?

• Add heating and cooling component: heated handles for colder weather, heat water when filling up a pool
• Add seed distributor, seed can be dropped from compartment in nozzle and then immediately watered when planted
• Scrubbers or sponges can be clipped to front of nozzle to speed car washing process
• “Swiffer” attachment to end of nozzle, hose water flow can consistently wet pre-soaped cleaner, easily clean gutters, house siding, and cars

What can be extended?

• Extended handle to reach larger plants or hanging planters
• Extended nozzle surface (similar to a sprinkler) to water more surface area at a time, wash a vehicle faster, or give the dog a real shower

Can it be used more often?

• Salt distributor component, can be used to easily and quickly salt the road in winter, bring summer accessory into winter

Put to other use

What else can it be used for?

-Instead of a water flow from a hose, the nozzle can direct the flow of air when not attached to a hose. Can be used to blow dust of surfaces, inflate a bike tire, etc.

How would a child use it? An older person?

• A child would be interested in using it for play, musical component, light up; game incorporated, like a Bop-It
• An older person may not be able to hold the nozzle for a long period of time, fold out tripod to keep nozzle in place above plants
• A trigger mechanism that must be pressed or squeezed may not work effectively for an older person, sliding lever to turn water on and off

How would people with different disabilities use it?

• A blind person would be able to use a nozzle with a sensor at the front to scan for thirsty plants and alert user through slight vibrations
• Amputee would be able to use a nozzle with an over-neck or over-shoulder strap or a arm/leg clamp. User can still manipulate where the water stream goes

Can I use this idea in other markets or industries?

• Culinary? Can be used to spray sauces on pizza or pasta, or condiments on fries and hot dogs, etc.

Eliminate

How can I simplify it?

• Remove handle, hold hose instead, turn lever on nozzle itself to turn flow on and off
• Remove dial to rotate spray patterns, press down on pattern on dial face to change patterns
• Remove trigger and apply pressure to the handle to turn flow on and off
• Hose attachment can be removed and replaced with a water chamber in the nozzle itself, get to places the hose can’t reach

What’s nonessential or unnecessary?

• A molded ergonomic handle isn’t necessary, nozzle can be strapped to wrist so the need to hold it doesn’t exist
• Multiple spray settings aren’t necessary, fire hose nozzle with adjustable pressure (one jet setting)
• Locking mechanism for trigger not necessary if the trigger is simply a switch (no need to hold in place)

Reverse/Rearrange

Can I interchange any components?

• Interchange nozzle with hose itself, nozzle has hose that extrudes from it to get in tough to clean/water spots
• Interchange O-ring with an anti-leak snap-in nozzle that doesn’t require an insert into the hose, airtight grip around outside of hose opening
• Interchange dial with the trigger, dial is around the handle instead of the nozzle face, turn dial from where hand naturally is placed to change spray setting
• Interchange handle with nozzle face, all one cylindrical tube held like a flashlight

Should I turn it around? Down instead of up? Up instead of down?

• Handle closest to user body, nozzle head wraps underneath handle for more ergonomic grip
• Swivel-able nozzle face

What if I try doing exactly opposite of what I intended?

• Add medium to a surface instead of washing it away, home-installation tool, can spray insulation and drywall

TRIZ

To start on TRIZ, I chose 3 of the 39 parameters that are integral to the construction of a garden hose nozzle that are also major sources of issue for consumers.

• #13: Stability of composition
• #33: Ease of operation
• #35: Adaptability/Versatility

I then crossed each of these parameters with each other on the TRIZ matrix and used the resulting contradiction solutions as a starting point for the next 10 ideas.

#1: Segmentation

• Interchangeable handles and nozzles: clip together in different combinations (LEGOs)
• Disassemblable: easy cleaning, prevent freezing in cold weather, able to be dried, prevent mold

#14: Spheroidality/Curvature

• Domed nozzle tip: strengthen tip against drops, sphere=strong
• Roller ball: embedded roller ball pressure controller, roll up to increase pressure, take pressure of finger joints

#16: Partial/Excessive Actions

• Water remover: “over-water” prevention, nozzle can dry the soil if the plant is too hydrated

#30: Flexible shells/thin films

• Film dial face: dial face made of a thin film, can bow out when water passes through the openings to control pressure

#32: Color Changes

• Bright handle: combat losing the nozzle and damaging it by not seeing it
• Colored water chamber: insert to change color of water, can change color of white flowers when watered with colored water
• Transparent body: to see inner workings of the nozzle

#33: Homogeneity

• All-Metal: metal molded body with textured metal handle
• All Rubber: drop-resistant

#34: Discarding and Recovering

• Soap capsule: insertable between hose and nozzle in O-ring, spray soapy water, biodegradable pack
• Replaceable parts: if only one part leaks, can obtain a replacement part instead of repurchasing, warranty

10 Ideas

Nozzles inspired by ideation techniques

More new solutions for the modern nozzle user

4 People

On Friday, November 1st, at 7 pm in my dorm, I’m meeting with Kyra Haake, Truc Ho, Ty Nguyen, and Olivia Rein (snacks TBD). They are all in different colleges: CSE, CBS, CLA, and CDes respectively.