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Ryobi Quick Connect Paint ContainerClient: The Home Depot
Skills: Concept Engineering, End User Research, Problem Solving Project Scope: To develop a paint container that is quicker and easier to install than current competitive designs.
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Initial User Research
We recorded the feedback and experience of several end users and identified several issues that could easily be addressed to create a more positive experience.
Inspiration and concept development
The innovation team asked ourselves: What else holds 64oz of liquid that you don't want to drop? Sometimes it's silly to reinvent the wheel when very practical solutions already exist. The juice container grip was loosely incorporated into the paint container housing. The fill hole was widened to the width of the full container to make it easier to fill without drips. Several quick-connect options were explored.
Weighted Foam concept models
Rough housing prototypes were created from cut foam. Several mechanisms were prototyped largely out of SLA material. The containers were cored out and filled with lead balls to simulate the weight of an actual container of paint. After review, the top three possible solutions were submitted back to the larger design and engineering team.
Final Outcome
The final design incorporated most of the features we presented in the prototypes giving the project manager a better project than originally requested. In the end the engineers could feel comfortable in the mechanical design and the designers could feel comfortable in the overall direction giving them time to make it look sweet. The final container implemented a bayonet style mechanism that allows the user to quickly and easily install and remove the container. The overall process of filling and cleaning the container has been improved by simply altering the existing design into a more useful form.
