This project explored a better solution for riders to enjoy riding in the rain. Lohoi is a capsule raincoat designed for motorcycle commuters to store and carry their raincoat easily after riding and allows them to express their tastes in different situations.
Our goal for this project was to solve the problems we would encounter in our daily life, something that caused us little pain but affected us constantly. We brainstormed the topics that we were all interested in and determined to solve the one that we, including a lot of people around us, all shared. In Taiwan, motorcycles are one of the most common transportation on the road. Due to the subtropics and tropical monsoon climate, raincoats are indispensable for drivers yet there are ample inconveniences during the whole process. As a result, we decided to figure out the exact pain points and solve the problem to provide a more pleasant user experience.
This was a school project from September 2016 to May 2017. I worked on the project itself with three teammates for one semester and another semester collaborating with other teams to prepare for the final exhibitions.
It was teamwork throughout the whole process. However, I contributed more to the 3D modeling with another member while the other two took care of the documentation more. In addition, I co-led the visual design team with another classmate with four members and collaborated with other teams during the exhibition preparation.
The exhibitions were held in Tainan between April 22nd to 28th, 2017 and in Taipei between May 27th to 30th, 2017.
We started by conducting user research and a product competitive audit. There are six stages when using the raincoat: carrying, putting on, wearing when riding, taking off, drying, and storing. We discovered that storing accounted for the most significant time among these processes. However, riders always have to deal with the problem of hanging a raincoat up to dry because of the rainy weather. After our detailed observation of existing products, we realized that most of them emphasized functions while using such as waterproofing but ignored the storing problem.
While brainstorming ideas, we struggled to figure out one solution to all the problems we wanted to solve. Eventually, we chose to focus on how to store and carry the raincoat easily.
How might we deal with the raincoat after using it?
Besides the basic functions of the raincoat, our design focuses on the storing part in order to make a raincoat easier to be carried or stored on motorcycles. We also take many different scenarios and statuses of riders into consideration to improve the overall riding experience. According to these goals, we started to develop our ideas by sketching.
Early on, we tried to develop as many ideas as we could and later used the KJ method to refine them. Once the ideas were categorized into a few directions, we started prototyping with simple materials to test the structure and using process.
Commuting with your motorcycle to explore the city every day, Lohoi provides you with an elegant solution against unpredictable weather by making the raincoat easy to wear and carry. Lohoi enables people to enjoy driving in the rain and express a sense of minimalism as a daily necessity object.
