I’m Alex Siedlok, a Product Design student with an interest in practical, user-focused design that focuses on real problems. I enjoy developing ideas through research, prototyping and refinement, especially when a project involves physical products that work within systems that interact with their environment. My design approach focuses on tangible problems that tend to go overlooked or unseen. I have an interested in creating products that feel purposeful.
Throughout my final year, I explored how design can be used as a preventative tool, helping make hidden workplace strain more visible before it becomes a more serious issue. Product design is about solving issues we all have, and I aim to help with those issues even if it’s one small step at a time.
Shift Trace
Shift Trace is a wearable assessment kit designed to trace physical strain across a work shift. The final product is made up of a wearable glove device, a charging and data dock and a website system that allows recorded information to be reviewed after use. A worker wears the device during real cleaning work and the system records grip effort, wrist flexion and hand movement during that shift.
Once the shift is complete, the glove is placed back on the dock where it charges and transfers the information into the website. The system is not designed to be a fully independent smart wearable product, instead the focus lies on being a workplace assessment tool. Its purpose is to make hidden strain more visible, support practical conversations and help identify problems before they turn into more serious conditions.
