Press Release
A' Design Award in Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design Goes to Wobbleshroom Ankle Rehabilitative Product by Minkyu Seo
The international grand jury of the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Minkyu Seo for sporting goods, fitness and recreation equipment design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 28, 2022 /DesignNewswire/ Wobbleshroom Ankle Rehabilitative Product by Minkyu Seo has been granted the A' Design Award in the Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The A' Design Award Explained
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Wobbleshroom Ankle Rehabilitative Product
Wobbleshroom is a balance training device made to strengthen the ankles and help prevent injuries. The form is inspired by the wobble board and recalls a mushroom. Stepping on the upper plate activates the device, which plays music notes and vibrates selected corners to guide the user to tilt in that direction. One set lasts three minutes. The top is made of soft polyurethane foam for grip and cushioning, and the body is made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The device measures 55 by 38 centimeters and weighs 5 kilograms.
About Minkyu Seo
Minkyu Seo is a multi-disciplinary designer currently attending ArtCenter College of Design. Drawing inspiration from sociology, applied science, and art, his work explores the relationship between people, craft, and digital technology, trying to find the balance between the three to create a more joyful human experience.
Award Record
Minkyu Seo is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design Award
The A' Sporting Goods Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good sports equipment designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to sporting goods designers, fitness equipment designers, recreation equipment designers and industrial designers from all countries. Entries typically include basketballs, tennis rackets, yoga mats, running shoes, dumbbells and bicycles. Awarded sports equipment designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/sporting-goods
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/140405
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/140405
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!140405
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/330999
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/3JWyLRR
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Wobbleshroom Ankle Rehabilitative Product
- Function
- Ankle Rehabilitative Product
- Category
- Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Sports
- Colors
- Dark Sea Green, Light Blue, Cadet Blue, Gainsboro and Powder Blue
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Minkyu Seo
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2021 - 2022
- Design ID
- #140405
Credits
- Image Credits
- N/A
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Wobbleshroom is a prehabilitative device designed to prevent future ankle injuries by bringing Neuromuscular Training and Whole Body Vibration into our everyday life. The device utilizes sound and vibration to guide the user in which direction to move – always ensuring a safe, fun, and effective exercise routine that does not feel burdensome.
- Inspiration
- The main inspiration came from the wobble board, a widely used tool to improve one's core strength during rehabilitative exercise. Additional inspiration came from interviews with experts - including a doctor at Johns Hopkins University.
- Research
- The research initially began with ankle injuries. Though some may view them as minor incidents, they are highly likely to develop into permanently unstable ankles if improperly treated. After finding out that the primary way to prevent ankle injuries is by improving peroneal muscles, I set out ways to discover possible fitting exercise routines used by professional athletes. It was there that I came across neuromuscular training and whole-body vibration. Prior is an exercise often used by athletes, and later is a technique developed by NASA for astronauts to stimulate leg muscles and improve balance.
- Challenge
- Challenge was to lower the bar of rehabilitative exercise so that it is readily accessible for all users in a safe, joyful way, ultimately with a goal of the product blending into the user's daily life without feeling like a chore. To make the breakthrough, I have interviewed the users and the experts in the field - including doctors from John Hopkins University, based on data collected on various functional mockups.
- Realization and Technology
- To improve grips to prevent a user from falling off while being on top of the device, the top of the Wobbleshroom is designed with soft PU foam. It is soft, cushiony, and provides enough rigidity, serving as a perfect material to address my need. The rest of the body is mostly designed with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene.
- Operation and Interaction
- The simple act of stepping on the Wobbleshroom activates the device. It would start to play music notes and vibrate specific corners of the upper plate (mushroom hat), guiding users to tilt their bodies accordingly. A single set completes after 3 minutes, which is just the safe amount of exercise one is expected to do a day.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project finished December of 2021 in California.
- Keywords
- Healthcare, Recreation, Gamification, Exercise, Fun
