What makes Eatwell unique?
Eatwell is an assistive tableware set meticulously designed to empower individuals to eat independently. While its universal, user-centered design can be used by anyone, it is especially beneficial for those with cognitive impairments (such as Alzheimer's and other dementias), motor challenges (like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis), and physical limitations (due to injury or infirmity). After years of dedicated research and development, Eatwell has earned international recognition, including first place at the Stanford Design Challenge among 52 teams from 15 countries, and was named one of Time Magazine's "20 Best Inventions of the Year."
Key Features of Eatwell
Each Eatwell set boasts over 20 unique features, each one carefully crafted based on insights and discoveries from our four-year design process. Here are some of the standout features:
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High-Contrast Colors: The vibrant colors used in Eatwell help users distinguish food from the tableware, stimulating appetite and enhancing the dining experience.
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Ergonomically Curved Spoons: The spoons are specially designed to match the contours of the bowls, enabling smoother, more natural motions while eating.
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Slanted Bottom and Deep Chambers: These features ensure food collects at the corners, making it easier to scoop every last bite.
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Anti-Tip Design: The cups and mugs are designed to resist tipping, reducing the risk of spills and accidents.
Eatwell's design is backed by research conducted at Boston University, which demonstrated that using bright colors helps individuals with dementia better distinguish food, leading to a 24% increase in food consumption and an 84% increase in liquid intake. This finding highlights how thoughtful design can make a significant impact on quality of life.
Therefore we chose blue to be the inner color since there is no food that comes in the color of blue.
I also chose to use red and yellow to help stimulate their appetite.
The slanted bottom design can help users to gather food on one side without scooping.
The right angle side of the bowl is designed to help users collect food into the spoon more easily and also to prevent food from being accidentally scooped out of the bowl.
Both spoon heads are designed to match the curvature of the bowls to pick up the food easier.
One side matches the curvature of the wall while the other side matches the basin.
Every product in the EATWELL set has anti-slippage material on the bottom to prevent slipping or sliding.
To prevent the cups from tipping over, one cup has a rubber base that acts as a stabilizer.
Another cup has a handle that extends to the tabletop for added support. The handle is also specifically designed to benefit users with arthritis.
Future product
A tray that allows users to clip an apron onto the edge to help catch any dropped food and preventclothing stains.