Contour Project

by Kunaal Chand

Abstract

The growing stream of electronic waste (e-waste) is influenced by products designed for mass-market appeal over meeting the needs of individual users. Designing for the “average” consumer diminishes product value by overlooking user-specific needs, leading to the continual purchase of products in search of one that fits their individual needs and values. To address this issue, the Contour Project examines how participatory design, as a framework for developing consumer electronics, can better align with individual needs and core values, thereby encouraging more sustainable, value driven consumption.

The focuses on a computer mouse as the core artefact for engaging users with a participatory design process. Through testing three distinct mouse forms, the study found that users did not prefer a single form; rather, users preferred hybrid combinations of features from multiple designs. These findings highlight that designing for the average consumer neglects individual differences, whereas user-driven customisation can enhance comfort, the perceived value, and product longevity through greater product attachment, further contributing to sustainable consumption practices.

In addition to the core mouse design, this study developed a complementary service design framework to support the user throughout the mouse’s lifespan. The proposed service model enables users to configure, refine, customise, and upgrade their product. Through integrating service design with participatory design principles, this study establishes a framework that allows for user-driven customisation to reach a wider audience.

Design Intent

The Contour project explores how participatory design and service design can be seamlessly integrated to create a more sustainable and user-centred framework towards consumer electronics, specifically compute mice. The project centres around the development of a modular, customisable computer mouse, challenging the notion of a “one-size-fits all” model employed by existing computer mouse manufacturers by allowing users to directly influence the form and function of their own mouse. Through iterative ergonomic testing and form exploration, the research reveals user diversity cannot be met through a single form, highlighting the need for an adaptable configuration process to allow for a product to meet the anthropometric needs of a wide range of users.

Building on these findings, the Contour project utilises participatory design principles to design a kiosk service system, bridging design experimentation with real-world retail application. This service design framework allows the users to be involved in the design of the form, creating an accessible and scalable model based on sales channels, product lifecycle, and post-purchase support.

The Contour project demonstrates how value driven design based on participatory design can be integrated into a service ecosystem to create a highly personalised product. This experience translated into a unique product aims to foster long-term product attachment, with the modular and durable design of the mouse promoting repairability.

Bio

Kunaal is a Product Design Honours graduate from the University of Technology Sydney. He is fascinated in blending emerging technologies with human-centred design, believing that innovation only has value when it becomes intuitive, purposeful, and genuinely useful.

Kunaal approaches challenges holistically, using systems thinking to map the broader contexts and behaviours that shape a product’s real-world function. Instead of isolating problems, he examines the interdependencies defining user experiences, grounding every design choice in reality.

Kunaal is deeply motivated by the rapid evolution of the modern landscape, maintaining a constant pulse on bleeding-edge developments. From the latest breakthroughs in hardware to the shifts in how we interact with digital and physical spaces.

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