NEED PARTICIPANTS
Hi r/Osteoarthritis,
I hope it's okay to post here. My name is Mr PB and I'm a Design Technology teacher in London. One of my students, Matteo, is working on his IB Internal Assessment — a significant coursework project that counts towards his final IB Diploma grade.
His project is to redesign a traditional ballpoint pen to make it genuinely more comfortable and usable for people with hand osteoarthritis. He's looking at things like grip diameter, barrel weight, tip pressure, grip texture, and cap design — all the small details that can make a real difference to someone with joint pain or reduced grip strength in their hands.
Matteo has done his background research and has a good understanding of how hand OA affects daily function, but the most valuable thing he can do at this stage is hear directly from people who live with it.
He's looking for one or two people who would be willing to have a short, informal conversation — 20 to 30 minutes, by phone, video call, or even written messages if that's easier. He would ask about everyday challenges with writing tools, what frustrates you about pens as they are, and what a better design might feel like to you. Nothing medical, nothing clinical — just honest lived experience.
A few reassurances:
- Matteo is a genuine, diligent student and this is a real school project
- All contributions will be completely anonymous in his written report
- There is no commitment beyond one conversation
- I am happy to be contacted directly to confirm the project is legitimate
If you'd be willing to help, or just want to know more, please comment below or send a DM and I'll make sure Matteo gets in touch. Even a few sentences about your experience with pens would be genuinely useful to him.
Thank you very much for reading — this community seems wonderfully supportive and we really appreciate it!
Design Technology, SIS, London