Design for pilots
Hii! Im an industrial design student.
For a class my team and I are working on a project to create a pen specifically designed for pilots and their needs (we know now people do almost everything digital but i mean homework is homework right? HAHAHAH) so we would really love your imput :)
We’re trying to understand how, when, where, and why pilots use pens, and what current pens get wrong in aviation environments.
A few questions:
- Where do you usually use a pen, and what for?
- What are you usually writing?
* Checklists
* Flight logs
* Notes
* Clearances
* Calculations
* Signing documents
* Backup if digital systems fail
* Something else????
Where do you keep your pen so it’s easy to grab?
Shirt pocket, clipped somewhere, flight bag, cockpit compartment, loose somewhere, etc.What annoys you most about pens while flying?
Examples:
* Ink stops working
* Hard to write during turbulence
* Slippery grip
* Hard to find quickly
* Falls into impossible cockpit gaps
* Doesn’t work well at altitude / pressure changes
* Smudges
* Hard to use with gloves
* Too bulky / awkward
Have you ever had a pen fail at the worst possible moment? and what happened?
What cockpit conditions make writing hardest?
Low light? Vibration? Turbulence? Small writing surfaces? Gloves? Temperature? Needing one-handed use?If you could design the perfect pilot pen, what features would it have?
Examples we’ve been considering:
* Pressurized ink cartridge
* Anti-roll shape
* Better grip texture
* Glow-in-the-dark / low-light visibility
* Built-in light
* Quick-access clip
* Works with gloves
* Lightweight but durable body
* Retractable tether
* One-click deployment
8What do current pens completely fail to solve for pilots?
Any stories / frustrations / random details are supersuper helpful. We’re trying to design something based on real pilot experience instead of guessing(also our teacher got kind of strict with guessing and stuff)
Thank you all so much!!