Profile

Stephan Hitchins
I am passionate about: Design Thinking. Visual Communications. Art, Illustration, Culture, Human Nature and Leadership.
A little known fact about me is: I like using the humble pencil to conceptualise.
Show my name on the attendees list for events I am attending: Yes
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanhitchins/
Sessional Lecturer (Design Thinking)
Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
"Vasbyt: perseverance"
Skilled in Design Thinking : Exploring Human Centered Design, Participatory Design (co-creation), Service Design and Design Thinking Methodologies. Sessional Lecturer in Design Thinking: Using Human Centred Design to empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test solutions to complex problems in order to create outcomes that benefit the end user. Mentor: RMIT University: Designing the Future (MOOC). Qualifications: Masters (Design Futures), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Post Graduate Certificate (eLearning) and Bachelor (Creative Arts & Design). Undertaking PhD (Design Thinking).
Design quotient
Research
0pt
Idea
0pt
Evaluation
0pt
Collaboration
61pt
Total
61pt
Stephan commented on Creating the opportunity for disabled persons to become self-reliant through poultry
With a total population of approximately 180 million and having 30 million individuals having one form of disability or another, the need for change and investment is great. I recently read that Rainbow Chickens in South Africa is on a knife edge and may close. On the bright side this may be an opportunity to approach them and suggest a partnership that will enable a win-win situation both for yourself and the organisation. Just a thought.
RAINBOW's chickens (http://www.rclfoods.com/rainbowchicken) are delicious roast dinners, the perfect Isishebo and succulent braais. We produce 4-million birds per week, creating 4-million memorable meal occasions per week. With these inspired insights, RAINBOW is evolving into a consumer-driven brand that recognises that consumers are much more than just people at the end of the supply chain.
Stephan commented on Freedom through Mobility – Creating a Commuter Revolution for Tricycle Users
What about approaching this company and using your system / solution as a test platform for their wheel concept?
http://designtoimprovelife.dk/wheel-vitamins-westaway/
When the project began in 2007, lead designer Duncan Fitzsimons had no idea what he was embarking on. Originally, Fitzsimons began designing a folding wheel with the intention of it being used in the high-end bike industry. Now, in 2013, the many benefits of this invention are immeasurable.
The years of hard work certainly paid off. After many trials and errors, the Vitamins studio managed to develop a fully functioning folding wheel – so compact that it can fit into a duffel bag. When the wheel was first launched, the firm began to generate attention from wheelchair users eager to try out the invention. Vitamins Director Adrian Westaway recounts, “They were asking if the wheel could be modified to be used on wheelchairs. The emails kept coming in, and we decided to research how we could start creating a design solution.”
Vitamins continued to develop their project further, with the help of the wheelchair users who had reached out to them, which enabled them to perfect the design to fit a new use. “It turns out that, while a folding wheel is useful for cyclists, it can actually be life changing for wheelchair users.” Westaway adds. “There are so many problems associated with storing and transporting wheelchairs, and the biggest problem is wheel size.”
One of the many benefits of this folding wheel is that wheelchair users can travel with ease, as they are not limited by storage space as the wheels fit with ease in the overhead bins (and even under your seat). Not only that, but as the design is foldable it eliminates the risk of damaging the wheels when traveling and reduces the painful strain on one’s shoulders when transferring to cars/planes/what have you. The wheels are also easy to maintain, as the changing of tires does not require complex tools.
Stephan commented on Testing what works: disability inclusion in eye health services