Critique 3 - "Oral B Toothbrush" (12/16/2010)

Position

• The Oral B logo is positioned on the bottom-front of the brush itself. This makes the logo visible every time it is used.
• The actual brush is positioned at the head/top of the whole thing. This is the “business end.”
• Grips are positioned centrally.

Size

• Neck of brush is smaller than the rest of the brush.
• Butt of the brush is bulbous and larger than the rest of the brush.

Color/Hue

• Handle section of the brush is blue with varying hues.
• Neck is white.
• Bristles on the brush colored differently based on the thickness.

Affordances

• Raised grooves on handle afford a stable grip.
• Handle is molded to afford a comfortable grip.
• Neck is thin, affording the user to reach a variation of angles in the mouth.
• Bristles to afford scrubbing of teeth.

Constraints

• Bristles are only on one side of the brush. This prevents the user from using any side of the brush to clean their teeth.
• Bristles are only at one end, meaning it must be held upright when used.

Visibility

• Grips along the molded handle grab attention.
• Bristles’ position and color make it a main focal point of this brush.

Mapping

• Molding of handle leads users to assume that this is where their hand will be most effective/comfortable.

User's conceptual model

1. Molding and grips are observed.
2. User picks up brush, hands positioned along molding.
3. Common sense/past experience tells the user to place toothpaste along bristles.
4. User inserts brush into mouth and takes advantage of thin neck to reach molars and odd angles.
5. Clean teeth!

Design critique

The Oral B toothbrush is a fine example of a simple object with a pleasing design. The blue colors are calming and the lighter hues could be associated with nurse’s scrubs, a profession that demands efficiency and cleanliness. The bristles of the brush also have color, multiple colors in fact. The color variation draws your eyes to the fact that there are differently sized bristles, insinuating that each has its own purpose. Another nice aspect of this brush is the contoured handle, meaning your hand will not be sliding across the wet plastic as you scrub your teeth.