While building my own longboard, I took apart and reassembled many boards. To do this, I used a skate tool - a 3 pronged socket wrench that undoes standard skateboard/longboard hardware. I realized that skate tools sucked, so I made a better one.
While the standard skate tool is effective in undoing the hardware components on a skateboard, it is painful to use (as seen in the task analysis below). A replacement would have to retain this high level of utility while adding significant improvements in comfort to convince users to upgrade.
Step 2 - Solution Generation & Iteration
Once I justified all the gripes I had with my skate tool via ergonomic analysis, I moved onto creating a better alternative informed by anthropometric data. I brainstormed a few different form factors, created foam prototypes, and tested them with real users. After a few rounds of real-world testing and iterating, I arrived on the prototype seen to the right.
Step 3 - Fabrication
Now that I had a winning prototype, I could start the fun part. I created a 3D model using Fusion and 3D printed it. For the print, I used PLA and printed in high def/no infill to ensure the tool was strong enough to withstand the torsion required to fix and unfix bolts.