B&Q: Pressure washers

A collaboration between the Helen Hamlyn Centre and B & Q looked at garden power tools. User research revealed a problem with posture for some people using pressure washers. The researchers, now with Sprout Design, developed a new product concept that is held like a broom instead of a gun, improving posture, control and reach dramatically. The concept also incorporates a new connector for attaching different nozzles, placing significantly less physical, sensory and cognitive demands on the user.

Tesco

Tesco is the UK’s biggest private sector employer, and has developed a highly profitable web business, tesco.com, which is the world’s largest home shopping service. Tesco.com posted a profit of £12.2 million in 2002-3, an increase of more than 30 times the previous year and a rare example of a profitable dot-com business.

One early innovation was an easy-access version of the site, specifically designed for use with screen readers and slow internet connections. This facility has now been integrated into the main site, as a selectable setting within the user’s account.