Gold and integrated
We made a series of survey to observe the users willingness, to see whether they meet the need of consumers.
We sought for critiques frequently, kept modifying our product to so that user can use them better
Survey
1. Online product form survey and PMR survey:
In order to know the willingness of using our product in Taiwan and foreign regions, we conducted online product form questionnaire survey and PMR (Potential Market Research). Next, we went on the streets, asked random people for their thought about our project to actually learn their needs.
Total samples:
Taiwan: 187 persons
Foreign: 70 person
The survey results are as follows:
Taiwan
Foreign
Summary
From above information, we can see children from 7-12 years old will have a school dentist to check for their oral condition regularly. Still, we asked primary school staffs and 36 parents for their purchasing willingness. And it turned out that nine schools and 93% of the parents were willing to use this product.
However, when we asked the same question to the parents outside the school. Most of them considered our product unnecessary and regularly school check is enough. Below is the reason why parents don’t purchase Carindex for their children.
For children at about 16 years old, they would prefer going to dentist on their own. So parents don’t need to buy the products.
19 years old children population don’t need it. Many of them go to other city’s university, have their job, etc. So parents don’t need to buy the products for them.
We found that approximately 73% of people don’t want to use this product, because they think going to dentist is enough, and the product is too expensive.
On the other hand, foreign people have higher willingness to use this product at home, because going to dentist would cost more, compared to this product price.
Communicate with public
Product pamphlet
In order to let the public understand our product in an easy way, we released pamphlets regarding it. In the pamphlet, we briefly introduced how our product can be used, the technology that is applied, let them know that Carindex is a GMP. Then we tell them about the kill switch in our gene circuit design; let them know the concept of biosafety, at the same time, promoting the safety of our product.
Education engagement
1. Biology Experiment:
To let students learn about what we are doing, we designed a series of fun and easy DNA purification experiment for them. After the activities, I still remembered that many of them were so excited at the DNA that they purified. They said that they enjoyed it a lot and think that such activities are very awesome, hoping to have more opportunities to participate the same thing in the future.
2. Synthetic Biology Camp:
We set up plans to promote synthetic biology right after the summer started. We went to the university and senior high school, introduced the iGEM and synthetic biology, our team project to the students. Hence, they can understand about the biotechnology as well as the various aspects of the impact from it. Many students had having concern about GMP and related issue. After knowing what we were doing, they asked us what if the genetic modified bacteria we made broke out the device, how are we going to deal with it. Then, we told them about the kill switch we designed, ease their concern; at the same time, bring the security concept of biotechnology to them. According to after-class feedback, before the class, most of the students had have the same concern about genetic modified product. However, after this class, most of them grasped a correct and better understanding of synthetic biology, genetic modification, and it security. This eased their concern and make them want to do the same thing in future.
Professional engagement
3. Dentist Collaboration:
We visited a number of Taiwan Chiayi local dental clinic: 百利、沃爾、邱. From here, we understood the actual needs of the patient from the perspective of dentists and the patient actual oral cavity situation. We also had a better understanding of common habits of patients. The information helped us move one more step closer the publics. Afterward, we collaborated with them, asking them to help the team define our product internal data. We took the standard dental caries level of ICDAS (International Caries Detection and Assessment System) organization, which is recommend by dentists.
Primary school collaboration
After contacting with the public, we found out that there are chances that parents might be willing to buy this product for their children. So we visited primary school in Chiayi, and asked whether they wanted to cooperate with us and use this device at the school. And we found out that the school would ask the dentist examine the Taiwanese young children every three months. If the children oral condition was not good, the dentist would ask those to see the dentist again after school. However, the process where the dentist checked the children oral condition was often too long, causing many inconvenience. Therefore, the school said that if the device improved it accuracy, they would like do the cooperation.
Integrated
After visiting many people, elementary school students and public booth, they showed interest in our products and expected us to continue developing it. They believed that Carindex would be a very good product in the future after we improved it. The suggestions from public showed like this.
Some people they won’t use the product because of no demands, but some people who are interesting in our product but said they are unwilling to use this product, the reason are that it is too complicated to use or it cost too much. Additionally, the nurse work for elementary schools told us that our end user are students, maybe we can make our product more easily to use. We have made the following improvements to Carindex.
1. Appearance Improvement:
When we managed to cooperate with the local elementary school, they suggested that we can design the device more lovely so that it would attract young children and increase their willingness of using.
2. Consumptive Materials Improvement:
After we communicate the public, we got critique that the device manipulation is too complicate. They hope that it could be installed like an ink clip of printer. Therefore, we modified the consumptive materials design. Originally, three slide of consumptive materials would have to be loaded respectively, one after one. We simplified this process by building a holder to integrate 3 slides together. Now that our customers will only have to load 1 consumptive materials complex.
3. Material Changing:
“It’s too expensive”, said most of the public we interviewed. Hence, we changed the materials from iron to acrylic material to reduce the cost of the product.
4. Extra Germination Space:
When we visited the local primary school, the health center staff to provide some advices for our products. Since the germination process of the bacteria on the consumptive materials were going to take a lot of time and there are about 30 students in a class, so the efficiency would be very low. After hearing this, we enlarged Carindex, created an extra space to germinate 8 to 9 consumptive materials beforehand. With this improvement, the school were very pleased to purchase 3 Carindex. So we went with a plan that maybe each class can use Carindex in turn.
