Bridge 1: Product Redesign

The headphone has been around for more than a century and it is one of the most used tools today. The headphone’s design has not really changed overall, it was just the materials used and the sound quality that improved greatly. However, despite that, the outlook and the mechanics hasn’t changed much since it was invented, with the one strap that connects the two muffs. The headphone stays on with the two muffs being pressed against the ears and having the bridge resting on the head. It is a simple mechanic, and it is enough to serve its purpose. Sound qualities of headphones is no longer an issue to be discussed as we are somewhat at the peak of sound quality and there is really not much improvements can be made on sound, with years of advancements and even the addition of noise cancelling capabilities. However, the mechanic in my opinion is still slightly flawed and can become frustrating or discomforting after a bit of use. I use headsets mainly for gaming, and I would run into problems with the product, in which whenever I try to look down at my phone or lean back, the headphone slips off and I have to readjust it. I feel like its not as simple as just putting it back in place as I have pretty long hair, and I would need to take it all off again and then put it back into place again. It gets frustrating, having to repeat this process multiple times in one sitting sometimes. Another problem that I do not face myself but many of friends and streamers I watch complain about is that they would feel pain on their ears after a few hours of use. A simple solution would just be to switch to earbuds that you just have to slip into your ear hole. However, at the same time this alternative means that one has to sacrifice sound quality and noise cancellation for that comfort. I use earbuds outside of my house, not headphones, but when I game I have to utilize the headphones as the games I play is very reliant on sound, and I do not want to sacrifice sound quality for that extra comfort. This new design essentially adds very simplistic designs to the original design but can make the experience much better. Ear pain is caused by the pressure put on the ears by the headphone, and to avoid such pain, the headset has to be loosened. The problem is that most headsets cannot really be adjusted in terms of pressure. But by adding an adjustment wheel on top of the strap that can decrease or increase the distance between the muffs, everyone can loosen or tighten the headset based on their own preference. But to decrease ear pain by loosening the headset can cause it to be not as secure. This in turn can be solved by adding a minimalistic horizontal adjustable strap that goes around the head. These two additions can solve both problems of headsets not being too secure, and too much pressure on ears. This design can not just be applied to gamers who have these issues, but it can be used in commercial and military use too. People who sit in offices and have to communicate with customers with headsets can have less ear strain as they would need to sit for hours everyday. As for the military, intel gathering personnel such as in HQs or submarines can have a more comfortable experience too.