Execution

The following chapters describe the research we have conducted in Morocco. It can be divided into three different areas: the technical properties of the Fortune Cooker, the user experiences of the product and market research. For these three areas, our goals and a short description of our approach are given in advance of the chapters that describe our findings.

The results of these three research areas underpin the conclusions that are casted in a Business Model Canvas, and a list of requirements and wishes for the final design of the Fortune Cooker.

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The product: technical properties

Goals The aim of the technical tests is to know whether the Fortune Cooker functions technically. Therefore, we did technical tests on the heat input and heat loss of the prototypes. The Fortune Cooker’s initial goal is to maintain 100 degrees in the pan after turning off the heat resource. In ‘Function Analysis of the Fortune Cooker’ of the project plan (Appendix 4), the additional technological…
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The people: user research

What we want to find out For the people we want to reach, the Fortune Cooker is a completely new product. It is different from the gas hobs or wood fires they’re used to. This means that, as a designer, there is no base that can be used to derive from. It also means that the user does not have tools for comparison during the decision making process. The choice to buy the Fortune Cooker is a much…
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the market

Goals The last aspect of our research in Morocco concerns market research. As this product is still in an early stage, this research should mainly give an indication of the commercial future of the Fortune Cooker in Morocco. The possibilities for commercial success can be estimated by researching the suitability of the product to the target group, and by researching the possibilities for local…
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But how does it work?

The Fortune Cooker is a clean cook stove that aims to eliminate the use of open fire or inefficient stoves as well as reduce the amount of fuel to be used during cooking. It does that by combining solar energy with a second heat source, which can entail a variation on the rocket stove or a more common heat source like electricity or gas. The functioning of the Fortune Cooker is based on the idea…
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Prototype 1

As the Fortune Cooker had never been completely built before we went to Morocco, the design of the first prototype can be considered as a…
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Technical tests, prototype 1

In this chapter the outcomes of the technical tests of prototype 1 are given and discussed. In the end, conclusions are drawn on whether…
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Our own findings, prototype 1

In this chapter our own experiences using prototype 1 of the Fortune Cooker are described. From these findings, a number of requirements…
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Aïn Sfa, field research

The first field research was carried out in Aïn Sfa. We went there from Monday the 14th of December to Wednesday the 16th. We have visited…
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Prototype 2

The second prototype was designed to use the Wood Gas Stove as heat source within the box. The Wood Gas Stove is a small stove which burns…
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Technical tests, prototype 2

In this chapter the outcomes of the technical tests of prototype 2 are given and discussed. In the end, conclusions are drawn on whether…
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Our own findings, prototype 2

In this chapter our own experience with using prototype 2 of the Fortune Cooker is described. From these findings, a number of requirements…
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The product

First of all, we can conclude that the heat input from the sun is not enough to compensate the heat loss. Thus, this aspect should be further improved to maintain a required temperature for cooking. In the next alineas calculations are made on how long food can stay warm enough for cooking, considering the current prototypes. As the heat input from the sun was very low, only the heat loss is…
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User research

In this chapter we will give the main findings of the user research we carried out. The findings are divided in two categories: direct and indirect. Findings falling in the “direct” category are those that can directly be included in the list of requirements; simple requirements like the size of the pan that should fit in the Fortune Cooker. Indirect influences generally need more research before…
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market research

Need for the Fortune Cooker Below a short overview is shown of the fuel consumption of the test persons. Also an indication of the available budget of the test persons for the Fortune Cooker is given. Fuel consumption Test person Amount of gas bottles per month Price of one gas bottle Rabeha 4 40 Dh Latifa 3 44 Dh Zara 2 ½ 44 Dh Hanane unknown 40 Dh…

Part of

Execution

The product: technical properties

The people: user research

the market

But how does it work?

Prototype 1

Technical tests, prototype 1

Our own findings, prototype 1

Aïn Sfa, field research

Prototype 2

Technical tests, prototype 2

Our own findings, prototype 2

The product

User research

market research