Real life It's nice to see it helping people Watching his dad struggle to turn a key led Geoff Rolandsen to invent the Keywing WORDS: GEORGINA MARIC M y Keywing journey started when I visited my dad in Australia and, on the kitchen table, he had a big product that looked like a toddlers toy. It was broken and ready to throw out. He told me hed bought this key turner on a whim, because he was struggling to turn the key for his shed. It was a small, rusty, old lock and this, combined with the fact that he had nerve damage and muscle deterioration in his hands, meant he couldnt get into his shed. Itwas driving him up the wall. I thought there should definitely be something better that he could use. Design has always been a passion of mine. I have an architectural background, but I have worked with designers in the built environment industry who have inspired me. The key challenge stuck with me, and I started thinking of different concepts. My first prototype was the Workey ashiny, polished, zinc-alloy product designed to slide on and off keys when you needed it. It did the trick, but Iknew it could work better. Key facts on the keywing Sparking an idea A friend told me about the Design Council Spark competition in 2017, which was searching for innovative new product ideas particularly for people with arthritis. Versus Arthritis were collaborating with the Design Council to support a number of products on a 16-week accelerator programme. I had nothing to lose, and was fortunate enough to secure a position with the Workey. I was one of only 10 to get a position on the Design Council Spark programme, which also had an initial round of investment from Versus Arthritis. Having the tick of approval from this charity was a huge confidence booster and made me realise it was worth making the product better to help the millions of people with arthritis. Versus Arthritis took me to user groups around the country, so I could present the product to people with arthritis. They could then tell me how I could improve it. This was over the course of 18 months, and the information sent me back to the drawing board. A lot ofthese audiences were older people who were notafraid to tell me what they didnt like, which was really helpful! Bringing the design to life I learned there were three main things I needed to address when it came to the design of the Keywing. The first was leverage. I needed to design the product so that users could turn a key with far less strength and pressure, so it wouldnt hurt their hands. This meant designing a shape that gave users moreleverage, by making the head wider which reduced the pressure needed to turn the key. The Keywing also makes the key bigger and far easier to grip and hold on to. People can often fumble and drop keys particularly in winter, when hands are cold and keys are wet and slippery. The feedback that surprised me was the desire for vibrant colours. The Workey was shiny metal, which I thought looked sleek and unobtrusive on a keyring. But the vast majority wanted bright colours particularly those who said it would help them spot their keys around the house, or at the bottom of their handbag. Time for launch The Keywing was launched on 27 March 2019 after a huge learning curve during the design and manufacturing process, during which I encountered hurdle after hurdle. I received good advice from industry professionals during the Spark programme, and it had taken 18 months from the initial design to get to this point. Ive had plenty of challenging moments bringing the product to life , and its nice to see it do so well in the market, helping people every day. Weve already sold thousands the primary channels are my website, thekeywing.com, and Amazon, and Im in negotiations with larger retailers across the UK. My dad loves it and, once everything in the UK is running smoothly, he will help to get the product to Australia. Im really looking forward to getting him involved. My ambition is to design more innovative products that are far more attractive and practical than the majorityof mobility aids that are available now. There are so many ugly, impractical products that scream Ive got a disability or impairment, which only makes users feel worse. I want to design products that people buy because theyre useful. I can open my front door easily Key facts on the keywing What is it? A key turner What does it do? Slips onto a key and has wings that increase the surface and grip area. This gives extra leverage to turn the key in the lock without having to exert pressure Where can you buy it? From thekeywing.com and amazon.co.uk How much is it? 4.99 for one and 12.49 for three. I can open my front dooreasily Debs Dulake, 47, was struggling to turn the key to her door until she tried the Keywing I have osteoarthritis in my thumb and the first stage of Raynauds disease, which means I cant feel the tips of my fingers, and my lower hand dexterity ispoor. Before, I found it hard to put the key in the keyhole and then have thestrength to turn it. With the Keywing, there is a bigger surface area for me to be able to turn the key and this, along with the raised surface, means its easier to grip. Ihave one less thing to worry about now when I go out.