During my internship at Implus, I was tasked to develop a solution to stabilize the Quickster line of soccer goals on turf fields. Since the Quickster was a pop-up goal, it fell over and slid around easily on turf fields.
Solution
I designed a set of poles that attached to the back of the Quickster and propped it up to resist all types of shots. These poles could be stored in the same bag the Quickster came with and were cost-effective for Implus.
On turf fields, the Quickster soccer net keeps falling over. SKLZ tasked me with designing a cost-effective solution to this problem.
What are the Current Solutions?
Most products are too heavy and expensive. They are overkill for the Quickster.
Price/Unit
$39.98
$151.25
$74.95
$115
$85
Weight
4 lbs
60 lbs
50 lbs
39 lbs
40 lbs
Weight Material
Rubber
Concrete
Sand
Sand
Sand
What Do Users Need?
Backyard Kids (and Parents)
Inexpensive for parents
Simple set up for parents
Light enough for kids to move
Youth Coaches
Durable for practices
Able to carry with equipment
Economical to buy multiple
Pick-Up Players
Takes up minimal space
Withstand strong shots
No readjusting the goals
Design Goals
High Performance
Durable for practices
Withstand strong shots
No readjusting the goals
Efficient
Simple set up for parents
Light enough for kids to move
Able to carry with equipment
Takes up minimal space
Cost-Effective
Inexpensive for parents
Economical to buy multiple
Inspired by Athletes
Exploring Weights vs. Struts
Proof of Concept Testing
Struts Satisfy More Needs
How are Struts Used?
Mid-Fidelity Testing
Do Springs Dampen Impact?
No Significant Improvements
From testing, the springs did not offer any significant damping. Thus, while the springs visually communicate high performance, they added unnecessary cost in materials, manufacturing, and assembly. As the brief stressed cost-effectiveness, I removed the springs from the final design.
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