Background: Rowing is a demanding sport where extreme positions and high physical loads are obtained. This leads to injury risks, especially in the lower back. Another issue relates to comfortability. When rowing, the buttocks are the pivot point, and lots of pressure is placed on the sitting bones and surrounding tissues. For para-rowers, these issues can be even more prominent and important to consider.

Purpose and aim: The purpose of this project was to develop a solution that enhances the enjoyment and comfortability for para-rowers. To do that, this project aimed to develop an individualized add-on product for rowing seats, with an included method to translate individual measurements into the design.

Method: The Double Diamond Model was used to guide the project, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were included to reach the aim and purpose. To discover and define the problem, data was collected with literature review, benchmarking, and semi-structured interviews. With that data as a base, concepts were developed and selected, and the selected concept was tested with regards to pressure distribution.

Results: The final concept was based on one individual and includes a seating area that has the exact shape of that individual. It does also include an increased back support and sideways support. To get measurements to design the individualized seat, a method consisting of scanning a vacuum pillow was used.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that a perfectly fitted seat will spread out pressure more evenly around the buttocks, which enhances comfortability. There is, though, still much to consider and evaluate before this product can reach the market.