WONDER: MORE THAN JUST A HOE
In Fall 2025, my team designed Wonder, an ergonomic weeding hoe made from lightweight materials. The tool is intended to reduce calorie expenditure during fieldwork while promoting user well-being and minimizing chemical inputs.
Target Audience: Farmers & Gardeners
Industry: Agriculture
Timeline: Fall 2024
Course: MCEN 5055: Advanced Product Design (Mechanical Engineering Department)
Instructor: James Harper, Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering
Course Assistants: Michael Greer, Pradyumna Rao
Advisors:
Dr. Damien Thompson, Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Specialization Lead at the University of Colorado Boulder, co-founder of FrontLine Farming, a Denver based BIPOC and women led farming non-profit organization
Becca Gan Levy, Sustainability and Farm Director at the Boulder Jewish Community Center (BJCC)
Project Summary
Farmers and gardeners need multifunctional tools that reduce physical strain and limit reliance on chemical herbicides—supporting both human and soil health. As part of my Advanced Product Design course at CU Boulder’s College of Engineering, my team designed Wonder, an ergonomic weeding hoe made from lightweight materials. The tool is engineered to reduce calorie expenditure during fieldwork, support user well-being, and decrease reliance on chemical herbicides. By doing so, Wonder promotes healthier working conditions, improves soil health, and contributes to more sustainable and higher-quality food production.
My Role
Applied sustainability expertise in regenerative agriculture, led overall project coordination, organized and facilitated regular team meetings, conducted user point-of-view interviews, participated in brainstorming and iterative sessions for pretotyping and prototyping, developed the business model and market entry strategy, created the Wonder brand and directed, filmed, and edited a promotional video.
Project Deliverables
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Functional physical MVP (ergonomic weeding hoe)
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Promotional video (targeted TV advertising)
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Final Presentation
Director/Scriptwriter/Camera Operator/Editor: Alexandra Skibitskaya
Scenario: Individuals share their struggles and express relief and joy upon discovering a product. However, the product itself is kept somewhat mysterious to the audience, focusing instead on emotional resonance and personal transformation. The audience senses their transformation but doesn’t get a detailed explanation of the device until the very end, maintaining intrigue. See the original version of the scenario here.
Fun fact: Our full-scale prototype was delayed at the 3D printing station, so we quickly made a miniature version. To stay on schedule, our actors presented it with serious expressions, as if it made sense! According to the script, they had to demonstrate how the hoe works outdoors.
This advertisement was created as part of the course requirements. Special thanks to my classmates from the Sustainable Food Systems program—Cat, Devon, and Patrick—for their fantastic performances in this shoot.
