Define Mode
April 2, 2020
Classwork (orthographic drawing in Rhino)
April 7, 2020
Response to Tom Chi’s “Rapid prototyping Google Glass”
One of my main takeaways from the video is that prototyping should be fast and simple. Prototypes don’t need to be perfect models, they just need to simulate the product well enough that you can make a practical assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. One thing that stood out to me was that using very basic materials to make a quick prototype (rather than creating a carefully polished prototype) is actually better because it lets your building move closer to the “speed of thought” making your learning faster. I also thought it was interesting that prototyping can reveal problems that aren’t apparent when mentally planning or sketching ideas on paper. Actually dealing with physical “doing” allows for expansive learning beyond whats already known, which will be important for this upcoming design challenge.
Constraints
- Can’t block charging port, speaker, buttons on the side of the phone, home button, cameras, light sensor, flashlight, or screen
- Must be able to stand in portrait and landscape mode
- Limited materials and tools (cardboard, tape, budget to spend, none of the tools that would have been available at Lawrenceville)
- Should either be easily removable or compact enough that it’s not an inconvenience when not in use (while still being study enough to hold the phone safely and endure traveling around in bags, pockets, etc.)
- Either usable with a phone case or provides the protection that a phone case would otherwise give
Problem Statement
My client wants a stand to keep her phone standing when her hands aren’t free to hold it up. The stand must not inhibit any of the phone’s functions (charging ports, speakers, buttons, cameras, sensors, flashlight, or screen) or general ease of use (aka it must be compact enough to not be cumbersome or easy to remove when not being used). The stand should be able to support the phone in landscape and portrait mode. Because she will likely use and move her phone often, the product must be sturdy enough to withstand transport. The stand should also be able to protect a phone from transport (and potential falls) or be usable with a case that could do so.
Ideation
April 14, 2020
Phone Stand Sketches
Prototyping
April 21, 2020
Phone Stand Model
Response to Fourth Industrial Revolution Video
Learned from the video that the fourth industrial revolution is a combination of design, technology, and biology that is currently changing the way we live. From the big distant advances (like being able to interpret brain signals) to technologies that already enhance our lives on a daily basis (like phones and glasses) the speed and enormous impact of these changes is striking. I was also interested by the fact that we have so much technology (like clean energy) we just need to implement it. This fourth industrial revolution is relevant to this class because we’re considering not only how to design new technologies that will be integrated into peoples lives but also how to implement existing software and tools to tackle various problems.
Ideation
April 24, 2020
Prototyping
April 28, 2020
Ideation
May 1, 2020
Prototyping (work in progress)
May 5, 2020
Homework and classwork progress
May 8, 2020
Homework progress (NOT finished because I’m pretty sure the bees will catch on fire as is and the third panel has a weird empty space I’m not a fan of. I also really dislike the feet right now.)
May 12, 2020
Not finished, I will probably update this again before class. (I want to break the top of the face with the bee up top by taking hexagons out rather than extending them upwards like the other two sides. I also want to take more out of the side with just hexagons so more light shines through. Lastly I want to take a bit more out of the bottom so it isn’t so square and integrates the hexagonal pattern better.)
Update: I did the things I wrote about in the last comment. The second to last picture has three different options I tried for opening up the second side next to the original. Two were really messy looking, so I went for the remaining one. I’m still not entirely happy with the luminary, but I’m unsure what to change…
Empathize Mode
May 14, 2020
For my final project I’d like to create a little animated toy where you turn a crank or something to cause some sort of cyclic animated movement. I’m hoping to make a sort of fantasticalscene thats small but amusing to watch. I’d like to incorporate laser etchings onto the sides of my project as well.
Define Mode
May 14, 2020
Constraints
- Materials: laser cut pieces, paper collage elements, a light source
- It will need to move smoothly
- I want to parts that cause movement to be possible to look at but also possible to hide (maybe a removable panel?)
- I want to have laser etchings on the project
- I want it to be aesthetically a little worn/old looking (might need to sand down edges of laser cut pieces or otherwise distress them?)
Actionable Problem Statement
My client (she’s me haha) wants a toy that captures the movement of a whimsical little scene. She wants it to incorporate light (because whats more fantastical than little things that glow?) and it needs to move smoothly. It should be possible to see the parts that move but also possible to hide them. She would like the sides of the project to have laser etchings, maybe ones that explain the scene a little. She would also like it to have a sort of worn look (not the fresh hard edged effect a laser cutter creates) to be consistent with the sort of otherworldly fantasy scene inside.
Ideation
May 22, 2020
(sorry this is very rough im working on it…)
Prototype (with some modifications from the original idea). In my actual project I’d like to make the girl and moon more similar sizes. Also, its a bit shaky because cardboard isn’t the best for smooth frictionless movement and its very light, but I’m pretty sure those issues will be less problematic with wood.
Prototyping
May 29, 2020
