No matter how well developed a form may be, or how robust the electronics, a product always boils down to the user interaction with the hardware. After a lot of form development (see part one), the piece was constructed in CAD using Solidworks. This was then rapid prototyped.

The best part of working on a project for such a long time is when you finally get the material object in your hand. You have a relationship with it that no-one else does and probably ever will – you created it, after all. For me, the pleasure came with the size of the RP pieces. It was so much smaller when I actually grabbed it that I had expected. This was mainly due to having spent such a long time on the detail in the CAD, with it being large on screen, that I had forgotten how small the dimensions actually were.

Then came the fun part – the finishing. This is something that is overlooked by a lot of university courses it seems. To that extent, at the New Designers show in London, there were a large number of student’s concept models which weren’t made by the students at all – they were all outsourced. Where is the fun in that?

First and foremost, the RP pieces needed to be smoothed down. This involved using grey primer and yellow filler primer, along with various levels of sandpaper, to smooth it all out. Top tip: Using two colours means you can see how much you have sanded away when doing alternate layers.

This was then repeated for the end caps and the buttons, which needed to be especially smooth for the next process.

Both the end caps and buttons were made of rubber. This meant that the product had a greater resilience to being dropped (the end caps stuck out further than all other points), as well as helping with grip. To do this, a mould of the pieces was taken. Top tip: The silver balls (removed when casting the second piece)help to align the two bits of the mould when done.

Finally, once the end pieces had been cast, all that was left was to paint the main casing. This was done in a bright yellow, to aid the visibility of the product if dropped.

The end result?  Not too bad if I do say so myself.  Not only did the prototype work, but I saw it through every step of the way.  I worked on the sketches, on the form, on the electronics, on the CAD, and on the manufacture and finishing of the final piece.  Never underestimate how much you learn from doing a project end to end.  It’s something that in my opinion, every designer should do at least once.

I believe in products that work. You only have to go on a lot of design websites to see some beautiful concepts and renderings of products, that have no proof that they work, and indeed are often implausible or impossible.

When it came to this project I didn’t just want to create a concept. I wanted to create a working product. Something that could, possibly, be taken forward into production.  With the evolution of the research and the development leading more towards an electronics process, I decided to go all the way and start to prototype a GPS unit.

Just to add to the challenge of this, I had never done any electronics of this sort before, with the exception of spending two days coding a robotic arm to move a ping pong ball.  This was in an entirely different league.  Nonetheless, I went and bought myself an Arduino Uno and began to play around.

Tutorials on sites like Ladyada and Libelium were all really helpful, but very few people appear to have released code on creating data loggers using the Libelium GPS module (which I preferred due to its size).   After connecting up the GPS, the Uno and an LCD screen though, I started getting GPS data through.

This could then be combined with coding for the buttons and a menu system. Again, there is little in combining menus with GPS, especially for someone with NO knowledge of coding.  One incredibly useful site though was Coagula, who gives a really good analysis of a menu system (as well as the best code I found for one).

Once I was happy with the way the system worked, I moved down to a smaller board. The Nano is amazing for its size. It allowed me to fit all of the components inside a 39mm diameter tube – not bad for off the shelf components.  If you wish to see how it all fitted together; the schematic is below..

This was probably the biggest challenge I faced through my final year. I have to say, it is a great learning process, but if you aren’t into coding, stay away from an electronics based project.  If you are up for experimenting though, Arduino is the way to go. Some of the things you can do with it are unbelievable.

Background:

The numbers surrounding tree planting are scary.  Really scary.  With the introduction of Glastir in Wales in 2012, the Welsh Government is looking to plant 100,000 hectares of trees over 20 years.  If you plant one tree every 2m², that means a tree has to be planted every 2.5 seconds.

One of the biggest disincentives though comes with the recording of all the data that is needed to apply for woodland grants; farmers need to record compartment boundaries, as well as itineraries of the trees they are planting.

To make this process easier, the woodland plotter combines GPS technology and user entered meta-data about what is being recorded; all connecting to the MyForest system.  This allows users to record all of the information needed, in situ, then upload it straight into a woodland management system.  No tape measures, no graph paper, no fuss.

Below:

Shown here is a sample of some of the form development work that went into the woodland plotter.  This came from the angle of ergonomics and aesthetics, as well as the practical side of fitting in all of the components.  The product had to feel rugged and dependable, whilst also giving a positive emotive response when data was recorded, encouraging new planting.

Gaining notoriety in 1953 with Audrey Hepburn and the film ‘Roman Holiday’, the Vespa scooter has become a staple piece of design in the world of urban transport. Manufactured from 1946 onwards, the scooter was initially designed to be a modern and affordable form of transport in Italy. Since then it has transformed in to what is arguably the most famous and instantly recognisable brand of scooter.

Vespa has branched out into many avenues of products, but the scooter maintains to be their number one design. The hope was that the heritage and design resonance of the Vespa brand could be adjusted to the realm of child kick scooters; a market that since its emergence in the late 1990s has been filled with a range of products, the majority of which are designed for commuting or tricks. What if the design features and social status of the Vespa scooter could be used in the kick scooter market?

During development, an existing scooter was reverse engineered, CAD modelled and stress analysed to assess whether it conformed with British Standards (it did not).  A major redesign was then undertaken to make the product a) conform with British Standards and b) suit the Vespa brand language. The finished model (shown below) underwent FEA testing and numerous iterations to design a product that was fit for the kick-scooter market. The final concept folds into a smaller footprint than the original with the back wheel sliding into the main body, all the while trying to offer a high quality option and the chance to pretend and play. The design brings a prominent status to the scooter, which in the end is what the Vespa brand is all about.

SolidWorks model of original scooter

Concept generation

Vespa Kick Scooter (unfolded)

Vespa Kick Scooter (folded)

Vespa Kick Scooter modelled in SolidWorks

FEA of handlebar iteration

FEA of scooter deck iteration

Vespa Kick Scooter

This product is designed to stand out from the status quo, making a statement about you personally and professionally.

It is efficient, effective and simple enough that it purveys its purpose without being an eyesore.

Ergonomically designed to punch through 100 sheets of paper easily it brings a feel of modern innovation to your desk, showing that you can do what is needed whilst still maintaining an element of style.

It is the little things that make the difference.

1. > Vango Stone25 Backpack.  My most trusted carrier, complete with main compartment, smaller front and mesh section (see 2).  It has a chest strap for cycling, is trustworthy and has not let me down yet.

2. > Random bits and bobs.  Anything that gets put in the mesh section of the bag.  At present it includes straws, a whistle, and in true Professor Farnsworth style; assorted lengths of wire.

3. > Glasses and glasses case.

4. > Cycle pouch.  This has everything I need if I am cycling that day.  Bike lights, odometer, trouser clips etc.  This makes it easier to just grab and go.

5. > iPhone 3G.  Included on this is Skype, Tweety, Facebook and Wordpress so that I can keep myself tethered to the internet.  It also has my digital portfolio on it on the off chance that the circumstance arises.

6. > Motorola Bluetooth Headset.  Phones hurt my ears after a while.  This means I can sketch/type and talk simultaneously.

7. > Moo MiniCard Holder and business cards.  You never know when you will need them.

8. > Keys, with a handy Piranha bottle opener.

9. > Dice. Not really sure why I have these on me.  They tend to live in section 2.

10. > iPod.  Where is life without music?  This holds my entire database of music, so I can pick and choose whatever I feel like.

11. > Phillips surround sound earphones.  Small and discreet, but they pack a punch.

12. > Roll up sketch set.  Included in here is an entire range of different grade pencils, as well as rubber and the all important sharpener.

13. > Rolson foldable blade.  Excellent for quick model making.

14. > Pen Knife.  Sometimes you need a whole range of tools.

15. > Corsair Survivor 16GB Memory Stick.  Almost indestructible, and big enough to hold all of the work I need to survive.

16. > Random bits of geometry sets.  Not shown here is a 30cm metal ruler and a set square.

17. > Assortments of fine-liners and other pens.  When emptying my bag I found 12 pens for everyday use.  About 4 in each pocket of the bag.

18. > Casio fx-83 ES scientific calculator.

19. > Sketch book.  I never go anywhere without this.  Hard back to protect it, ring bound so that you can hold a pen in it during transport.

20. > Sunglasses.  Never leave home without them.  Forever the optimist.

21. > (Not Included) Any tools I am using at the time.  Last week this included tin snips, a mallet and 8 sheets of various thickness aluminium sheet.

That is my bag.  What is in yours?  Feel free to send images to either mine or Duncan’s blog and we shall see if we can compile a list…

Granted this post is somewhat overdue, but I suppose some things are better late than never.

From the 22nd to the 27th April, Milan hosted its annual International Design Festival.  Luckily, I was one of the thousands of people who had the privilege of attending.  Milan seemed to be fully booked for the week, but luckily we managed to get a hotel… kind of.  Our hotel was technically not in Milan, lying out at Gorgonzola; an hour train ride away.  This did cause issues in terms of logistics, as it was a hassle to have to travel for two hours if you wanted to change into evening wear.

Despite this though, we attacked the Zona Tortona with as much enthusiasm as you could gather after an EasyJet flight, a bizarre hotel and an hour train ride.  Firstly, I was struck by the size of the thing.  I have been to design exhibitions before, and some small design festivals in the centre of local cities, but this thing was ENORMOUS.  You could not walk more than 20 metres down a packed street in one of the hotspots without passing several exhibitions.  We spent the entire first day wandering through the design-converted television studio as well as several other venues and I feel we barely scraped the surface.  There were several key things I took from the exhibits themselves though:

> Space – It must cost MILLIONS to hire one of the prime locations for the week of the Zona Tortona, and most of the exhibits were sparsely furnished.  Most seemed to adopt the minimalistic approach, which granted does make you look more intently at the few items that are shown, but I could not help but think they could have shown me a little more for the money they were spending.

> Artsy design – The majority of pieces shown at the prime spots were one-offs.  Design that looked great, and occasionally made you think ‘wow’, but then you would never actually buy.  This would be both because of the practicality of the piece, and the price tag.  Saying that though, I am not sure which sort of product I would have preferred to see.  Yes they were all one-offs, but that can be more inspiring than a range.  Open question – is an exhibition to inspire with your design or to explain your solution with it?

> No cameras please – We were tourists, who had just come a long way to see your work.  You are paying lots of money for us to be able to see your work over others.  Then why, oh why, are we not allowed to take pictures?  95% of the exhibitors in Milan were more than happy for us to snap away freely.  Quite a few even let us use their product.  With some though, the moment you brought out your camera a burly security guard would appear.  Why?  The perfect example of this was the Adidas exhibition.  A weird almost empty space with some speakers in the centre that changed shape with sound.  We were not allowed to take photographs of it (see photograph of it below :p).  All the students and visitors there left that section with the attitude ‘what a waste of time’.

> Bring a strong bag – The first day we were so overwhelmed by the extend of the design that we grabbed everything that was handed our way.  Leaflets.  Brochures.  Magazines.  All bundled into a small bag that pretty soon gave way.  Luckily other stands were also giving out bags.  These became full, were loaded into other bags which also either became full or gave way.  The rest of the trip I was extremely selective with my reading material.

> Scary but encouraging – You can take the Zona Tortona in one of two ways.  I took it in both.  It can be exceptionally intimidating and really scare you off doing design.  There is just so much, and it is all so varied, how can you possibly hope to compete in it?  Even the fliers they hand out are better quality (both in terms of graphics and print quality) than your entire CV.  However, there is such a range of design there that you could really do anything and fit in.  All you have to do is get yourself known, and that is half of the battle won.  There were so many thousands of people viewing work, all you need is a small slice and that is more exposure than you could possibly reach anywhere else.

At this point I could launch into an in-depth recollection of the entire trip, what we did hour by hour etc, but pictures say a thousand words.  All of my photos from the Zona Tortona (including photographs visiting the designer’s block exhibition – fantastic) can be found here.

It was a fantastic trip, and something I hope to repeat.  Perhaps one day I will be able to spend vast quantities of money and exhibit just a few items…

]]> http://www.hywelvaughan.com/archive/2009/05/zona-tortona-2009/feed/ 0 http://www.hywelvaughan.com/archive/2009/05/creative-cv-anyone/ http://www.hywelvaughan.com/archive/2009/05/creative-cv-anyone/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 10:30:26 +0000 hywel http://www.hywelvaughan.co.uk/?p=249 Even though I now have my placement for next year, there are many product designers (and indeed other creative individuals) out there who are still searching.  It is easy to get sucked into the word processed world of Times New Roman taster pages, but luckily this doesn’t have to be the case.  There is plenty of inspiration out there on how to make your work stand out from the crowd… Here are 25 tasters of the tasters…

How does yours compare?