by Danny | Oct 5, 2018 | Design
During this two week project we worked in pairs to design a new experience for users to playfully navigate an area.
Thinking about your first experience in Dundee and finding things for the first time. think about how by changing our routs we can find and discover new things in the city. Also, think about how different data can influence how we see the city and the experience of visiting the place.
We should consider what our user would enjoy in a navigation experience, and design and model a new concept that allows the user to navigate playfully.
- The ring– This idea has three variations in the initial stage of the design. The ring consists of three lights, one red in the middle and two blue on each side. This allows the indication of left, right, stop and go. The ring will vibrate when the user need-to change a direction and that alert the user to look at the ring.
2. Shoelaces– This idea incorporates optical fibre so that light can be transferred through the lace and display a different colour. This way the user can tell which direction they need to take by colour coding the colour they wanted to a certain direction.
3. Bag strap– This idea was inspired by the secondary command system that the tankers have in place which the Commander kicks the drivers left and right shoulder to tell them where to go. This idea is a case like an object that can be put on the shoulder strap of the bad and by applying pressure on each shoulder the user can navigate hand free.
4. Sound– The sound idea is to use the users surround sound headphones to guild them to their destination. By orientering to the direction with the loudest music the user can find their way through the city. This can be fun as the user is constantly exploring with the sourse of the sound.
The ring was an easy build as it was just a roll of card paper, but you can see the point. It’s simple but elegant. The shoelace model was made, so the colour on the string simulates the different colour indication. Followed by the model of the bag strap clip that can be open and closed so the product can just be clipped on to the bag shoulder straps.
After some discussion, we came to realise that there is a new kind of shoelace on the market called the “Hickies“. It’s a clip on shoelace that can be stretched so it allows the user to slip on and off their shoes. By incorporating both ideas, the product can be customised to each “Hickies” shoelace to represent a different function. for example, one can be an indication of a left or right turn and another could be a step count.
I did some
development on my sound idea. First I thought about the logo of the app I would use, so I drafted some logo design. I felt that as the point of the App is to allow the sound to get louder and louder as the user gets closer to their destination, so I thought that with the crescendo symbol in music I could design a logo based on it. However, in the end, both my partner and I decided that the music note with an arrow on it is the best. As for the name of the App, we went for CrescenGo. This is because it was inspired by the catchiness and the success of Pokemon Go. I have also designed a page for the App after the user has made their decision of where they want to go. The page tells the user when they get lost and indicate where the sound is coming from.
After that, I developed my commands for the bag strap. To decide that my partner and I did some experimentation by blindfolding each other; We have one person blindfolded, and the other person will put their hands on each side of person whos blindfolded. We tried to guide each other around a room with obstacles and tested the viability of the concept. The results of the testing were that to turn left is press and left and to turn right press on the right, both hands pressing down is stop and then let go of the shoulder was go.
The idea of a third person view camera suddenly popped into our mind as we were going through with our development. It is a third person VR navigation device. It’s a VR display of the user themself in third person as if they are playing a game.
I did some modeling of the mounting mechnism and had a play around with the extention arm designas well. I found that none of the mounting system and extension arm would work well as with all the weight of the package it will be heavy and hard to balance.
Another spontaneous idea we had is to develop a hand held guilding system that dosen’t tell you what the destination is. You repesent one of the light on the panal and you can chose one of the three diffrent color button that surrond “you”, then the user can pick which direction they would like to go by pressing one of the button. then the device will turn into a compuse that will guide the user to thier unknow destination
Further to the development of my bag strap idea, I thought that with the initial design being very rigid and the design does not allow the device to be put on any other bags. I can up with six different design ideas that would allow more compatibility across a range of bags.
First is one which has a curved surface for better ergonomics, the second idea was to have the device mounted on via hooks and loops, this way the device can wrap around any size of bag strap. another idea is to have a whole bag strap cover, will you will have to detach the bag strap and put the strap through the cover. As the cover is a stretchy material the device should fit around bag strap perfectly. Then I thought that a buckle clip would be easy to use as you would just clip the device on to the strap and just fasten the clip. Next idea I had was that the mounting system would be a zip but there are elastic bands on each side so the device can accommodate different size strap. Lastly, the device is mounted on by two elastic bands that are held in by two plastic tab, so the tension of the elastic would hold the device in place.
PressNav
The Final design idea is a combination of the hooks and loops idea and the zip idea. The final design has the elastic material on the side as well as gooks and loop to secure the device on the bag itself. There is two inflatable capsule under the device.
The device can be mounted to any double strap bag pack for travelling. the device has a built-in GPS that allows your smart device to track your location more accurately. The PressNav links to any smart device via blue tooth and uses google maps to direct and indicate. The user can use the PressNav in both urban areas or they can used when hicking. The PressNav will give the user an accurate bearing on which direction they will need to take to reach their destination. On the top of the PressNav there is also molle attachment system so that the user can attach any accessory they would like, for examples such as light, compass or a pocket knife.
by Danny | Sep 21, 2018 | Design
Design Brief
In this mini-project, we needed to produce a new urban public space individually with the concept of a connected society. As a class, we will build and exhibit a future ‘social’ city by adding each individual model. By either thinking about getting people ‘active’ or ‘calm’ where people can stop, reflect and contemplate.
We needed to research the trends of the urban area for the change in the landscape, so from there we can then explore the side of social connectivity, community connectivity and digital connectivity. we need to think about the people who I am designing for and where my product will be located in the city of Dundee.
The scale model will be located on a plank of 105mm x150mm.
Research
For research, as a group when to a multi-story parking facility located in the centre of Dundee. The place was very worn down, as you can see from the images on the right, the facility is relatively old. The parking lot used a circular spiral ramp for the cars to go up. Most of the floors were quite empty, so the area was quiet, there were also empty spaces around the car park that are just not being used.
To consider that in a city with the population up to 148,000 people but only filled the first floor of the parking space, and it’s in the centre of the city, that’s quite extraordinary. I guess it’s good that not many cars being parked here mean that the traffic count is low, that implies there is no traffic jam, and as a city the CO2 emission is low. However, the sheer waste of space is a waste of resources, maintenance and money.
Initial thoughts and Ideas
The first idea I had in mind while I was at the car park was that since the top floor wasn’t used, could it be used for a rooftop fair or have a rooftop bar? Same could apply to the centre area for the parking ramp and space next to the parking lot. Set up things where the whole community can participate in and make use of the lonely run down areas. My other thought was what if the parking lines on the floor was interactive, would that make parking fun for many that dread it?
Initial Drawing
On the left, I have my initial drawing of some of the ideas. My theme is revolved around nature, I want to create a peaceful place that you can be surrounded by nature and calm down from the business of a city. My first thought was a birds nest, also i thought it would be nice to have a spider web-like hammock so people can go and lay down. People can go in and become nestlings, where you can feel safe and protected from the world. My second idea is a dome that is made out of trees, the same basic idea as the nest but the dome is fully enclosed and the branches of the dome make a bench that people can sit around. My third idea was a giant basket again made from living tree branch but wived in the shaped of a basket. Furthermore, I designed egg-shaped capsules for people to sit and relax in, there is also a version of it where it’s a bed.
Tree Shaping
I did some research on tree shaping where there are three main ways of tree shaping. Framing, Grafting and Pruning. Framing is where you put a frame as a jig for the tree to grow in and eventually grow into the shape of the jig. Grafting is when you cut a brunch off the plant and attach a piece of another plant to the cut surface. Finally, there is pruning, which means by cutting at the leaf nodes you can direct and control the direction of the growth.
For the following ideas, I think framing may be the best idea as it’s much simpler and relatively less maintenance.
First development
My first development was the dome idea where I thought that being a dome enclosed entirely with tree branch will be very dark inside, so I thought by creating some opening on all around the dome will be more suitable as that would let some natural lighting in, and on the inside, there will be the egg-shaped beds in a nest so it will add more atmosphere to be in the bed. Furthermore, I have also put a plant pot inside the dome so there will be additional greenery to improve the internal aesthetics. I made a model of the design showing the part of the model shows the tree being covering the dome the other side you have the skeleton of the dome where the tree can grow around.
(Gallery on the right contains sketch and model)
Second Development
This is my second development idea. The idea is that instead of a dome there is a high bush where people can’t see inside and when you get in you are cut off from the world. So my first development for this idea is for mainly the Dundee flower and food festival. You walk into the garden and you will find your self in a flower exhibition. There is a guided path for the visitors but at a certain point they have the freedom to choose where they go but ultimately the path will guild them out. The flower beds are at different hight so the exhibition will seem more dynamic. My second thought was to put a spider web structure on top and the gaps are covered by the glass, so the exhibition can be a greenhouse during other seasons. The last image shows a model I made to represent the spider web idea.
Third Development
This is my third idea; it was inspired by the ‘High Way’ path in New York City. I thought that in the busy city centre there could be a sight of nature. My audiences are those who are always busy working and don’t have the time to appreciate nature. The design is that there is a grass path down the middle of the high street where there are plant pots down the two sides of the road. Furthermore, there are some array of LED lights sitting under pressure plates will light up when people step on it, so the calmness of the greenery and the interactive of the LED lights.
My final idea is similer to my second development idea. it will be a garden that’s sitting in the middle of the city. First, I chose the garden shape to be in a shape of a thistle, so I looked up some design of it. I combind the one in the left coner and the one to the right of that one.
I started by cutting the shape out on paper so I have a reference image, I then stuck it on to the 150mm x 150mm plank. By doing this I now know where I can stick my grass and rocks. First by applying PVA glue then just spinkal the grass and the rock on I manage to make the thistle shape.
(see gallery)
I then proceeded to make the ring of the garden bt cutting out the inner ring with a jigsaw and sanded it down with a bobbing sander cut out the out shape by using the band saw.
(see gallery)
The Final outcome was very satisfying with the cale fiuger of people really helped with showing the scale size of the model.
by Danny | Sep 14, 2018 | Design
The Group project
We started with a group project. Our brief was to de-construct the shape of the lamp and make a 1:1 scale model of the lamp from the material supplied.
The lamp we were given was a Tizio lamp designed by Richard Sapper.
Tizio lamp
As a team, we took on roles, and each of us was making a different component of the Tizio lamp, we also did some rough measurements, then we drew a 1:1 scale drawing. W
e also did some calculation as some of the components were harder to measure than others. And by making each induvial 
part of that lamp we each slowly getting the idea and the technicality of the lamp. Our model of the Tizio lamp needs to be balanced where it’s not going to fall or collapse. The outcome was to our satisfaction as the joints did not slip, and the lamp head was balanced on the weights.
Individual Task
After we finished making the model of the lamp we moved on to our individual projects. The aim was to use one aspect of the Tizio lamp to create a product that can still be a lamp or something entirely different.
I started by thinking about a problem around me, and I just started sketching. First, I thought about the fact when I go out for road trips, the rubbish always gets out of hands really quickly. So thought about a collapsible travel bin that twist and collapses. The part that inspired me was the joint, the zigzag design on the Tizio lamp. 
My second idea was to have a collapsible bedside table. This was due to the fact I have minimal space in my student accommodation, and I don’t have a bedside table, but I would like the table to be easily stored away when needed. I again adopted the zigzag idea from the Tizio lamp for the extension mechanism of the table, and it almost resembles the design of a scissor lift, it would go up and down to collapse down for easy storage. My third idea came after I had done some basic research about the Tizio lamp. From my research, I found that the idea of the Tizio lamp. In the world of clutter out came something simple but effective the Tizio lamp, furthermore, Richard Sapper didn’t like the fact a normal lamp has a small coverage of the working space, he wanted to create a lamp that covers a large area but at the same time without taking a large footprint. So I thought about making a lamp that takes a small amount of space, that is balanced by weight system and a light source that’s not concentrated.
Website used for research:
http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/design/articles/2016/june/06/how-clutter-inspired-richard-sapper-s-design-classic/
First idea
Drawing on travel bin idea
The model for travel bin
My first idea was the travel bin. With my initial idea being the bin twists and fold down flat for easy storage. However, after some failed sketching and brainstorm I came up with a new mechanism that would work better. If I had zigzag bars that can rotate at each end where it’s attached, make them the same all four side, you could pull them up to extend the bin and put a small bin bag in it. On the right is a card model that I have made which represent my idea. Then I thought I could make the end of the extension bar round so that the sharp edges would not cut anyone. Furthermore, I thought that I could add a cap that will clip on to the top of the bin that would hold the bin bag in place. 
Second idea
Drawing on the bedside table
The second idea is design based on a problem of having a small space for the bedroom. It’s a bedside table that can be compressed and stored away to save space when needed. I improved the design from my initial design.
The new design features:
– Open space when expanded for books or other things that user would like to use it for.
– A paper wall that folds in a zigzag form so it can be collapsed.
– A tabletop that’s just laid on top so that the user can put alarm clocks or a cup of tea etc.
The table top can be removed for easy access from the top as well as from the front of the table.
I tried to make the scissor lift mechanism. However, I realised quickly that as the mechanism move, the width of the side gets narrower, the table’s frame is fixed so that would cause a problem.
experiment model on scissor life mechanism
Third idea
ideas for the lampshade
My third idea is also a lamp. The idea is to make the lamp as simple as possible, and my main focus is how to make the light source of the lamp not concentrated but more spread out so it can cover more surface area. So I made some different lampshade model.
Lampshade idea modelling
- The first lampshade idea is not so ideal this is because the light would bounce and reflect in the cone and come out very concentrated and bright.
- the second one is slightly better as I removed the back end to let some light escape, therefore, less light being reflected within the cone so ultimately more dispersed light.
- The third idea is better as light can escape from both directions of the tube but still quite focused.
- The fourth one is effectively a box where the light would come out from the bottom, so the light would be very focused as well.
In the end, I chose lampshade 3 as the one I will use. As to how to disperse the light even more, the material I will use for the lampshade will be a half opaque material that lets most of the light through but reflects some light so the whole of the head shines and light up the room.
Final idea drawing
So then I sketched up an idea how the lamp will look like, it will have a round base that can rotate and a weight system at the back to keep the lamp balanced.
I started by making the base of the lamp. I used foam board to wrap around disks of cardboard, the extra weight will create a more stable base for the model. I added an extra disk at the bottom which is attached via a dowel, so the base can rotate freely. Then I moved to make the rest of the lamp out of foam boards. The joints work as it should and the weights create a perfect balance.
What I could’ve done better
After playing around with the finished model I had the following thoughts that may improve the product:
- The weight could move up and down the beam to create more movement options.
- The main beam can be extended so the light can cover more area.
Also for the modelling of the lampshade, next time I would use a different kind of material for it as the foam board do not show the light diffusing property of the real material I want to use.
