Annie Tsai 2023 Portfolio

Annie Tsai

PORTFOLIO

Selected Projects

About Me

Hello! I'm Annie, an industrial designer specializing in parametric design. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Design from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and a Master's degree in Design from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. With the spirit of excellence, I have received academic awards and positive evaluations from teachers. In terms of work, I worked as a product design intern for a well-known stationery company and was responsible for the space design of a large trade show in France. I also served as a parametric modeling assistant at the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute. These experiences have prompted me to grow into a multidisciplinary designer.

I am actively seeking a full-time position as an industrial designer. I look forward to connecting with like-minded professionals and exploring opportunities to create innovative and impactful designs together.

Behance: https://www.behance.net/jar09803639146

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chia-hsun-annie-tsai-42027a205/

Selected Projects

Parametric Customized

Leather system

XIANG GUA

神の故郷 Lotus Dessert Plate

/ Others

Paper presented at the International Design Conference of the Chinese Institute of Design, Taiwan, 2022.

Concept

Problem definition How Might We Research Purpose

Leather beginners encounter various production obstacles

Lack of pattern-making knowledge, inaccurate edge alignment, the absence of professional tools

Utilizing parametric design systems

effectively reduces the error rate for beginners

Assisting beginners in completing hands-on projects and acquiring foundational skills and knowledge

Using single programs to compute multiple outcomes.

Process /

Sketching

Prototyping

Programming

Building

Testing

Repairing

Full Video: https://youtu.be/ykNgZ1Db094

Process /

User Testing (20)

Interviewing

Recording

Making process is fun

Results

Advantages reported by the subjects

The author conducted 15 to 30-minute semistructured in-depth interviews（background, experience, pros and cons...etc.） with subjects of the completed work, focusing on the advantages and barriers of the overall experience. Out of the sixteen participants, fifteen highly praised the experience, while one had slightly lower expectations but still expressed satisfaction. The feedback received was categorized into several major categories, providing valuable insights.

The teaching process is clear

Building self confidence in craftsmanship

System preview and scale comparison

Customized laser engraving

Customized template

Laser cutting holes and shapes

A disparity between system preview and reality

Laser engraving system is not easy to operate

Reduce system options to avoid selection barriers

Added system options to increase selectivity

The software operation is not intuitive

Difficult to make

Barriers encountered by the subjects

Based on the records and results of the testing process, it was observed that the subjects were influenced by existing products in determining the direction of subsequent adjustments.

Furthermore, by analyzing their final product, one can infer that an individual's past experiences can impact the smoothness of the testing process and the quality of the end result.

Results

The system has successfully replaced some traditional methods, helping leather beginners to shorten the production time and overcome technical difficulties.

Digitizing the product patterns provides more options and creative possibilities.

Gathering feedback from the interviewees helps to guide future improvements and optimizations.

Based on the simple materialism, traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to the interaction between human body and nature. Different from four seasons, Chinese medicine divides summer into summer and long summer with five seasons as one year. The five-season concept and the relationship between the five elements were used as the basis for the design. In addition, some Chinese medicines that are beneficial to the human body are selected to correspond to body organs and meridians that should be emphasized in each season.

XIANG GUA

Concept

Scraping is a long established medical method that empathize the balance between the body part and the seasons in Eastern countries. The explanation of Chinese medicine is to discharge the toxins of the body. In Western Medicine, scarping is to stimulate the person's microvessels, so the body activates protective mechanisms to accelerate metabolism and discharge waste from the body.

Focusing on the five seasons health concept of Chinese medicine, we combine the modern people's pursuit of health with Chinese herbal medicine to redesign the traditional scraping tools. What we would like to do is to share these two long-standing and precious cultures with more people and integrate them into everyone's daily life.

Structure

The product is divided into three parts: a scraping board, a transparent sheet for isolating the scraping board from the scraping cream and the bottom part is the Chinese medicine cream. Season poems are printed on the transparent sheet

Prototype material: SLA photosensitive resin.

Scraping board: Walnut wood, Cypress wood, Water buffalo horn, chestnut wood.

Ointment: Jojoba oil, Olive oil, Beeswax block, Traditional Chinese medicine powder.

There are six series of XIANG GUA, one for each of the five seasons, and the additional one for daily use.

All the shape of the scraping boards are inspired by the corresponding organs of the relationship between five elements, which can be used to scrape and massage the acupuncture points. Furthermore, users will be taught the correct concept of scraping in the way of the card during the experience process.

Concept /

The name "Kamikochi" originates from the Japanese mountain deity belief. It is said to be a place where the gods reside and is considered one of the must-visit scenic spots in Japan for every person's lifetime.

The artwork is based on the height map data of the Kamikochi region, capturing the perspective from the Kappa Bridge, overlooking the distant peaks of the Hotakadake Range. Through the use of Unreal Engine, the aim is to recreate and transform this breathtaking scenery into a new artwork to present to the world.

Process /

After importing the physical landscape into UE4, to create a realistic worldlike scene, the material parameters of the mountains were readjusted. As the mountains get closer, the vegetation coverage decreases, and a beach landscape was added.

Process /

To enhance the visual richness, the designer sought out multiple videos for self-learning to create more complex effects:

Speed Tree

Blend Layer

Water Body Rive

Grass and Flower Foliage

Falling Leaves Particle

After completing the artwork, a camera was set up within UE4, and Movie Render was used to export videos and key sequences.

Various camera were set up to capture the artwork

Lotus Dessert Plate

Taking inspiration from two design principles by Oki Sato of nendo design studio:

1. Establishment of "New Connections": Connecting seemingly unrelated things through common elements or ideas.

2. Resting time doesn't have to be empty: Paying attention to the state of a product when it is not in use.

Design

The main design concept is a dessert plate, with a simplified design featuring lotus flowers and leaves that blend seamlessly with the background. The preselected materials are glass or translucent plastic, allowing for easy removal and cleaning of each component.

Design

The plate features three recesses: one for placing lotus-shaped dessert containers, another for a milk bowl, and the third for a beverage. The crumbs that fall while consuming the dessert can serve as bird feed, and the water droplets that drip from chilled drinks can act as a water source for birds. By utilizing the plate's "resting time," a new connection is established by repurposing the remnants of the dining experience to benefit the avian ecosystem.

Design Genome

Concept /

The author designed two parametric basket programs in Rhino and uploaded the Grasshopper files to the open platform Shapediver. Then, fifty participants were recruited to operate the website to investigate whether complex structural products can generate preferred ranges.

Through this experiment, the aim is to analyze consumer behavior and preferences in product design. By employing this approach, intricate and customized products with complex aesthetics can be created, injecting new vitality into traditional culture.

ShapeDiver, the platform where the GH files are uploaded, allows users without any modeling background to interact with the designs online and experience the joy of customization.

Results

Test results for fifty subjects

Results /

30 testers

50 testers

The experiment involved averaging the parameters from thirty participants to generate the most preferred basket design. With the addition of twenty more participants, a comprehensive average preference model was created. The final model, based on the preferences of all fifty participants, differed slightly from the initial design. This approach could be applied to existing or upcoming products, allowing for both customization and the sale of standardized products based on averaged models.

Poster Design

Parametric Customized Leather system

XIANG GUA

神の故郷 Lotus Dessert Plate / Others

Annie Tsai

PORTFOLIO

Selected Projects