NOMAD SIDE TABLE design + development
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Week 1 -
Week 1 -
Week 2 -
Week 3 -
Week 4 -
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Week 5 -
Week 6 -
Weeks 7 to 9 -
The Brief Project Timeline
Full scale model Joint testing CAD model development Costing Critque no.4 with Umbra
Company Research Market Research
Full scale model Branding + photography Product video Final presentation with Umbra
Initial Sketches Critique no.1 with Umbra
Sketch development Sketch models Critique no.2 with Umbra
Concept development CAD model Critique no.3 with Umbra
Professional prototype building ‘Make journal’ Critical Evaluation
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WEEK 1 THE BRIEF // PROJECT TIMELINE
week 1 the brief
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JOHN LEWIS & UMBRA DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2017 DESIGN OBJECTIVE Umbra and John Lewis have teamed up to launch a unique opportunity for design students. With both organisations priding themselves in promoting great affordable design, we are looking for students to design a FRESH and ORIGINAL design for Umbra that will be sold across the UK at John Lewis stores in 2018. Background The UK has the smallest housing stock in Western Europe, in fact based on the average House size, 5.7 UK homes will fit in the average Canadian House! More and more people rent and nomadic living provides the flexibility that people desire. With this comes the inconvenience of moving more frequently.
ORGANIZE WITH STYLE
Challenge The challenge will be for you (individually or in pairs) to design a solution that will help make small space living comfortable, easy, and affordable. The design will aid the end user with storage or organization in the bedroom, hallway, and/or lounge - think about multiple room usage or open plan living. Consider multiple functions, space efficiency, and dual utility. What challenges on space have you had in the past and how have you overcome them? Given that young people tend to move more regularly, designs need to be made in such a way so they can be made up and taken down easily, allowing the end user to take it with them as and when they move. Materials Focus on materials common in Umbra designs such as metal, ceramic, resin, textile, and wood. The use of one or more materials is possible but thought should be given to designs to ensure no or minimal tooling costs are required. Retail Consider how the product will be packaged and displayed on store shelves. Shelf fill dimensions are H30cm x D28cm x L110cm. Retail price range ÂŁ20-80.
RETHINK SMALL SPACES DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2017
Target Market Target customer aged between 20-40 years of age, student or young professional that lives in rented accomodation or in their first purchased home with limited space.
*pages taken from the original brief supplied by umbra rev 10022017
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WEEK 1 THE BRIEF // PROJECT TIMELINE
JOHN LEWIS & UMBRA DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF
week 1
JOHN LEWIS & UMBRA the brief DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2017
COLOUR AND MATERIAL PALETTE
DESIGN PARAMETERS Stands out through its simplicity and functionality. Aesthetics and specifications to be consistent with Umbra design language and brand. Realistic to manufacture (NO TOOLING), assemble, package, distribute, and market in a fast retail time-line. NO DERIVATIVES
NO POPULAR OR CULTURAL ICONS
No concepts based on an existing Umbra product or family (ex. Buddy Opener, Tea Infuser, etc...).
No literal concepts (ex. Wishbone Soap Dish).
Buddy Cork Screw
Buddy Salt+Pepper Set
Buddy Tea Infuser
Wishbone Soap Dish
WHITE Pantone N/A
GREY Pantone 421 C
MINT Pantone 13-5907 TPX
SPRUCE Pantone 17-6212 TPX
NATURAL
NICKEL
BLACK Pantone Black 3C
Wave Door Stop
WHOLE BRAIN DESIGN THINKING Student work should reflect Umbra’s philosophy of whole brain design thinking and consider the following during the design process: Target Market Problem Solving Aesthetics and Functionality User benefits and Added Value Materials and Manufacturing Distribution and Merchandising Costs and Sustainability Consumer Acceptance Brand Identity
*pages taken from the original brief supplied by umbra
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WEEK 1 THE BRIEF // PROJECT TIMELINE
week 1 my breakdown of the brief:
JOHN LEWIS & UMBRA DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2 CLEVER SOLUTIONS BY UMBRA
- Make small space living easy, comfortable, and affordable
- Create a STORAGE/ORGANISATION solution for hallway/bedroom/lounge
- Multi-functional/ dual usage
- Spatial efficiency
- Easy assembly/disassembly to suit nomadic lifestyle
*Must be able to withstand several rounds of assembly/ disassembly
(unlike cheap Ikea furniture)
- Dimensions no larger than:
300mm H x 1100mm W x 280mm D
- Using materials to suit what is used in existing Umbra catalogue
- Metal
- Wood
- Resin - Ceramic
- No or minimal tooling costs
- Think about packaging and how it will be displayed on shop shelves
- Must retail for £20-£80 so needs to be simple/cheap to manufacture - Integrate into Umbra’s existing branding
- Target Market:
- Student/ young professional aged 20-40
- Lives in rented accommodation or first purchased home with limited space
- Aesthetics and specs consistent with Umbra design language and brand
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WEEK 1 THE BRIEF // PROJECT TIMELINE
JOHN LEWIS & UMBRA DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2017
week 1 PROJECT TIMELINE
JOHN LEWIS & UMBRA DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2017
Phase 4
Design Development
Week of Oct 23
SCHEDULE
CLASS Students will present deliverables. Umbra will critique concepts.
The collaboration will run for 6 weeks. Critiques by Umbra may be conducted in person or via video conferencing (Skype or Zoom). John Lewis may also participate in lectures and critiques. PHASE/DATE
STAGE
DESCRIPTION
Phase 1
Introduction and Research
TASKS Conduct research on Umbra, target market, consumer market, materials, and manufacturing processes.
Week of Oct 02
CLASS Introduction to Umbra and review of design brief. Matt Carr, VP of Design, will deliver kickoff lecture.
UMBRA DELIVERABLES Three tabloid-sized pages of your concept development for critique. Upload pages to OneNote. Phase 5
Design Refinement
Week of Oct 30
Ideation
Week of Oct 09
TASKS Conduct research and identify opportunities. Create competitive analysis and mood boards. Sketch concepts. CLASS Students will present deliverables. Umbra will critique concepts.
Phase 3 Week of Oct 16
Design Development
TASK Finalize design concept and design details. Work on CAD and model. Plan video. Prepare 3 pages of development work for critique. CLASS Students will present deliverables. Umbra will critique concepts.
UMBRA DELIVERABLES None. Phase 2
TASKS Determine direction and focus on key concept(s). Conduct additional research. Consider costs, ergonomics, and other design details. Continue to sketch and build sketch models to evaluate concepts. Develop CAD. Prepare 3 pages of development work for critique.
UMBRA DELIVERABLES Three tabloid-sized pages showing development of your selected concept. Upload pages to OneNote. Phase 6 Week of Nov 06
Final Presentation
TASKS Finalize design proposal and create 5-slide presentation. Complete model. Create video. Upload slides and video link to OneNote.
UMBRA DELIVERABLES Three tabloid-sized pages of your best “concepts” (variations within a concept) for critique. Sketches only. Upload pages to OneNote.
CLASS Students will present final concepts to Umbra.
TASKS Continue exploring and developing concepts. Narrow in on your selected concepts and manufacturing processes. Sketch and create sketch models. Prepare 3 pages of development work for this week’s critique.
UMBRA DELIVERABLES 1. Prepare 5-slide presentation. o Slide 1 - Title slide including beauty shot of design o Slide 2 - Features and Benefits o Slide 3 - Rationale and Inspirations o Slide 4 - Product Insitu o Slide 5 - Final Slide
CLASS Students will present deliverables. Umbra will critique concepts. UMBRA DELIVERABLES Three tabloid-sized pages of your concept development for critique. Upload pages to OneNote.
*pages taken from the original brief supplied by umbra
2. Product Video - max 1min long. *Upload password protected link to OneNote* 3. Built Model.
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WEEK 1 THE BRIEF // PROJECT TIMELINE
week 1 MY PERSONAL TIMELINE
Plan prototype building - order materials Workshop & Studio
Creating deliverables
Build prototype, technical drawings, design & development pack
Workshop & Studio
Creating deliverables
Build prototype, technical drawings, design & development pack
Workshop & Studio
Finish prototype, technical drawings, design & development pack
* Note: A lot of this shifted, due to issues with ordering materials/ set backs during the making process.
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WEEK 1 COMPANY RESEARCH // MARKET RESEARCH
week 1 COMPANY RESEARCH
WHO IS UMBRA? Umbra is a Canadian home accessories design and manufacturing company founded in 1978 by childhood friends Les Mandelbaum and Paul Rowan. The company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada has satellite offices in the Netherlands, Brazil, the United States, and China. Umbra sells more than 2,000 home products through over 25,000 retailers in 120 countries.
UMBRA’S DESIGN AESTHETIC
- Clean lines - Minimal - Basic colour pallette; natural wood, white, metallics, curated colours, etc. - Minimal/selective use of materials (wood, metal, resin, ceramic, etc.) - 360 design - beautiful from all angles
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WEEK 1 COMPANY RESEARCH // MARKET RESEARCH
week JOHN 1
LEWIS & UMBRA DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2017 COMPANY RESEARCH
JOHN LEWIS & UMBRA DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF 2017
JOHN LEWIS
UMBRA
The John Lewis Partnership’s 86,700 Partners own the leading UK retail businesses - John Lewis and Waitrose.
Umbra was born over 35 years ago when a graphic designer by the name of Paul Rowan couldn’t find a nice window shade to hang in his new apartment window. So, he made one. And others liked it! He soon teamed up with friend Les Mandelbaum...and Umbra was born.
Our founder’s vision of a successful business powered by its people and its principles defines our unique company today. Our success is driven through an edited & curated assortment across Home, Fashion & Electricals.
It was from this first product that Umbra got its name - ‘umbra’ means ‘shade’ in Latin. Since that time, Umbra has grown to become the world leader of modern, original, casual and affordable design for the home, introducing designs that have broken the mold and creating entirely new categories in the home decor and gifting market.
We pride ourselves on offering unrivaled product design & market leading service, through our own-brand and trusted brand-partnerships. This enables us to showcase the very best-in-class assortment, tailored to our customers needs’ in our inspirational shops & online.
DESIGN COLLABORATIONS Great design comes from fresh creativity and Umbra is committed to nurturing new talent by collaborating with design students from schools such as Pratt Institute, Art Center College of Design, Universidad EAFIT, Humber College, OCAD University and Rochester Institute of Technology. Such programs have tasked students to design products for real market situations, providing them with invaluable experience. If launched and successful in the marketplace, such designs may earn potential royalties for students and schools alike. Each Umbra product is an original design with the name of the designer recognized on the product. The purpose of this collaboration is to introduce students to designcentered criteria for product development and engage them in a project with direct involvement from Umbra.
CONCEAL SHELF Miron Lior Pratt Institute
*pages taken from the original brief supplied by umbra
FISHHOTEL AQUARIUM Teddy Luong Carleton University
HOOKIT ENTRYWAY ORGANIZER Aaron Bavle & Joanna Lok Humber College
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WEEK 1 COMPANY RESEARCH // MARKET RESEARCH
week 1 MARKET RESEARCH TARGET MARKET - Student/ young professional aged 20-40 - Lives in rented accommodation or first purchased home with limited space
TARGET MARKET PERSONAS: Name: Alex Age: 22 Occupation: Graphic design student Relationship status: Single - Has own podcast - Owns a Macbook and iPhone Being a design student, Alex has an appreciation for well-designed objects. He works part time as a barista, but does not have much disposable income for investing in expensive pieces. Name: Siena Age: 31 Occupation: Marketing manager Relationship status: Living with a partner - Spent a year living in Copenhagen - Creates monthy Spotify playlists for her friends and colleagues Self-described as #minimal, Siena’s apartment contains a few carefully curated pieces. She has a cat named ‘Dog’ and her favourite artist is Yayoi Kusama.
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WEEK 1 COMPANY RESEARCH // MARKET RESEARCH
week 1 MARKET RESEARCH brand mapping Brands the target market care about:
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WEEK 1 COMPANY RESEARCH // MARKET RESEARCH
week 1 MARKET RESEARCH
EXISTING UMBRA PRODUCTS THAT FIT THE BRIEF: Mutli-functional, storage solutions for small spaces.
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WEEK 1 COMPANY RESEARCH // MARKET RESEARCH
week 1 MARKET RESEARCH SMALL SPACE/ NOMADIC LIVING As housing gets more and more unaffordable, young people are renting for longer, and moving more often. Thus, the growing trend of ‘nomadic living’ has become an important reaction to this. How do we make ‘small space living’ more comfortable? What can we do to make moving every year easier? Examples of solutions:
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WEEK 2 INITIAL SKETCHES // CRITIQUE
no. 1
WITH UMBRA
week 2 deliverables 3 Initial sketches and concepts presented to Umbra via video conference. Concepts: 1. Shelving unit for display + storage, comprised of simple boxes which would then turn into 'moving boxes' for the nomad 2. Organisation caddy with slots to change the displayed surface 3. Storage side table on wheels with tray top 4. Wall mounted shelf/ corkboard
CRITIQUE
no. 1- deliverable pg. 1-3 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
Notes from the critique: Need to work on a stronger concept
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WEEK 3 SKETCH + MODEL DEVELOPMENT // CRITIQUE
no. 2
WITH UMBRA
week 3 After an unsuccessful first crit with Umbra, it was back to the drawing board. I started thinking harder about what this target market was really lacking, and the constraints that they experienced in this regard. After speaking to several people that in fall into this category, and reflecting on my own experience (as I too am part of our target market!), I narrowed the brief into concentrating on the following problems:
NOMADIC/ SMALL SPACE LIVING PROBLEMS:
SOLUTION:
1. Most people from our target market live in rented accommodation that is only basically furnished (ie. bed, sofa, kitchen table and not much else)
Thus, our market needs a side table which is:
2. There is a significant lack of table space to store & display items, and also work on
3. It wasn’t a possibility for our specific user to purchase an item for every room, so we needed something both versatile and mobile to work in any space
- Useful - Multifunctional - Compact - Easy to assemble/disassemble - Consistent with Umbra’s design language
4. It needs to be compact and moving day friendly, as our user moves quite often and can’t lug around loads of large and heavy items
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WEEK 3 SKETCH + MODEL DEVELOPMENT // CRITIQUE
no. 2
WITH UMBRA
week 3 I began looking at ways of designing a side table with legs that could be assembled/ disassembled easily. It was important for me to try and find a solution that could be done without the use of tools, and preferably without any extra hardware (ie. allen keys). Umbra’s design style consists of really clever yet SIMPLE solutions so it was extremely important to me not to overcomplicate any processes designed into my side table.
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week 3 Sketches and sketch model exploration of how a leg could be installed with a simple slot system, without the use of tools or hardware. All parts were designed to be CNC’d from flat sheet material, with simple butt joints to save on cost and exclude any tooling, as the brief specified.
Potential concerns: 1. Would the holes at the bottom be an issue? Could be used for ‘cord management’ purposes. 2. The legs stick up into the useable space > does this impede utility or could it be made into a feature?
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WEEK 3 SKETCH + MODEL DEVELOPMENT // CRITIQUE
no. 2
WITH UMBRA
week 3 Notes from the critique: They like the concept but would like me to explore how I could give the table ‘added value’. The leg assembling/disassembling makes useful only on moving day > how could my table help the user with their every day problems?
CRITIQUE
no. 2- deliverable pg. 1-3 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
Also, they had no issue with the holes are the bottom or the legs sticking up into the usable space.
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WEEK 4 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT // CAD MODEL // CRITIQUE
no. 3
WITH UMBRA
week 4 For me, the obvious solution to increasing the ‘added value’ to my design, was to have the table top double as a removeable tray. This was a concept I had previously explored, however scrapped in an attempt to maintain Umbra’s signature simplicity.
Above is my first interation my CAD model, featuring a removeable lid that doubles as a tray, and a removeable ‘locking shelf’ which locates over the legs to secure them in place. This doubles as hidden storage for valuables. Changes from last week’s model: - I rotated legs to face the corners - Added locking shelf to secure legs in place > created hidden storage - Added removeable lid/tray > sits on a simple shoulder - Closed the back in order to create more strength for joinery
Changes made before the crit: - Reduced the height of the shelf - Moved the handle to be on the bottom of the side piece
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no. 3 - deliverable pg. 1 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
CRITIQUE
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT // CAD MODEL // CRITIQUE no. 3
WITH UMBRA
WEEK 4
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no. 3 - deliverable pg. 2 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
CRITIQUE
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT // CAD MODEL // CRITIQUE no. 3
WITH UMBRA
WEEK 4
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no. 3 - deliverable pg. 3 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
CRITIQUE
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT // CAD MODEL // CRITIQUE no. 3
WITH UMBRA
WEEK 4
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WEEK 5 FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
no. 4
WITH UMBRA
week 5 Notes from the critique no.3 with Umbra: - Add feet to the tray - Test with a full scale prototype - Ensure the leg structure is strong & stable full scale prototyping
- I converted my SolidWorks files into individual DXF files, and nested them in AutoCAD. - I laser cut my pieces to be cut on several sheets of 3mm corrugated cardboard in full scale, with duplicates of pieces glued together to make up the thickness.
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WEEK 5 FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
no. 4
WITH UMBRA
week 5 full scale prototyping
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WEEK 5 FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
no. 4
WITH UMBRA
week 5 full scale prototyping
From working in full scale, I found the following problems: 1. ‘Locking shelf’ blocked by shoulder Solution: Removed shoulder, made tray larger with protruding handles (to aid in picking up, and visually signal to user that it is a tray and not an accidental loose shelf!) Added ‘tray legs’ to locate into box and create added function to be a laptop tray 2. Legs too thin and upright for proportions Solution: Put more of a taper on legs and thickened upper portion 3. Base of table blocked handle on side Solution: Cut a shape into base to allow for a hole
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WEEK 5 FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
no. 4
WITH UMBRA
week 5 full scale joint testing Conclusion:
Joint works! Needs .20 mm on either side to allow for ease of sliding, while minimising any unecessary looseness. Gluing a pad of felt onto slot might aid in sliding action, while protecting from damage I tested about 10 joints with different tolerances
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WEEK 5 FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
no. 4
WITH UMBRA
week 5 costing One of the constraints of the brief was that our design needed to retail for £20-80. From working with John Lewis during my placement year, I know that their mark up is close to 300%. Thus, my table needs to be manufactured for less than £26.67, including Umbra’s costs.
Factors to consider: - Umbra manufactures in the Far East > shipping & tax on top of manufacture - VAT in the UK built into the £20-80 RRP - Cost of materials: flat sheet materials > hinges & magnets > paint & finishing materials
- Cost of running the CNC - Cost of assembly > domino butt joints - Cost of finishing > Sealing & spraying MDF, waxing plywood - Cost of packaging
I started by nesting out my parts on the three types of flat sheet material (9mm MDF, 12mm MDF, 18mm plywood):
- The above costs are for one off sheets of each material, so the cost will go down considerably when buying in bulk, and when you remove VAT. - However, this cost for the sheet materials only. Price will go up with labour costs, finishing (spraying) costs, running the CNC, packaging, etc. - Finally, if we assume the final cost will be £20 per table (to be safe), with a 300% markup for retail, the table should theoretically retail at £60, well under the £80 maximum.
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WEEK 5 no. 4
WITH UMBRA
CRITIQUE
no. 4 - deliverable pg. 1 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
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WEEK 5 no. 4
WITH UMBRA
CRITIQUE
no. 4 - deliverable pg. 2 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
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WEEK 5 no. 4
WITH UMBRA
CRITIQUE
no. 4 - deliverable pg. 3 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
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WEEK 5 no. 4
WITH UMBRA
CRITIQUE
no. 4 - deliverable pg. 4 uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
FULL SCALE MODEL // CAD DEVELOPMENT // JOINT TESTING // COSTING // CRITIQUE
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WEEK 6 FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
week 6 Notes from the critique no.4 with Umbra: - Make the feet on laptop tray longer - Make sure to show the table in situ with props to show scale/ use
full scale CARD model with finishes I laser cut my edited parts from corrugated cardboard again, but this time sprayed them in the finishes I wanted. I primed the cardboard and taped the edges with double sided tape. I printed out a plywood end grain texture and glued that to the edges of the pieces meant to be ply. As my final critque needed a video, I wanted my cardboard model to look as realistic as possible.
What I changed from last week: - Designed longer laptop feet on hinges to fit over user’s lap - In the ‘closed position’, the feet are held to the lid with a small magnet - When closed, the tray feet then ‘locates’ the lid in place - I cut a curve into the side piece (see image A for the straight vs. curved cut), to act as a edge to hold onto when lifting the table > creates easier mobility - This curved cut also reveals the exposed edge of plywood from the base, adding a bit of visual interest to break up the ‘boxiness’ of the top - I also, splayed the legs out a bit more, and thickened up the tops
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WEEK 6 FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
week 6 final cardboard model
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WEEK 6 FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
week 6 photography
For my final presentation, It was really important for me to have some decent photography of my table in order to really sell my concept to both Umbra & John Lewis. My time in industry has definitely taught me that good photography is essential to selling your product, and giving you an edge on the competition.
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WEEK 6 FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
week 6 photography
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WEEK 6 FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
week 6 photography
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WEEK 6 FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
week 6 BRANDING
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WEEK 6 FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
week 6 PRODUCT VIDEO
Screenshots of my the one minute video I created for my final presentation with Umbra. Video shows my table being used in different situations.
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WEEK 6
uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
final presentation - slide 1
FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
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WEEK 6
uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
final presentation - slide 2
FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
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WEEK 6
uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
final presentation - slide 3
FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
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WEEK 6
uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
final presentation - slide 4
FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
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WEEK 6
uploaded to online portal for assessment by umbra
final presentation - slide 5
FULL SCALE MODEL // BRANDING + PHOTOGRAPHY // PRODUCT VIDEO // FINAL PRESENTATION WITH UMBRA
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WEEK 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING // ‘make journal’
weekS 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING ‘MAKE JOURNAL’ 1. ordering materials The university kindly offered to pay for certain materials, if we were able to obtain a quote from a supplier. ISSUES: Unfortunately, there were internal issues within the university that prevented getting supplies ordered on time. Consequently, several students received their materials quite late, cutting into our workshop time. However despite this constraint, I was able to finish my piece on time.
2. preparing files for cnc Because I had been testing my drawings on the laser cutter for several weeks, I was confident with them by the time it came to CNCing. I made sure to put my name in the queue while waiting for my materials to arrive. This meant my parts were cut as soon as my materials became available.
3. parts cut on cnc My parts were cut by one of the technicians in the workshop. ISSUES: Because of the tolerance inherent in plywood, the legs were too loose to slot onto my table properly. I designed the piece to fit 18 mm plywood, however the piece I had was more like 17 mm, meaning my legs were too loose and thus useless. Because I had left enough time, the technician was able to cut a second set of legs for me, when I tweaked and resupplied the drawing. This time, I designed the slot to be less than it should, so that I could sand it to the correct width.
4. sanding all parts I prepped all pieces for their finishes by sanding them down.
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WEEK 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING // ‘make journal’
weekS 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING ‘MAKE JOURNAL’ 5. cut domino holes for jointing I used the domino machine to cut corresponsing holes for domino jointing ISSUES: I had never used this machine before, so I had to be inducted and practice first on scrap pieces of MDF. Unfortunately, my lack of experience meant that I cut a piece wrong. Luckily, one of the technicians helped me cut a new piece so I could have another go. All went well in the end! 6. seal mdf pieces Four coats of sealant was applied to the MDF, concentrating especially on the edges, to prepare it for spraying.
7. spray mdf in correct colours I was instructed by a workshop technician to go to a car paint company to purchase cellulose paint to spray my MDF. The actual spraying was done by the technician. ISSUES: Because my pieces were drying overnight when the heating was turned off, the paint finish had cracked in places. Also, I feel like there should have been more coats applied, as well as a clear protective coat to result in a better finish. My pieces have quite a few scratches and imperfections caused only by the assembly process. This obviously isn’t ideal, as it is meant to be a hardwearing piece.
8. wax all plywood pieces I applied several coats of clear furniture wax onto all my plywood pieces.
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WEEK 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING // ‘make journal’
weekS 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING ‘MAKE JOURNAL’ 9. Glue domino joints together I glued all my pieces together and set it to dry overnight with quick grips. ISSUES: Because of my lack of skills in the workshop, this seemingly simple process was anything but. I did several ‘dry runs’ without glue, and everything fit properly. However, when gluing the last piece in, it didn’t fit properly. This involved plenty of panic, and I had to use pliers to pry the already expanding dominoes out of the holes to shift everything into the correct place. In the end it fit together, however the finish is far from perfect. 10. make sure legs and locking shelf fit assembled piece Now that the piece is fully assembled, it was possible to see if the locking shelf’s holes located properly over the legs when they were installed. This had to be very precise as even 1 mm could throw the whole thing out. I designed the holes to leave a 0.25 mm tolerance all around the legs, with the hopes that this would allow the locking shelf to be installed easily, whilst still fitting snug enough that it would provide stability. ISSUES: Because of the spray finish, the locking shelf was slightly too large to fit. I had designed a 0.25 mm around the shelf thinking that this would be enough, however I had to sand it down a bit to make it fit. I then realised that the holes didn’t line up with the legs, despite them fitting perfectly when tested on several full scale models. I proceeded to re-jig my drawing, trying to measure my prototype to re-design a piece to fit it. I laser cut a couple of full scale shelves to test the new holes, however they still weren’t fitting properly. Luckily, as pointed out my Chris Lamerton, I realised the holes didn’t fit because I (stupidly) hadn’t pushed my legs in enough. The legs were a bit tight at the ends as I had sanded this version down, because of my issue with the plywood tolerance earlier. Thus, they were a bit too tight to be pushed all the way to the end, which is why I didn’t notice they weren’t fully in place. I sanded them down slightly, as well as the holes on the locking shelf, and everything fit as it should! 11. screw in hinges and glue magnets on I attached the hinges and magnets on to assemble the lid/tray.
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WEEK 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING // ‘make journal’
weekS 7-9 final built prototype
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WEEK 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING // ‘make journal’
weekS 7-9 final built prototype Proposed ‘etched’ leg locator detail (See next page for explanation)
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WEEK 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING // ‘make journal’
weekS 7-9 PROFESSIONAL PROTOTYPE BUILDING ‘MAKE JOURNAL’ critical evaluation I am very happy with the outcome of my minor project and am glad I chose to do the live brief with Umbra/ John Lewis. While stressful, it was very exciting to work with Umbra’s designers to produce a piece that I am very proud of. There were so many constraints on the brief that it became quite a difficult problem to solve, making it that much more satisfying to create a product that ‘ticked all the boxes’ that needed to be ticked. Having to professionally present my work every week to the team in Toronto, forced me to work much harder than if I hadn’t done the brief. Furthermore, after my first critique went quite badly, Umbra’s harsh criticisms forced me to push even harder. All in all, while it was a very stressful project, I am very glad that I took part in this live brief. I was able to design a product in just 6 weeks that I am very proud of. After my final presentation with Umbra, I began the process of making my piece. I am definitely a designer rather than a maker, and I found that it was the making element that really let me down and delayed a lot of my work. The way my table is designed, with pieces that need to slot together with accurate tolerances, it is extremely important that my pieces come out millimetre perfect. Now, with my lack of skills as a maker, this did not happen. I’ve outlined all the issues I had with making on pages 44-46. One particular issue that needs to be looked at if a second prototype will be made is finishes. As I didn’t get much control over the spraying process (I was told the technician had to do this), I needed to put a lot of faith that the finish would come out correctly. As I mentioned previously, there were quite a few scratches and imperfections just from me assembling it. As this is meant to be a hardwearing product, this obviously isn’t ideal. I had designed MDF pieces during my placement which were professionally sprayed and the finish was very hardwearing. As I went and invested £45 on 3/4 of a litre of the special cellulose paint from the car company that was recommended to me by the workshop technician, this definitely wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for. Perhaps laminated MDF or some other hardwearing finish would be more appropriate for a second prototype. The next issue was the panic I had with the locking shelf not fitting properly, as I didn’t realise the legs weren’t pushed in all the way. Now, if this could (stupidly) happen to the person who designed it, I can’t expect a user to get it right either. Thus, Fiona Davidson suggested that I have a sort of ‘icon’ etched into the plywood to indicate to the user when the leg was properly installed. For a second prototype, this is something I would like etched in with a laser cutter. I have photoshopped the lines in to give an idea of how this would work (see page 48). Overall my issue was set backs with the making process (from receiving materials late, to my own lack of skills letting me down) which meant my prototype was finished a lot later than I would have hoped. I wanted to re-photograph my table as I had done for the Umbra presentation, and create some sleek branded material, however with time restraints, this was impossible. My own personal circumstances mean that I am also continuing to work for my placement company on a part time basis, meaning I have a very limited amount of time to finish my work. This proved quite difficult, however I feel that I was able to produce a resolved design that I am very proud of, despite setbacks and time restraints out of my control.
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