AJ CHOUDHURY
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PRODUCT DESIGN PORTFOLIO Recent Graduate from Brunel University. Based in London. Selected Works: 2016 - 2019
A London based product design student drawn towards clean and intuitive design. My strengths revolve around finding engaging solutions to improve the day-to-day interactions between a user and their product. Email: ajcho.design@gmail.com Phone: 07341267822 Website: ajchoudhury.myportfolio.com Instagram: @shoj.jpg
E D U C AT I O N
EXPERIENCE
AT T R I B U T E S
BRUNEL UNIVERSITY / PRODUCT DESIGN BSC
M O M E N T U M W AY S H O W I N G / D E S I G N E R
SKILLS
BSC HONS / AUTUMN 2015 - SUMMER 2019 / LONDON, UK
AUTUMN 2017 - SUMMER 2018 / GODALMING, UK
• Adobe Software
• Model Making
• Time Management
• Solidworks
• Sketching
• Attention to Detail
• Keyshot
• Photography
• Organisation
1ST CLASS DEGREE Worked across multiple disciplines of design, namely product, graphic MODULES : • Design Process
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• Sketching
and information design, to redesign and implement new wayfinding
• Graphic Design
• Mechanics
systems for clients, including John Lewis, Hard Rock and Standard Life.
AWA RD S
• Human Factors
• Electronics / Interfacing
Analysed factors of a user’s visual journey and experience to improve their
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Winner of The Dave Granshaw Product Design Fund
/ 2019
• Contextual Design
• Design For Manufacture
connection and understanding of the buildings and environments around
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Brunel University Highest Overall Grade in the Year Award
/ 2019
• Design Management
• Materials / Processes
them, using a holistic wayfinding approach.
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Best Environmental Design at the OXO Tower Exhibition
/ 2019
/ABOUT ME
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AERO
UPLIFT
KINOTEKI
AIR QUALITY MONITOR
FUTURE CONCEPT OF
A SMART GUIDE FOR
FOR COMMUTERS
A POSTURE MONITOR
JAPANESE KNIVES
P4 - 13
P14 - 27
P28 - 39
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LU M I N A I RE
K U LT I VA
OTHER WORKS
LAMP DESIGN BASED
GARDEN SHEARS FOR
MINOR PROJECTS AND
ON INDIRECT LIGHT
ACCURATE TRIMMING
OTHER DESIGNS
P40 - 47
P48 - 55
P56 - 71
CONTENTS/
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01 AERO A PORTABLE AIR QUALITY MONITOR FOR COMMUTERS AND THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM ALLERGIC RHINITIS.
SPRING 2019 / DISSERTATION PROJECT
AERO/
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THE PROBLEM Air pollution has been a constant global concern for the modern world. Many sources of pollution are tied directly to urban environments, causing 80% of urban cities to have levels of air pollution above the healthy limit. Many of these cities do not report on outdoor air quality, compromising the public’s awareness of the levels of air pollution around them.
H E A LT H E F F E C T S Air pollution causes adverse effects when above the healthy limit. Particulate Matter is especially dangerous and the most harmful to health. Particles of less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10) are capable of penetrating deep into lung passageways and entering the bloodstream causing asthma, lung cancer, and cardiovascular, or respiratory impacts.
C A R D I O VA S C U L A R I M P A C T S
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VULNERABLE GROUPS • COMMUTERS By travelling into areas of high air pollution on a daily basis, commuters are at risk of developing negative health conditions. • PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIC RHINITIS People who are particularly susceptible, as their immune system overreacts to pollutants in the air, causing high levels of irritation.
R E S P I R AT O R Y I M P A C T S
C O U G H I N G / I R R I TAT I O N
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To develop a solution that improves awareness on air quality, aimed at commuters in urban cities and those who suffer from Allergic Rhinitis, as they are the most susceptible.
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This would be through a portable air quality monitoring device that can travel with the user throughout the day, providing information on harmful allergens in the air, including Particulate Matter.
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The design opportunity lies in the fact that almost every existing portable device cannot monitor Particulate Matter, the pollutant most harmful to human health.
A functioning prototype was created with these key components. It was capable of monitoring the following pollutants. • • •
ARDUINO UNO
PM SENSOR
VOC SENSOR
RGB LED RING
Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5) Volatile Chemicals (VOC) Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Visual feedback is provided via a colour changing LED ring that updates every 20 seconds as well as a vibration motor which would activate when air quality was especially poor.
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I T E R AT I O N 1
I T E R AT I O N 2
I T E R AT I O N 3
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AT H O M E
AT W O R K
W H I L E T R AV E L L I N G
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A companion app for the device was designed in order to offer more functions that improve the product experience. This page shows a few key features of the app.
STRUCTURE D E TA I L E D I N F O TRACKING HISTORY MAIN MENU
LIVE AIR MAP SETTINGS ADVICE (GENERAL)
A D V I C E ( S I T U AT I O N A L ) N O T I F I C AT I O N WA RN I N G The app can be accessed by the user when they want more detailed information on air quality. However, it also provides notifications to warn or advise the user when air pollution is at a hazardous level.
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AERO/
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02 UPLIFT CONCEPT OF A WORKSPACE MONITOR FOR POSTURE AND SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR. DESIGNED FOR INNOCENT.
SPRING 2019 / BRAND FUTURES
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BRAND: INNOCENT SMOOTHIES
As part of a group, I was tasked with re-imagining how a brand from 2019 would stretch their product range in the next 15 years with the intention of resolving problems faced by modern society.
The brand Innocent Smoothies was selected as a group due to their strong ties with health and well-being. We believed their product range would expand towards office based technology in the future, while maintaining the same ethos of promoting a healthy lifestyle.
THE PROBLEM Employees in the UK have some of the longest working hours in Europe, increasing their risk of stroke, heart attacks and many more negative health impacts. In many workplaces where overworking is common, sedentary behaviour is increasing, where employees are sitting for too long, using a low amount of energy throughout the day. Of great concern is poor posture, back pain and irreversible damage to the spine arising from sitting too long in unergonomic positions. Issues related to posture have increased over the past 50 years and will continue to do so in the future, unless there is an intervention.
Within the next 15 years, how can Innocent Smoothies redefine the workspace environment to tackle the negative effects on users health and well-being caused by sitting at a computer desk for too long? 16
/UPLIFT
THE CONCEPT The concept is a posture monitoring hub that encourages office workers to reduce unhealthy desk habits, including slouching and sitting for prolonged periods of time. It works in unison with an under-shirt worn by the user, which has a number of geo-spatial sensors. By processing the data from each sensor, the hub can recreate human movement accurately, providing a live view of the users posture. This idea aims to encourage and empower office workers to change their routine behaviour and be more proactive about their well-being
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ROUGH SKETCHES
I T E R AT I O N 1
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I T E R AT I O N 2
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D E S I G N D E TA I L
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The default screen for the device will show a live view of the user’s posture with a colour coded rating as well as a timer showing how long they have spent sitting down.
Other interfaces will appear in specific situations to advise the user to take a break and also to adjust their posture or workspace. Examples of their design are shown here.
LIVE POSTURE VIEW
S E D E N TA R Y N O T I F I C AT I O N
BREAK TIMER
W O R K S PAC E A DJ U S T M E N T S
Main interface which shows the user a side profile view of their posture at that moment with a detailed analysis of each section of their spine as well as a colour coded rating and sedentary timer.
When the user has been sat down for a prolonged period of time, the hub will vibrate and notify them, suggesting that they take a short break to refresh by standing up and walking around.
While the user is on a break from sitting down, the hub can display a visual timer for the recommended amount of time they should spend standing up and refreshing by being active.
When the user remains in bad posture, even after they try to correct it, the hub shows information regarding what it thinks is wrong, based on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
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UPLIFT/
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Lin is an office worker who tends to slouch. He begins his day by wearing the Uplift shirt under his office clothes.
When he arrives at work, the hub connects to the shirt and begins to monitor Lin.
The hub notices that Lin has the same issues often and, using AI, it suggests slightly lifting his chair to help his posture. It also advises when to stand and take a break if he has been sedentary for too long. 26
/UPLIFT
As Lin works at his desk, the hub creates a real time view of his posture and displays it to him, encouraging him to make a change and improve it.
This leads to Lin having an improved posture and less sedentary time while working at his desk. The device has also helped him be more aware of his health.
When he returns home after work, Lin puts his Uplift shirt in the wash and prepares one of his other ones for the next working day.
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03 KINOTEKI PACKAGING AND APP DESIGN FOR A JAPANESE KITCHEN KNIFE BRAND AIMED AT CASUAL AND NOVICE CHEFS
SPRING 2019 / GRAPHIC DESIGN
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THE PROBLEM A high quality kitchen knife can completely change the cooking experience, since they are the most essential tools to prepare any kind of meal. However, many casual chefs may be cautious of spending money on one, as they are unaware of the benefits it can bring and, especially with Japanese knives, how versatile they are. Instead, they opt to purchase large sets which are marketed as better value. However, many of the knives in these sets are redundant to the casual chef and neglect quality, geometry and materials, leading to a cheap product that wont last long.
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J A PA N E S E K N I V E S High end Japanese knives tend to use a higher quality of steel which is also hardened, making for a stronger blade that can be sharpened easily and will remain sharp for longer. They also feature higher quality materials in their handles, making them more comfortable to use. Novice cooks would benefit from using a single or few essential knives from Japanese cuisine that are known for their versatility. For example, the Santoku knife is well regarded for its balanced performance in mincing, dicing and slicing meat, seafood, vegetables and herbs.
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Create a smart web guide and packaging for a high end Japanese knife brand, marketed towards a wider audience, including more casual chefs, rather than just professionals.
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The guide will be specific to the type of knife and provide information on how to utilise the knife in different ways as well as other interesting topics regarding the process and history of Japanese knives.
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The guide will be web based, such that the user can easily access information about their knife at any point in time, unlike existing knife leaflets which are usually thrown away.
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The knife itself will provide a method of easily accessing the web guide through the use of integrated QR codes.
C OLO U R S CH E M E
The name ‘Kinoteki’ was chosen for its meaning of being as functional as possible. This related well with the idea of a guide that is always available to help cooks use their knives in different ways.
A logo was created with a traditional serif font in order to give the user an essence of the history and heritage behind the brand, while remaining minimal enough to relate to casual users.
L O G O I D E AT I O N
KINOTEKI/
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The deliverables for this project included packaging for one knife in order to demonstrate application of the branding. The packaging was a hinged paper box with an internal walnut trim. It also featured a unique lifting mechanism shown below. As the lid is lifted by the user, the internal panel holding the knife would lift outwards. This lifting mechanism adds a sense of luxury and quality to the box, enhancing the user’s experience when unboxing the knife.
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PROTOTYPING
MODEL KNIFE
PAC K AG I N G
KINOTEKI/
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/KINOTEKI
The guide is accessed through the QR code placed on the knife’s protective cover. The code leads into the overview page for that particular knife and provides options to find out more.
It also features other pages in case the user accesses the guide without using the QR code, include a homepage and pages on knife selection, the history of Japanese knives and the company.
STRUCTURE H O M E PAG E
KNIFE SELECTION
BRAND PURPOSE
MAKING PROCESS
KNIFE HISTORY
C O N TA C T PAG E
SANTOKU KNIFE
CHEFS KNIFE
NAKIRI KNIFE
FILLETING KNIFE
PA I R I N G KNIFE
QR CODE ENTRY
KNIFE OVERVIEW (SPECIFIC TO CHOSEN KNIFE)
SANTOKU KNIFE OVERVIEW USING THE KNIFE
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
KNIFE CONSTRUCTION
KNIFE HISTORY KINOTEKI/
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LOA D I N G PAG E
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H O M E PAG E
KNIFE SELECTION
KNIFE OVERVIEW
USING THE KNIFE
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
A B O U T T H E C O M PA N Y
KNIFE HISTORY
KINOTEKI/
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STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
Scan the QR code on the sheath that comes with the knife using a smartphone or other smart devices.
This will launch the comprehensive guide for the specific knife linked to the QR code in the web browser.
Here users can find out about a wide range of topics for the knife, from its uses to its construction and history.
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04 LU M I N A I RE ADAPTIVE DESK LIGHT FOCUSING ON THE CONCEPT OF INDIRECT DIFFUSION, INSPIRED BY SATELLITES
AUTUMN 2016 / PRODUCT DESIGN
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I N S P I R AT I O N
As part of a collaborative project with XICATO, an LED manufacturer, I was tasked with designing a desk light using their LED module. My design focuses on the concept of indirect diffusion.
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My idea revolved around the concept of indirect diffusion, where the source of light faces away from the task area and is reflected backwards for a diffused and more pleasant light. The form was inspired by satellites which use a similar parabolic shape to spread their signal outwards.
ADAPTIVE DESIGN The design utilizes two points of axis, allowing the user to intuitively adapt the form between task and ambient lighting, depending on their needs. This presents a solution to task lights becoming too intense and incapable of adapting to achieve more ambient effects when the user requires it.
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I T E R AT I O N 1
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I T E R AT I O N 2
D E S I G N D E TA I L
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05 K U LT I VA PRECISION GARDEN SHEARS DESIGNED FOR BOSCH, WITH A FOCUS ON FAST AND ACCURATE TRIMMING.
SPRING 2017 / PRODUCT DESIGN
K U LT I V A /
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DESIGN INTENT I decided to create a set of precision shears focused on improving the human factors to be more intuitive. This project involved working with Bosch to design and create a prototype for an innovative gardening tool. The requirements were that it must be hand-held and designed for a specific user group in mind.
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/ K U LT I V A
They were designed to assist professional gardeners in high speed and accuracy trimming. Specialising in trimming of softer materials in the garden in a quick and efficient manner.
I N S P I R AT I O N The initial idea was inspired by gardening shears which use material flex to allow the user to trim materials easily and quickly with one hand. I believed that professional gardeners would benefit from having a tool focused on precision that also featured an ergonomic design for daily use.
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I T E R AT I O N 2
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D E S I G N D E TA I L
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06 OTHER WORKS OTHER DESIGN RELATED PROJECTS AND SKILLS LEARNT DURING MY TIME AT BRUNEL UNIVERSITY.
2016 - 2019 / PRODUCT DESIGN
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In this project for Canon, I designed a device to simplify the process of Photogrammetry, where a large number of cameras are placed in different positions and angles around an object to take images of every view, then stitched together to create a 3D model.
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My focus for this project was on Reverse Engineering, and how creating a device which only required a single camera for the process of Photogrammetry could make it more affordable and accessible to those who cannot afford the traditional setup shown here.
THE CONCEPT The concept, Canon Arc, works by mounting a camera onto the arc, which works in unison with the rotating base to take images of the top hemisphere of anything placed on the base. These images can then be stitched together into a 3D model using specialised software. The resulting model can now be edited or shared. Ideally, in real life scenarios, this product would be a significantly cheaper and smaller alternative to the traditional setup, used by engineers in office spaces who need to recreate or reverse engineer a product to find dimensions or edit particular aspects. The product was designed with a strict adherence to Canon’s brand guidelines and takes advantage of circular forms as well as materials and textures typically found on other products in their range.
HOW IT WORKS
OTHER WORKS/
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This project focused on manufacturing processes and production. I aimed to design and create a physical model for a drone, with consideration for ease of production and viability for mass manufacturing.
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The model was developed through creating designs on Solidworks and running stress analysis tests on ANSYS. The results would then be considered when making iterations to optimize the safety of the drone.
The physical model was created using a variety of processes such as plasma cutting, vacuum forming, welding as well as 3D printing for the main aesthetic of the drone; the barriers.
MODEL MAKING
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FINAL DESIGN
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This is a yearly competition held by Japanese stationery brand Kokuyo to attract aesthetic and functional product design for stationary and office equipment. The winning entries are then manufactured for the consumer market.
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The theme for this year was ‘Breaking Boundaries’ and the aim was to create a tool that could nurture, revive or strengthen relationships between people across the many boundaries in today’s society.
I wanted to create a tool that two people on different sides of a boundary could use in the same manner or use to connect to one another, or a tool that one person could use as they cross from one side of a boundary to another.
E N T R Y 1 : BR A I L L E B OXE S The boundary this entry focuses on is physical capabilities, specifically visual impairment. For the visually impaired, finding belongings in the workspace can be difficult if they are left freely in an open area. In addition, leaving belongings in unorganised groups can cause confusion if the person cannot see exactly what they are looking for. My idea, Braille Boxes, aims to help the visually impaired to organise their workspace effectively. These boxes have an adjustable Braille label section attached which can be changed to write what will go inside the box by clicking in the necessary letters in Braille on the tactile dots. These boxes can be used by someone with clear vision as well, which is beneficial for a scenario where multiple people on different sides of this boundary are working together, for example, an office.
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ENTRY 2: QUICK NOTE This entry focused on the boundary of communication. An issue that can arise is when one person has difficulty communicating with another person through speech. In these scenarios, it would be beneficial to quickly write down what you mean in words or even drawings. However, not everyone will have a notebook and a pen with them. In addition, these notes would not have a purpose after the moment has passed, causing waste. Quick Note is a compact erasable note taking tool which does not require paper or pen. Inspired by magnetic drawing boards, it uses the same magnetic method to make markings on the note area and erase them easily once no longer needed. This method creates no waste as the note area can be erased and reused repeatedly. This concept aims to help people quickly communicate in the moment, through writing or drawing, without creating unnecessary waste.
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ENTRY 3: CROSS BOARDS In this entry, the boundary I chose to resolve was location, and I aimed to create a tool that could help people in different locations connect , or a tool which one person could use as they change location. Some people may work on the same task in a number of different locations such as in an office or at home. They may also work in collaboration with others who are in different locations. For these people, situations may arise where standard forms of communication such as emails are not suitable to convey the nature of more abstract work across the boundary of communication. During these scenarios, it would be greatly beneficial to have a form of fluid communication across locations, which can be used easily for more abstract ideas. My concept, Cross Boards is a set of PC accessories which is used exactly like a drawing board, however they are connected such that whatever is written or drawn on one board appears on the other board at an instant. Ideally, two boards would be used in two different locations, allowing people to more easily communicate abstract ideas across locations without any creative value being lost in the process.
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Thank you for taking a look at my portfolio. Feel free to contact me if you would like to work together or have any questions. Email: ajcho.design@gmail.com Phone: 07341267822 Website: ajchoudhury.myportfolio.com Instagram: @shoj.jpg
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