Component 1
Mind map of component 1
Table office
speaker Tv Phone
headphones
Lamp
desk
Wood
Coffee table
Inside public products
Bird house
Sofa
Kitchen table tops
Computer
Paintings
Tv
Technology Products
Audio Component 1
computer
Chairs
computer Shelter Sun lounger
Plastic Washing Walking lines stick
Plant pots Table
Hammock Wheel chair
iPad
phone
laptop
Re-usable products
Eco friendly products
toys
Garden Products
Chair
bottles
Environmental Product Recyclable products
containers
Mobility/disability product
chair Disabled lifts
buckets
Research on planters
All four of these planters have different features, some are more effective than others. My favourite design out of the four is the bottom left design. This is because it is a functionally shaped plant pot that can fit along walls or in the corner of pathways. Also, it stores more than one plant due to the three layers in the design and has a nature wood finish which will suit with most colour schemes seen in gardens. My least favourite design is the top right design as it will only fit a certain colour scheme and can only hold a small plant rather than a bigger plant or multiple plants.
Research on Planters
Products that perform well
This design works well as it allows other smaller plant pots to be hooked onto the back on the raised wooden wall. This design is also neutral as the lighter wooden colour allows it to fit in to different garden colour schemes. This design is also functional as it is a rectangle shape so fits along a wall or in a back corner to make a good use of space.
This design is bolder, however I don’t like the colour scheme of this wood as it isn’t as appealing as the image to the left. This design has the same rear as the one on the left which allows more plant pots to be stored in the lattice back. This also has an interesting design as it has the ball design on top of all the corners.
This is the worse design out of the three as although it looks modern and minimalist it isn’t that stable as it can only hold smaller pot plants which limits its use. Although it is easy to be stored in smaller places like rooms it isn’t that aesthetically pleasing.
Research on Planters
Feedback on wooden garden planters on Amazon Although all three of these wooden garden planters look relatively similar they all have certain features that are different. They all have four and a half stars out of five. The main difference is that they are all made out of different styles of wood. I prefer the style of the wooden decking patio planter on the right as it stands out the most. My least favourite is the trough wooden design as the wood isn’t that appealing as it is a rustic wood colour rather than a brighter modern wooden design.
Research on Planters
Sketches of development for planter
Research on book ends/ book holders
For my book ends design I've decided to base my research on book ends that incorporate either an animal silhouette or a silhouette of a person. I am doing this as I think it is effective that either side of the books the book ends look like they are trying to interact with the other. I think this design would be effective to be located in a child's bedroom and could make the shelf look more aesthetically pleasing with a design like one of these on the left. However, these could also be located in offices or living rooms however, I believe these more interesting designs would be better suited in a younger environment.
Research on book ends/ book holders
Products that perform well
This design is effective as it has a nice contrast of a dark colour in the blue with an interesting pattern slashed across it in a brighter colour in a white. This colour combination suits this design as it adds a marble effect even though it is clearly not made out of marble.
This is my least favourite design out of the three. This is because although it is an interesting effect to have the same animal either side the colour scheme isn’t that aesthetically pleasing due to it looking very old fashioned.
This model is quite effective as it doesn’t draw attention away from the book shelf due to it fitting in with the books piled up. With this design looking similar to other book covers it will look more natural on the book shelf rather than an eye sore.
Research on book ends/ book holders
Feedback on Book ends on shelf at Ikea In general Amazon reviews on book ends are 4 stars and above. That is a consistently good score, which shows that lots of styles of book ends can fit the customers needs. My personal favourite is the black tree design. It looks effective and also not too distinctive at the same time. It is modern and understated. This is key as on the book shelf the main feature should be the books colour scheme not the colour of the book end.
Research on book ends/ book holders
Sketches of development for book ends on shelf
Research on storage boxes
Pre existing storage boxes that perform well
This design is aesthetically pleasing because this it has a name carved into it to make it personalised. This also adds a different aesthetic to it as it allows it to feel more personal to people with meaningful words carved into it. Another positive feature to this design is the lifted flat top as it allows items to be stored within it and on top due to it being a flat surface and also where it is a thin lid it is easily openable for people no matter what age.
This design too is basic but highly functional due to it having two functions in one as it acts as a form of storage and as a seat. Although this doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing as the first design it is still an elegant design. The one downside to this is it has sharp edges as it isn’t smoothened through sanding.
This design looks aesthetically pleasing due to the smooth curved top of the chest lid and also all of it is smoothened by sanding and waxing. I also like the use of two different types of wood. The use of hinges makes the lid easier to open as it is most likely going to be used as a toy storage box due to it being shaped like a treasure chest.
Research on storage boxes
Feedback on storage containers at Ikea
As you can see by the star ratings below the design that uses the least floor place is preferred. This is because the more floor space the better as if you have a small room that you want to use as storage you would buy the vertical one a couple times as the actual containers are larger on the vertical design than the horizontal design. Also the white colouring of the vertical design is better than the wooden as it can fit more rooms due to colour scheme. Finally, the last thing that is better in the vertical design is that the cost is cheaper and you can purchase two for just a bit more than the other one. As seen in the images on the left they are all storage boxes but are all made differently and store things slightly differently. This is as one of them has two smaller boxes to store things in where as the other three designs have one big box to store in. Also the top left design has a lock to keep shut compared to the bottom right which has a handle that clicks into place and the top right doesn’t have anything like this to lock into place all it has is a handle to lift and lower the lid.
Research on multi functional products
All of these images to the left are good products combined together to form a good multiuse product. This has helped me to design a concept where it is a chair with a big storage area/chest underneath so it stores loose objects and saves space as it only takes up the space of a chair. Multifunctional design concepts are effective as it allows you to design a product combing two separate effective designs into one to make your design unique and desirable due to not having any other combinations like it.
Research on styles of chairs
The style of chair I will mainly research is wooden and plastic designs. This is as I will have to make a scale version in the college work shop so I am going to base my research for my design off of possible materials that could be used around the work shop. As seen on the left all of these chairs are made for the same purpose of being comfortable for someone to rest on however they all differ in slight ways. This could vary based on the age of the client, the location of where the chair would be used or the materials used to make it.
Pre existing seating design two
This design is in general a pretty basic design however it is a popular chair because of how well it collapses to save space and how it is easily transportable.
This chair is known as one of the most easily transportable chairs as they are commonly taken and used at festivals or events that occur in fields like sport games.
It is easily collapsible and it collapses down into a thin column that can be stored in a compact bag. However, the one down side to this design is that it needs a lot of precise parts to move at the same time to collapse the chair, this makes it slightly less robust and prone to breaking. Another key function of this is even though the legs of the chair are thin and don’t look too sturdy they are due to the black connections located in the middle of each plastic wire. This is helpful to make it easier to collapse
Pre existing seating design one
The wooden storage form in the middle of the chair is an interesting concept as it is able to be separated from the grey seating which makes it very useful as it is works well and is successful at saving space. This is helpful if the client needs a chair and a storage container to be located in a smaller room which allows two forms of furniture to be located in one area which is much smaller than being stored in two separate areas which increases the amount of room needed to store them and also takes up room for other things to be stored around the clients house. The fabric chair outline is also aesthetically pleasing as it fits perfectly around the removable wooden storage unit and still is a stable chair when the storage unit inside is removed. Although the seat padding isn’t the best it is still fine as the design in general cant have a large padding but if there was a way to improve this it would be by adding more fabric padding.
Design Brief • The target audience for this product is children. This gives us more scope to be less traditional in our design as it isn’t going to be a piece of furniture for show in someone's living room it'll be more likely to be located in a bedroom. • It will need to be portable and not weigh too much however it mustn’t be unsafe and at risk of toppling. • Another main aim for this design of a storage chair is that it needs to be able to be a multi function product such as being a seat and also storing things to make good use of the space it takes up in the room. • Due to the intended users, the design must be hard wearing but also attractive to the user.
Specification This project must be: • Small and light enough to be lifted and portable. • This product must be easily repeated • This project must be relatively cheap and not to expensive. • This product must perform well constantly and fit the customers use. • This product must be well marketed to attract customers.
First chair storage inspiration I added the design of the wooden storage box and removed the branding and then I added the back rest and the arm rest of the chair on top of the storage box to form as a multi functional chair with the storage beneath.
Sketches of development for storage boxes
Plan, elevation and 3D sketches of the storage chair design This was my first design which was made as a combination of a storage box and a wooden school chair. I combined these two as they were made from similar materials and was capable of producing a good multiuse product which could store things in the base and perform as a seat in the mean time. I thought of this concept as it is a good use of space because it is a 2 in 1 product. I sketched this design concept in multiple different angles to see possible areas that don’t look as good as others and may need to be improved.
Adaptation to final chair storage design
By having a box within the wooden chair allows things stored within to be easily transported and to be well tucked away if you don’t want people to find it.
There is an open top to store products/objects in. The thin box inside allows footrest and cup holders to lift up without objects stored inside to fall out.
Suspensions required for foot stool and drink holder to be supported
I had to add supports to the foot rest and the pull out cup holder. This was to allow both of them to be more stable and less likely to be a risk to younger children due to it slamming back down into the base. By having the option of these sides to be lifted up for another function allows it to appeal to more clients and different people like both elderly and middle aged people so it can be used as both a work chair and also as a relaxing chair with the leg support and armrest, cup holder to be a comfort chair.
Exploded sketch of chair storage concept
I decided to do an explosive sketch in order to see the shapes each section would need to be as well as to see how each par would need to function through hinge joints or just screws.
Original chair concept on Solid works
I made my design concept on solid works to make it look more realistic and more clear to the customer. I've tried to use materials that will suit most colour schemes in rooms so it will reach out to more possible clients and attract more people to the design.
Developed concept on Solid Works after further research
The use of book shelves on the back and both sides of my chair makes this chair more valuable due to it having multiple uses.
The padded seats add effect as well as adding comfort to my chair design rather than all being made out of wood.
The use of the foot rest also adds more uses to the chair as when it lifts up things can be stored in it and it will also provide a foot rest for people using it.
Model making design 1 I made my initial design of my chair in the workshop with cardboard and double sided tape. However when I made this I noticed some possible areas I could improve which I will do to make the chair function even better. One of these is that I’m going to try make the chair look more modern as at the minute it looks a bit dull as it is just a box shape.
Furniture within furniture
These three “furniture within furniture” designs are effective as it acts as both a book holder and a form of seating. These are both space efficient and multifunctional which means the client is getting two pieces of furniture in the space needed for one.
This “furniture within furniture” design is also very effective as it has three uses. This is a form of seating, a desk and a chest of draws. The chair is designed very effectively as it has a hinge so things can be stored in the seat itself. Also the chair slots in perfectly under the other chest of draws which makes it more aesthetically pleasing.
The curved wooden surface makes the chair more aesthetically pleasing whilst also making the product more safe for younger people due to not having any sharp corners on the product.
The wooden material that the chair was made from is an appealing design as it can fit in with a lot of different colour schemes. This is good as it could easily fit in multiple different rooms of different colour as it is wooden.
The see through plastic curved holder surrounding the seat is effective as it acts as a contrasting colour and material to the wooden chair and also stands out. It is also a good curved shape to prevent things from falling when stored in it. In addition the cut out in the back of the wooden seat is effective as if you have this table at your school desk then you can store your stationary there when you aren’t using it.
Also when the seat its used as a cat playing area the base it could even be used as another storing area in the house. This could easily tuck away loose things around the house and make the room look neater. The main drawback to this design is that it has lots of sharp edges so it isn’t that safe for younger people.
This is a very good multiple use seat design as it benefits people with pets as whilst it functions as a comfy portable seat it also acts as a playing area for cats when it’s not used as a seat. In addition by having a hexagon shape it can rest up against walls while it isn’t in use. The colour scheme also allows it to suit most rooms in the house due to the light great seating and the smooth wooden design. It is a real talking piece in the room.
This chair concept is very effective as it isn’t one set shape at one set angle it can be adjusted in many different ways as a basic chair a lay down bed or as more of a stall. One downside to this chair design is that it doesn’t look very sturdy. This is because it is made from thinner wood so wont be as strong and also where it is constantly adjusted some of the joints might become loose which could make it uncomfortable or unstable for uses.
Research of existing product
This is a very effective design as it looks modern and also is an interesting design concept. Also the use of different materials makes it stand out in comparison to other chair and table designs. The wooden back stem is very effective as due to the slit down the middle the metal back support can adjust up and down to make it as comfortable as possible for the user. In addition the slots in the wooden seat and legs are effective as it allows the wooden seat legs to slot into the metal table legs so it can be store and transported easier.
Model making design 2
With this chair design I took inspiration from my original book end design in which I had a silhouette of a cat to support the books either side to make it look presentable on the shelf. This design was fairly effective as it stands out too other designs as it is very unique however one downside of this is that it wasn’t very stable. So if I was to choose this as my final design I would have to use a thicker material or id have to alter it to make it more sturdy.
I got the inspiration for my cat silhouette design through other silhouette designs seen below where a dog is the design I decided to use a cat as it would attract other people than dog designs as a cat owner could opt for the at one.
Research on wooden joints
Hand-cut common dovetail joint
Barefaced tenon joint
Lapped machine cut joint
I researched three different types of joints which I am most likely to use in my storage chair design. I chose three which are quite common but popular joints due to their ease of use and the strength they provide. This would reduce manufacturing time compared to more complex joints. In my storage box beneath the chair I think the easiest joint will be the hand cut common dovetail joint however when I come to designing it I may opt for another joint if I think it would be more effective or less labour intensive.
I’ve developed my first idea by adding a new style of joint in the finger joint. This is a good joint to use as it is easy to make and also a strong reliable joint.
Laser cut improved model
I decided to laser cut this design in MDF as well as making it out of cardboard so it would demonstrate the use of the finger joints as well as the most realistic size in 150mm by 150mm. • The shape of the overall design could be made a differently, as with the base being a basic box it is quite boring whereas I could curve and reshape bits to make it look more attractive. • I will also add hinges to both the seat and the footrest so the seat can function better for both comfort in the footrest being raised and also with the seat lifting up for things to be placed in the storage within it. • Another development is that a feature could be added to the back of the design. • I could also add padding to both the seat and the back support of the chair to add comfort to the chair
Possible development chair design
I made the seat skinnier so doesn’t take up as much room when stored and I added a pull out draw either side to store smaller objects like controllers or stationery. I also opened the back of the chair open to allow the user to access the items stored more easily.
Chair design 3D printed This model was 3d printed using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). I had to make this design on sketch up and then once made convert it to an STL file in order to be printed in the 3D printer. The 3D printer took 6 hours to print this design off then I had to leave it to dry before I could remove it and file all the loose filament to make the chair smoother and look more appealing.
Chair Model made from blue foam and corrugated cardboard
Existing starter model chair which look effective This model design is also effective as it looks aesthetically pleasing due to the side of the chair being the pattern of the interior of cardboard. This is also effective because it was made through scoring a piece of cardboard a lot to allow it to be very flexible and to form the curves of the design you are copying.
The model above is an effective way I could make my model. This is because I could design it on 2D design so it could be cut out more accurately and efficiently and then I could stick all the layers together. This would be good as I would make multiple pieces of the same shape and a lot of connecters to stick together and form a chair layout.
Nursery Kangaroo rocking chair concept
Another idea I came up with was a Kangaroo rocking chair I came up with this design as I saw other children chairs made out of wood and in the silhouette of other animals like deer's. However, I opted to do one like a kangaroo in a form of a rocking chair as the motion of a rocking chair isn’t too dissimilar to the motion a kangaroo does when it moves. Also I like this design as it could be located in multiple areas like a nursery or a child's bedroom.
When designs are laser cut it always forms a protective base at the bottom so I used a file and some pliers to get rid off this like the support bits to make it look more presentable.
The images seen to the left I he 3D printed version of my kangaroo rocking chair. This was a harder design for the 3D printer to make so it had to put scaffolding bits to it to support it at first. Once I had strengthened I then had to remove them with pliers and files. He images at the top is with the scaffolding bits and the images below re without them.
Possible other chair concepts I liked the idea of creating a chair for children and I thought an effective idea would be to do one with an animal outline as it would appeal more to children due to the shape of it and the colouring of it. This could be altered as if it was made from plain mahogany or coloured mahogany like the red of the dears below. My favourite possible animals to base this design off of would probably be either a rabbit or a kangaroo. Another possible concept that I’m quite interested in making is a rocking chair concept as then it stands out even more than usual designs.
Tiny dog stool/ small chair
I opted for a dog in a cartoon form as it is a friendly looking design so children will want it and due to its fairly common colour scheme it could easily be located in multiple rooms either around the house or in nursery's.
This is my least favourite concept design as it doesn't have any other possibilities or functions. This is where this design would purely just be a seat as there is no possible ways it could act as storage or be used as a table. So this design takes away my entire point of a multi functional design
Developed version of design on Pinterest
This is a developed version of the round rocking chair as I liked the idea of the slotting technique so I decided to make a more rectangular chair which could be used more as a lounger rather than a rocking chair.
I like this design as it links to children's seating as it is like a puzzle where the seat slots together.
Circular rocking chair inspired by Pinterest design
I originally discovered a slotting technique on Pinterest and decided to alter the design slightly. I made the chair circular so it would be a stable chair whilst also being able to be a rocking chair.
One improvement I've made is I've added a foam component on both the back and the base of the seat to act as a cushion. This also looks effective as it then makes the model a range of different materials which makes it more aesthetically pleasing.
My inspiration for this design came from Pinterest. This is because I wanted to create an effective chair, bed and storage design that would be an effective use of space in a child's bedroom. Due to its shape it could easily be located in a corner of the room so the child has a seat, a bed and storage all in one part of the room which would therefore allow him to have other objects that are bigger like table or a wardrobe in their room as well.
Pinterest inspiration designs cut out using laser cutter I decided to make it out of acrylic and to cut it out from the laser cutter as acrylic is a material that a lot of nursery furniture is made from. I cut it out in a primary colour of yellow as it stands out and is a colour associated with furniture designs for younger users.
Sketch up model of Pinterest design slotting chair concept
Component 1 part 2 table and outdoor playing area for children
Possible table inspiration from Pinterest
Table concepts that are located in schools and nurseries I think all these images taken from Pinterest are effective in different ways. I really like the design on the left of a play area on top of a table. This could work as it could have a box of sand in it and that could be an area where children in nursery could play in whilst sat up a table and not running about.
The main aspects I liked from this design is the bright colour scheme and the range of different shapes used as this would appeal more to a younger audience.
The main aspects of this design that appeal is the range of heights and the bright colour scheme. The range of heights allow children to climb over and crawl below different obstacles.
This design is effective however it would function better if it was made out off a different material. I like the idea of all the tunnels linking to different shelters to is an effective area for children top play in.
I really like this design as it has a nice range of materials and I like the fact it combines fake grass wood and a soil patch to grow plants.
I like the fact this design has three functions and all of them are very popular for children especially the climbing wall and slide however the design has sharp edges.
Although this design is pretty basic it is still very effective as it combines multiple obstacles in a course layout and uses very little space.
This is my favourite design out of all these as I combines greenery height and different colours which combine well to form a playground that will meet a lot of kids different function.
I like two concepts of this play area I like the moving log walk and the cabin in the back corner. I think these are effective but could do with adding some colour.
The one aspect lacking in this design is that its all plain wood and not very colourful. This could do with being improved as colourful playing equipment appeals more to children then plain equipment.
Possible wooden joints that I could use
This table design for children is effective in multiple ways. This is because it has a second function too it which therefore makes it more valuable. This is mainly effective as it combines a babies high chair style of seating with a table so they can sit securely and work at a table and be unlikely to fall and hurt themselves.
One slight improvement however I would make to this design is I would add an additional seat either on one side or on the other side therefor it could easily be used for a couple students and be more space effective.
I also decided to add a block in the middle of the table with one sides being shelves to stack teaching material like pens and pencils and on the other side I have added a whiteboard. This provides a variety of activities for people to take part in whilst sat in a protective chair.
Compact safety table
This design is effective as although it is relatively basic it is space efficient as the two seats slide underneath to save space. Also the chairs are effective as they can double up as a stool by rotating them. This makes the chairs very useful for nurseries as they can be helpful in more than one way.
I decided to research children's slides as they are a common piece of equipment in especially nurseries as they are enjoyable for them so it is a key piece to have for their break times. I decided to add a table to the side of it as well so people could sit down outside rather than go on the slides. This design also has the purpose of it being multifunctional with the storage under the table, the table and the slide.
Slide desk concept made out off 3mm MDF from the laser cutter
A box joint would be effective to hold the table together as it is a strong joint and works well for right angle connections like tables.
I had to use a different design for the slide to the rest of the design due to me needing the slide to bend and fit with the colour scheme. For the majority I cut it out on the laser cutter out of 3mm MDF however that wouldn’t be able to bend the way I wanted the slide to do so. Therefore I had to implement the straight line concept on to 3mm plywood to allow the material to be flexible enough to hold a slide like form.
I've transitioned from a multifunctional kids table to kids outdoor playing area/furniture as it allows more creative designs and still links to my part one of children's furniture. I've made multiple children playing area structures that I've combined and set them out as a park concept to show a possible layout of all my designs.
Design Brief • The target audience for this product is children ranging from 4-12. This is because children's parks are more colourful and vary in materials and different parts of outdoor playing equipment with some obstacles being harder than others. • The main problem for this is that these designs needs to be functional and challenging for the children playing on it but also needs to be safe as don’t want it resulting in a lot of children getting injured. • Needs to be good use of space as to be to scale in the park it would be located in.
Specification This project must be: • Functional, Cost effective, Colourful, Safe and To scale
Ball pit and outdoor climbing table concept
I like this current design however I think it would be more effective if it had more sections to it rather than just the ball pit. I think this design would also be effective with a practical section like a whiteboard and shelves. I thought the main addition I could add could be a small outdoor table added onto the back of it as then it could be used at the time for multiple different uses.
Circular ball pit design
I saw this design on the right whilst looking at possible designs on Pinterest. I thought this design was effective as it is all based around the ball pit with obstacles and furniture leaning up against it. I thought this could be altered by having the children play in the ball pit and a table located to the side for either parents or teachers to sit at whilst their child is playing.
In addition, with the ball pit being a smooth circle children are less likely to hurt themselves while using it.
Swing, chair and climbing combo design
This design is a bit more abstract as it has the table and chairs built into the interior of the back of this design to save space and to be a nice sheltered seating area depending on weather. In addition I hadn’t done a design with a swing so I decided to incorporate one. Finally I added a clear plastic barrier at the top as a safety barrier but to also be able to be seen through by any children that climb to the top via either the staircase or the slanted ledges.
Rabbet joint would be effective for this design as seen below
Cabin seating area design
I liked this sample design I found on Pinterest as it was more of a basic design however it wouldn’t be very effective for younger children that’s why I developed it slightly. I developed it by adding two puzzles and a whiteboard on the back of the cabin and I've added a table within the cabin to make it more comfortable then sitting on a cube like in the image to the left.
Boat climbing design
I made this model out of black foam board. I made this from two nets as that allowed me too easily form the two box shapes to form the majority of the design. In addition I stuck chipboard pins into the climbing ramp to add colour and to act as the colourful handle found on climbing frames.
I liked this design that I found on Pinterest as it stood out originally but I decided to make more suitable for a wider range with a table being added for nursery teachers to sit at and a climbing window up the top and a toy steering wheel to add more things that the children could play with.
Outdoor climbing obstacle table concept
The rough design of this idea came from my previous design from the boat climbing design. I altered it slightly by giving it a brighter colour scheme as it would fit in more in a nursery environment as most of their furniture in the classrooms are brightly coloured. In addition I added a couple of obstacles to make it interest a lot more children with having a range allows children to prefer different obstacles.
Boat and play house seating and playing area
This is another design concept I saw on Pinterest that I thought could function better if I added a couple of features. For example where I added two tables on the front decking of the boat and underneath the play house I've added a ball pit and another two tables for either students or children to play in.
Re attachable obstacle course design
A box joint would be effective for this one due to it being a basic but very strong wooden joint to use.
This design features different components from all my previous models. I thought this design would be effective as if it could be attached and taken off the play area could be adjusted for the age of the children using it and the size of the area which it'd be located in. One change I made to this design is I added a yellow and blue colour scheme to it rather than a plain wooden or grey colour as if it is for a younger audience brighter colours appeal more to them.
Second re attachable obstacle course design
I got this design concept through combining a couple of my previous design. This is because I liked the fact of having the climbing boat design combined with a slide and I decided to make a couple new obstacles in between as they are two common features in children's outdoor play areas.
Monkey bars and netted climbing wall concept A Horton and Tenon joint would be effective to join the wooden frame of the netted climbing wall.
I decided to take two separate components of previous designs and combine them as I think they would act as a good combination for an outdoor playing area.
A box joint would be effective for this one due to it being a basic but very strong wooden joint to use.
Monkey bars and netted climbing concept I made this design on 2D design so it could be accurate and I could add precise finger joints so it slotted together strongly and efficiently. I decided to make this design again using a laser cutter after already making a wooden one as the laser cutter one would be more precise as I could do it more to scale rather than off cuts of wood from my garden.
Log traverse I think a log traverse could be an effective obstacle to be located in a park. This is because is doesn’t take up too much room and can easily be fitted in a plain area of the park layout. The one change I would make tot this is I would add more colour to it and a range of materials.
Possible Playground layouts including sample models made I've designed two possible playground layouts from different forms off inspiration off of Pinterest. I've researched multiple different parks to see what aspects stand out and are effective to include in my layout.
Levelled seating design concepts I liked both the designs seen below as I liked the curved pattern of both and I also really like the layered seating effect on the image to the right. This led me to design a curved similar levelled seating design however, I add3ed additional colour to it to make it more colourful and appealing to children due to it being located in a park. In addition with having a long seating design like this it also helps to separate different areas of the park.
Sand Pit located in park layout
I really liked this design in the bottom right found on Pinterest as it uses off cuts of wood as steps to get up to a raised platform so looks aesthetically pleasing as well as functioning well. In addition I like that there is a raised platform as it makes the park more interesting then just being one flat piece of land. However, I decided to change a couple aspects of this design such as I've removed the slide as I've already got a couple designs that incorporate slides and I've added a sand pit area at the top. This is as its another aspect that children like however aren’t seen too often in parks so I thought it would add a new aspect to my design.
Raised colourful seating I liked the design seen in the bottom right as it adds colour and a bit off height and is different to usual seating designs. I decided to involve this into ,my current design as it would be effective as it could be made out of MDF and a dowel could be used as the support when it comes to making a scale model.
Making final model
Soft play area/ section
This design is located in the soft play area. This is as there is two ball pits. I've made this area a soft play area as then it has a target audience of younger children as I've created sections of the park for different age groups as different obstacles require bigger children such as the monkey bars on one of the other designs.
Climbing area
This climbing area is more suitable for older children as it requires balance and upper body strength more than the other obstacles. I've separated this from the other ones as I've grouped it in ages as to what areas are more suitable for different age groups of the children attending the park.
Obstacle course This obstacle design has multiple different sections to it which differ in many ways to allow children to enjoy different parks of it. It is also arrange in an up and down design so children can race up and over it if they want. Then I added a ball pit at the end so younger children could still play in an area of this obstacle course.
Seating area
I have multiple different seating areas out of different colours and different designs. The colourful seating design in different shapes is a specific seating area for children due to the seat acting as a table at the same time so they could eat lunch on it whilst sitting or lying on it. In addition I've made it different colours and shapes to brighten up the park design. However, in contrast the other two seating areas are mainly based for adults due to it being the usual table and chairs and cabins. I've separated the seating areas so parents can sit down and see their child in any part of the park.
Sensory wall on back of cabins I decided to add a sensory wall to the back of my cabin designs on the back to benefit children with learning difficulties. This is as it is proven the colourful sensory walls increases concentration and focus for children that struggle. For the sensory wall I've got two colourful puzzles and a whiteboard located on the back they could play with that and develop at the same time.
Sand pit I've located the sand pit in a corner where there is no exit near. This is because a sand pit is the bit that would apply to the younger audience that visit the park. So by not having an exit near it allows parents to feel safer leaving there kids alone a bit more as they are less likely to go anywhere. In addition there is a seating area located either side of the sand pit so parents can sit down near and relax whilst also being in eye line of their child playing in the sand pit.
Final model rendered on Revit
Final model
I decided to add three gates to my design to make it function better I used hinge joints on all of them to allow them to complete the motion that a gate would in a park. Although my design is more about the products in the park then the actual layout I thought it would add an extra bit of detail for it to have functioning gates.