AUSTINCHEN INDUSTRIALDESIGNPORTFOLIO 2017
PROFILE austin.c.designer@gmail.com
(217) 419-4599
austinc.net
linkedin.com/in/austin-c31
issuu.com/austinchen
hello, my name is
AUSTINCHEN
i am an industrial designer who is passionate about active equipment and wearable design. always tackling problems from the perspective of user experience, i am pursuing making the best combination of aesthetics, user experience, and technologies.
GRADUATION
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM AT
SOUTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
B.ENG INDUSTRIAL DESIGN & B.A ENGLISH STARTED WORKING FOR
2009
smart wearables
RED DOT DESIGN AWARD
LENUS SUIT ACTIVE WEAR
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
CO-FOUNDER/ HEAD DESIGNER
PROJECT: EAZY JACKET CATEGORY: FASHION
ACCEPTED BY
DESIGN INTERN AT
HDCL LAB, UIUC
WAHL
2015
2016
HONG KONG & SHENZHEN, CHINA
TEACHING ASSISTANT
2013
2014
START-UP
HUMAN DYNAMICS AND CONTROLS LAB
HAIR CLIPPER CORP.
2011
2012
2013
2015
2015
LINKFAIR CUP KITCHENWARE DESIGN COMPETITION
CHALLENGE CUP BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT: RAYCOME “ELEHEALTH” BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR
STARTED WORKING FOR
INTERNATIONAL IMMERSION
SECOND PRIZE GOLDEN PRIZE
PROJECT: BIONIC KETTLE VI SYSTEM AND PACKAGE DESIGN DELIVERABLES OF BUSINESS PLAN
IN PRODUCTION
AUTODESK FUSION 360 STUDENT EXPERT PROGRAM
HOSTING 3D-MODELING WORKSHOPS PROGRAM PROMOTION
02
electronics
POST-GRADUATE PROGRAM AT
MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
ARTOP DESIGN CO, LTD
SCHOOL OF DESIGN & SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
human dynamics
PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
FOR FIELD RESEARCH IN URBAN AND RURAL INDIA
DESIGNING FOR LOW-INCOME SUBSISTENCE SOCIETY
03
CONTENTS
EASY JACKET Assistive Transitional Clothing Individual Project | Jan. 2016 - Mar. 2016 Category: Clothing/ Assistive Product
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
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PROJECT 1 - EASY JACKET ASSISTIVE TRANSITIONAL CLOTHING
PROBLEM “everyone has some kind of disability, some are just more obvious than others.“
WE HAVE LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION
Limited Space
We need to finish a lot of daily activities in compact space without interrupting others.
ANTICIPATEDAUDIENCE Upper Extremities Injuries make it difficult to lift arms
Some Statistics Wheelchair Users
People with Certain Injuries or Diseases e.g. Shoulder Dislocation, Upper Arm Issue, Chest Muscle Surgery
People in Limited Space e.g. Travellers, Public Transportation Passengers...
59.9% of broken bones were in the upper extremities, affecting over 3.6 million people each year in the us.
Aging & Disabilities
When our bodies are not functional enough to do certain things, we need the help of assistive tools.
Eazy Way
Sometimes we are just too lazy to use a product in normal ways.
7.5 million visits were made to physicians’ offices due to shoulder problems in 2006
RESEARCH- DEVELOPMENT - FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH- DEVELOPMENT - FINAL DESIGN EMPATHIC MODELING
The empathic model is a technique used to simulate user scenario to give designers personal experience with how the product performs for users.
CHALLENGE
Putting a coat on in compact space with limited body movement.
23 inch
06
Difficulty Level: 1
Difficulty Level: 2
Difficulty Level: 3 (Faliure)
Sliding one arm into a sleeve was feasible.
Reaching the other sleeve and trying to put arm in would involve body turning and arm lifting.
Arm movement being limited, it was almost impossible to pull the coat on to shoulders. People would have to strech arms to do it.
PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 1 - EASY JACKET ASSISTIVE TRANSITIONAL CLOTHING
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EXISTINGPRODUCTS & INSPIRATIONS
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL CLOTHING
TRADITIONAL TIBETAN CLOTHING Collapsing and pulling up easily (adapting to the rapid tempreture changing environment)
WARM PANEL
KIMONOS Taking up minimized possible space for sitting
WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY CLOTHING
RESEARCH -
UNSYMMETRICAL OPENING
DEVELOPMENT- FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH -
DEVELOPMENT- FINAL DESIGN
IDEATIONS & PROTOTYPING
CONSIDERATIONS - The easiest way to put on/ take off - How to slide second arm in - How to keep it when taken off
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 1 - EASY JACKET ASSISTIVE TRANSITIONAL CLOTHING
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PROBLEM
SOLUTION This is a jacket that has multiple openings on the sides, sleeves and collars. The design is symmetrical, so it is friendly for users dominating either hand.
FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT -
FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT -
PATTERN
DETAILS The pattern of the jacket has a piece of detachable front panel, and a main piece with 2 sleeves that can be zipped open. The detachable front panel works as a module. Customers can change switch pieces and have a different look for different seasons and occasions.
Fabric Options: Canvas, Felt, Neoprene, Velvet, etc.
Front Panel Zippers are designed for sliding fingers in easily.
Velcro
Zipper
Zipper
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Thumb Holes on the sleeves
PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 1 - EASY JACKET ASSISTIVE TRANSITIONAL CLOTHING
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USERSCENARIO
User can slide the one arm into the sleeve like wearing a normal jacket.
Sliding the other arm in is possible without lifting upper arm, as the sleeve opening is further in the front.
Attaching the velcro on the shoulder to close the collar
Last step, zipping up the sleeves and sides
Being an easy transitional clothing, this jacket would also help when the tempreture changes.
Opening one side of the collar by detaching velcro
Collapsing the front panel of the jacket
TEST IN COMPACT SPACE & LIMITED BODY MOVEMENT As the jacket is symmetrical, in most occasions, users would only need to handle one side of it when putting on and off. It is showed that, back in the compact space environment, this jacket serves as a solution for dressing in limited body movement, minimizing the arm strech.
FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT -
LENUS SUIT Postural Alerting Clothing Competition/ Group Project | Nov. 2015 - Feb. 2016 Category: Smart Wearables
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 2 - LENUS SUIT POSTURAL ALERTING CLOTHING
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PROBLEM Long Hours of Holding Posture
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Financial Cost for Treatment Cost for Musculoskeleton Disorder (MSD)
Total national cost for arthritis is $127.8 billion per year ($5,700 per patient) in 2012 Phone-using Eating
2 Hours
2 Hours
Arthritis
In Couch
2 Hours
Disc Degenerative Disease
These diseases are commonly caused by postrual triggered bone damages. Patients are suffering from chronic postural pain in daily life.
Cost for Physical Therapy
Price: $70~400 per hour w/o insurance Total cost: $500~$10,000 w/o insurance
Cost for Insurance Working
Annual insurance reduction of PT coverage
Driving
8 Hours
1 Hour
MSD Patients 50% of US adults (108 million) develop muscle pains that lasts 3 months 31 million experiences severe back pain
EXPECTED TO GROW 10% PER YEAR
Physical Therapy 9 million use PT per year
PERSONA Michael 45 Years Old Occupation: Computer Engineer Annual Income: Around $80,000 Michael is very adaptable to technologies. He owns an Microsoft laptop and a fitbit wristband, spending around $2,000 each year purchasing electronics. Recently he realized back pain striking more often than before during his desk work. So he bought an apple watch, and tried to follow those reminding alerts to stand up and walk around more oftenly during his typical 8-hour office work. He is getting more and more concerned about his health.
RESEARCH- DESIGN - COMMERCIALIZATION
EXISTINGSOLUTIONS
DESIGNDIRECTION
Effectiveness +
Outter Force (Straps)
Massaging or Kinetic Taping
Simply holding, not improving, even weakening muscles
Focusing on pain-relieving instead of posture development Only loosening muscles, cannot strengthen muscles for long-term benefit
Poor posture -> Outer force holding postures -> Weakening static muscles -> Cannot hold posture + Being subconscious -> Back to poor posture
Training & Curing Alerting Long Term
Short Term
Massaging/ Taping Physical Assisting
Effectiveness -
Direction
Recording/ Alerting
Gym-set Training
Only holding correct posture for a short amount of time Over-adjusting issue
Hard to keep consistency/ Motivation/ Self-discipline Lack of equipment Time problem
Poor posture -> Alerting -> Activating fast twitch muscles to pull upwards (in a lot of cases, over adjusting) -> Cannot hold posture + Lose focus -> Back to poor posture
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
With consideration of both effectiveness and long term benefit, we were convinced that the design for improving posture is supposed to be provide a better way of alerting and also to encourage relative muscle training.
PROJECT 2 - LENUS SUIT POSTURAL ALERTING CLOTHING
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Personal Postural Assistant Preventative & Noninvasive solution that helps correcting posture in daily life and also saves cost and time.
Embedded Sensors & Vibrators
Main Module (Detachable)
RESEARCH -
DESIGN- COMMERCIALIZATION
COMPONENTS The Main Module The Shirt with Embedded Components
The upper back area is the most commonly pressured area. Having electronics away from there, the user can sit back more comfortably.
The strategic placement of electronics are away from the spine, on the sides of back and neck for ergonmical concerns.
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
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PROJECT 2 - LENUS SUIT POSTURAL ALERTING CLOTHING
FUNCTION
PROTOTYPE
Tricolor LED
IMU Sensor (GY-521)
Microcontroller (Arduin Uno)
Tilting When the user is in a incorrect posture such as slouching one’s back for a certain time period, a gentle vibration at the lower back will be given to the user, motivating the user toe correct his/her back. Other incorrect postures such as tilting can be detected as well. In this case, gentle vibration will be given on the left shoulder, as if a gentle push is given by a physical therapist.
Sitting Straight
9V Battery
Slouching
TECSPECSCOMPARISION Lumo Lift Posture Coach & Activity Tracker
Posture Direction & Correction Audience
Price Battery Life (8 hrs/day)
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Single Posture Detection (Slouching)
Truposture
Single Posture Detection (Slouching)
Office Workers
Office Workers
$ 79.99
$ 200
3~5 Days
-
PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
Lenus Suit
Multiple Posture Detection/ Tactile Feedback
Office Workers, PT Patients, Long-distance Drivers, Senior Citizens
$ 50 - Shirt $180 - Main Module
6 Days
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PROJECT 2 - LENUS SUIT POSTURAL ALERTING CLOTHING
SALES&SUPPORT
TARGETMARKET
TAM
Online - Webstore
Physical Therapy Clinics
Instructional Videos FAQ & Tech Support
Instructions & Free trial -> Purchase Opportunity
Total Addressable Market
108 Million People/ $ 32 Billion SAM
MANUFACTURING
Service Addressable Market
9 Million People/ $ 2.7 Billion TARGET MARKET 2.3 Million People/ $ 690 Million
1. Digital Pattern
2. Tech Design
3. Clothing Manufacture
INITIAL TARGET MARKET 1200 People/ $ 360,000 1. PCB Manufacture
RESEARCH - DESIGN -
2. Assembly
3. Testing
4. Packaging
COMMERCIALIZATION
The 7th China Mainland-Taiwan
Footware Design
Comptetition
Amateur Soccer Boots Competition/ Individual Project | Apr.2013 - May.2013 Category: Sport Product/ Interest Design
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 3 - MAGICRAFT AMATEUR SOCCER BOOTS
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Ever since the 1990s, the CANVAS-RUBBER soccer boots, with low cost and cheap price, has been very welcomed in Chinese low-income society. This type of soccer boots still massively exists in the market. However, because of its low quality, it is harming young players and amateurs. Canvas Upper
Rubber Sole and Cleats
BACKGROUND analysis-IDEATION - FINAL CONCEPT
BACKGROUND analysis-IDEATION - FINAL CONCEPT DESIGNFLAWS
No Improvement
Frictions
For decades, there is hardly any improvment on either design or materials.
Frictions occured inside, as the shape does not fit well.
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Sagginess The canvas could easily lose support and become saggy.
Heavy Weight
Lack of Individuality
2 to 3 times heavier than professional level boots.
Only 3 to 4 styles for over 20 years, while millions of young players wearing them.
PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 3 - MAGICRAFT AMATEUR SOCCER BOOTS
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IDEATION- FINAL CONCEPT
BACKGROUND analysis -
BACKGROUND analysis -IDEATION -
FINAL CONCEPT
DESIGNEXPLANATION Front DIY Area velcro loops
Rounded Toebox for imporved comfortness
Shape Support
supporting and preventing upper fabric from sagging and losing its shape
Rubber Cleats with grids and bends creating better flexibility and traction
Velcro Strip for DIY
for personalization on shoe upper
Velcro Hooks
Non-slip Rubber
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 3 - MAGICRAFT AMATEUR SOCCER BOOTS
EXPLODEDVIEW Shoelaces-Covering
The shoelace knot is usually interruptive when kicking with instep. With shoelaces covered by a piece of fabric, players would have a much smoother touch on the ball.
Velcro Upper
Canvas Upper
Lightweight Insole
Rubber Outsole
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BACKGROUND analysis -IDEATION -
CUSTOMIZATION
1
Draw
graphics on the non-slip side of the velcro straps.
3 5
Swop
handcrafts with others
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FINAL CONCEPT
2
Cut
off desired shapes.
Tightening
Curving
Increasing traction to the side of the ball to create powerful curves
Attach
the shaped velcro staps on the DIY areas to
Design
Play
customized boots
Straight
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Increasing traction to the bottom part of the ball to make powerful straight kicks
give the boot another
New Look
PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
Personalization
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PROJECT 3 - MAGICRAFT AMATEUR SOCCER BOOTS
Enhanced Performance
Better Fit
Better Support
Fun & Identical
SALUS Wrist Posture Orthosis - Loftstrand Crutches Attachment
Human Dynamics and Controls Lab University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Individual Project | Oct. 2015 - Now Category: Medical
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 4 - SALUS WRIST POSTURE ORTHOSIS
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LOFTSTRAND CRUTCHES are recommended by most physical therapists, being the most efficient walking assistive tools for patients’recovery.
PROBLEM Most Loftstrand crutches users are bending their wrists when pushing forward their gaits, which resulted in long-term wrist diseases.
WRIST PAIN
CORRECT FORM
RESEARCH- DEVELOPMENT - FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH -
DEVELOPMENT- FINAL DESIGN
IDEATIONS
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CONCEPTTESTING
PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
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PROJECT 4 - SALUS WRIST POSTURE ORTHOSIS
WRIST SUPPORT
ADJUSTMENT
This design is aiming at creating support on wrists, preventing it from bending inwards, relocating part of the pressure to releaf palm pain.
People have different wrist thickness. The garments people are wearing also have different sleeve thicknesses. In different occasions, users will need different tightness of their wrist support. As a solution, using similar mechanism as snowboard binding, the distance between the supporting bar and users wrists is adjustable.
FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT -
Guard Protective Ankle Brace Thesis/ Individual Project | Oct. 2012 - Jan. 2013 Category: Sport Equipment
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
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PROJECT 5 - GUARD ANKLE BRACE
ERGONOMICSTUDY
PROBLEM 45%
Joint injury is ranked the highest among all sport injuries for professional athletes.
MARKETRESEARCH
Areas of Injury 1. Ankle sprain would occur at either inside or outside of the joints.
Among all the joints, the most frequently injured one for professional athelets is the ankle.
2. Calf cramp is also a problem that usually affects athlets’ performance.
ANKLE INJURY RATE Percentage of ankle injuries among all injuries
... Soccer
Basketball
Table Tennis
67%
40%
21%
Other Sports
Angle Limit for Rotation Ergonomically, human feet rotate with limited angle in motion. Injury can easily occur when the rotaion is beyond certain range.
Too Loose
Too Tight
Too Stiff
Most ankle sleeves are made from single material. The fabric gets loosen up easily.
The techniques of wrapping tend to put muscles in tense.
The splint design is more protective but at the same time limiting ankle movement.
These are the 3 most commonly seen issues in existing designs. The proplem is not yet successfully solved by any current product.
Professional athletes need a more user friendly, protecting, motivating, and proformance-enhancing product.
RESEARCH- DEVELOPMENT - FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH -
DEVELOPMENT- FINAL DESIGN
IDEATIONSKETCHES
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 5 - GUARD ANKLE BRACE
PROTOTYPING
2
Moldable Plastic Pellets
1 Paper Mockups
3
3D Printing
4
Testing
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FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT -
Non-slip Silicone
Polyamide + Elastane
Velcro Strap
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 5 - GUARD ANKLE BRACE
Fibula Support
Sprain Protector
C-Shape
Foot Support
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FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT -
FUNCTIONS Ankle Sprain Protection
When the bending angle reaches the limits, tips of the protective modules will clench, stopping the ankle from further bending movements. In this way ankles are protected from sprains.
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 5 - GUARD ANKLE BRACE
Performance Enhancement
When the ankle is bending forward, the bow-shape structure would be forced to stretch open, generating reactions for the athlete to move forward with more strength.
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FINAL DESIGN
RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT -
MULTIPLEVIEWS
EXPLODEDVIEW
3
Medial Side
Front
1
Main Body
2
Stitched-in Supportive Structure
3
Non-slip Silicone
4
Velcro Strap
2 Lateral Side
Back
4 1 2
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
PROJECT 4 - GUARD ANKLE SLEEVE
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Curriculum/ Group Project | Aug.2015 - Dec.2015 Category: Tool Design
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
GADGET GARAGE TOOL BAG
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Blood Pressure Monitor Company Project | Jun. 2013 - Sep. 2013 Category: Medical Devices This project is currently in production
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PORTFOLIO OF AUSTIN CHEN
RAYCOME BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR
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THANKYOU CONTACTME school of art + design university of illinois at urbana-champaign austin.c.designer@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/austin-c31 austinc.net +1 (217) 419-4599
seeking a full-time position that starts in jun.2017