BRAD EDWARDS
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN PORTFOLIO_
2012-2017
WELCOME Hello! I’m Brad an Industrial Design Graduate from Northumbria University. I am currently seeking the next steps in my design career building upon the experiences I’ve gained from university and industry set projects.
PROFILE
EXPERIENCE
Throughout my 4 years at Northumbria University I have continuously developed my design skills on individual, team and industry set projects. Within this time I have worked on a variety of live projects at renowned consultancies such as DCA Design International & GRO Design, where I collaborated on a range of projects from FMCG & electronic goods, to branding and packaging.
2015
Consumer electronics and Bathroom accessories.
2014
Northumbria University
2010 2012
Moorlands sixth form college
2006 2010
Design for Industry Ba (Hons First Class)
Product Design (B) Fine Art (B) Biology (C) Blythe Bridge High school 15 GCSE’s A*-C including Maths, Science and English Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award
DCA DESIGN INTERNATIONAL LTD WARWICK, UNITED KINGDOM
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INTERN Consumer electronics , FMCG , Medical and Packaging.
2014
2012 2016
EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INTERN
My work attempts to distil problems into smart, simple solutions that enhance the user experience through a seamless blend of design, strategy and technology, while reducing any unnecessary detail and clutter to bring out the essence of a product.
EDUCATION
GRO DESIGN
XANOBIA
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, UNITED KINGDOM
BRANDING WORKSHOP Branding and Packaging for a well known Coffee Brand.
Software Skills Adobe Photoshop / Indesign / Illustrator / Sketchbook pro / Rhino 3D / Keyshot / Solidworks / Microsoft office packages
LIVE PROJECTS + WORKSHOPS
Contents 01 LUMIERE / Wedgwood / 2016 02 FLO / RSA / 2014 03 PERCH / Newcastle city council / 2013 04 LOOFLET / Northumbrian Water / 2015 05 KAOLIN / Personal / 2016
01 PROJ ECT
LUMIERE Client: Wedgwood Material: Bone China Date: 2016
Driven by a conscious approach to materials and process, Lumiere explores and challenges the possibilities of a natural and familiar material, whilst championing a traditional British manufacturing industry. In collaboration with Wedgwood, Lumiere is a wall mounted diffuser that highlights the translucent qualities of fine bone china, which when lit produces a warm ambient glow. MAJOR PROJECT
INTRO Proposition The aim of this project is to challenge a material and industry that is perceived to be very traditional and familiar, and re-interpret how ceramics, as a material could be used as part of a product, to connect it with its technical role and enhance the interaction with the user.
Local Geology There was a strong tradition of using local clays in the manufacture of pottery in Staffordshire, dating back to the medieval times. But the expansion of the Stoke Potteries from a cottage industry to the epicentre of ceramic production depended not on clay but on coal. Factories such as Wedgwood and Spode relied on the North Stafforshire Minefield to fire and glaze their wares in bottle ovens. At the height of production in the 19th Century, there were 2,000 of these coalfired kilns in the Potteries, each consuming 15 tonnes of coal to reach the necessary temperatures of 1,000ËšC-1,250ËšC.
Coarse sand
S and
Fi ne Sand
Silt
Clay
1mm
The Old Spode factory
EXPLORATION PHASE_ Materials & Process
Craftsmanship & modernity. To introduce myself into the ceramics industry I based my research phase in Stoke-on-Trent which was once the epicentre of the UK ceramics industry. Whilst in my exploration phase I got to visit the British Ceramics Biennial which is held in a variety of sites across the Staffordshire area. Whilst at the festival I got to speak to a variety of ceramic artists and studios about their work and innovation within their field.
Factory Visits_
To fully understand the limitiations and possibilties of the ceramic processes, I took it upon myself to visit and document the variety of production methods at a number of factories around the Staffordshire area.
INITIAL IDEATION
REFLECTION + DIFFUSION
Quick 1:1 CONCEPT Mockups
CONCEPT REVIEW External collaborators and validators Richard Delaney
Global Design Director at WWRD
Keeley Traae
Design Manager and Product Designer at WWRD
External collaborators and validators Ed Bentley Ceramic Shape and Mould Designer
CONCEPT 1: Tactile control
CONCEPT 1: PROTOTYPING INTERACTION With the development of emerging technologies, I began to explore how we could challenge our relationships with a familiar and traditional material through intuitive tactile engagement, combining ceramic forms with digitally fabricated electronic components.
INTUITIVE TACTILE ENGAGEMENT
CONCEPT 1: Testing
RESET ICSP2 o
AREF GND 13 12 11 10 9 8
TX RX
These sensors could then be hidden behind the surface of a non-metalic material, which allowed me to explore how the ceramic texture and pattern could indicate the interaction to the user.
IOREF RESET 3V3 5V GND GND
A0 A1
A3
A5
ICSP
ON
A4
ANALOG IN
A2
7 6 5 4 3 2 TXO 1 RX0 0 DIGITAL (PWM=-)
VIN
POWER
As the user runs their finger along the pattern the coded output (Hue, Brightness, Volume etc) changes in real time depending on the direction.
Ardunio uno
Breadboard
RESET ICSP2 o
TX RX
AREF GND 13 12 11 10 9 8
IOREF RESET 3V3 5V GND
A0 A1
A3
A5
ICSP
ON
A4
ANALOG IN
A2
7 6 5 4 3 2 TXO 1 RX0 0 DIGITAL (PWM=-)
VIN
POWER
GND
Touch capacitive sensors
Ceramic tiles
LED ring
Pattern & Texture Study How can the Surface pattern & Texture of a Material Indicate the interaction to the user?
CONCEPT 2: Scale and precision
The chosen concept is a large, thin diffuser that highlights the material and technical qualities of bone china and its production. The shallow concave dish acts as the controller, with sensors placed around the edge of the ceramic piece. This allows the user to directly manipulating the hue of the light to their desired cool or warm effect.
The Assembly_
LED arrangement
Acid etched custom PCB.
PROTOTYPING
Materials & Process
Bone China production
A number of initial factory prototoypes were developed with Wedgwood’s model makers and mould engineers to test how different thicknesses and diameters of the diffuser would behave in the drying and firing stages. The final prototypes had a thickness of 2mm and a diamter of 346mm after firing.
Working Model Displayed at New Designers 2016
02 PROJ ECT
FLO
Brief: Use design to empower people to better prevent, detect, treat and possibly reverse lifestyle-related health conditions.
Client: RSA Student Design Awards Date: 2015
Flo is a personal, connected, portable asthmamanagement system that aims to eliminate the guesswork and hassle of managing chronic lung conditions. Flo is ideal for monitoring respiratory illnesses and in the self management of Asthma, COPD, Lung Transplant care and Cystic Fibrosis.
A sad story.
90% of deaths from asthma are preventable
*Asthma UK; facts&figures *Factors associated with hospital admissions and repeat emergency department visits for adults with asthma; Thoraz 2000;55:566-573
ÂŁ1
300
BILLION
MILLION
An estimated 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, a number set to continue its rapid ascent over the next ten years.
75% of hospital admissions for asthma are avoidable
The NHS spends around 1 billion a year treating and caring for people with asthma.
INSIGHT: RECORDING DATA
“ You are 4 times less
likely to be admitted to hospital for your asthma if you use an asthma action plan*
”
Challenge How do we get users to record and maintain their lung condition more effectively?
“Asthma is under-diagnosed and under-treated...�
OPPORTUNITY Currently, asthma patients are offered self-administered peak flow meters and paper diaries which tend to be time consuming, inaccurate and rarely used.
REMOVING THE UNNECESSARY HASSLE & ANXIETY.
CONCEPT GENERATION
FORM DEVELOPMENT
User Experience
Flo’s accompanying service empowers sufferers to take control of managing their condition with daily peak flow monitoring. This data then allows user to track and spot early stages of an asthma attack before symptoms occur.
To suite different users, the FLO app has to firstly be calibrated to the user by answering a few personal and health related questions (age, gender, height, weight, ethnicity) when setting up his/her profile.
SIGN IN
welcome
Emily 34
Jack 8
Severe asthma
Martha 6
Mild asthma
No asthma
Sibling competition
David
RESU LTS
27th Oct 2016
27th Oct 2016 07:30 AM
09:20 PM
40 4
53 6
FEV1
BLOW
FEV1
405 FEV 1
Ambe r
Stop action plan
Red
Stop
Birt hE
thnicity
08/J un/198 2
Caucasian
10m
Weight
Height
Gender
75 Kg
181.00
Male
FEV1
Wheezing
Chest pai n
Coug h
Heartbur n
Shortness of breathe
384
SETTINGS
ACTION PLA N Green
Started
PEAK FL OW
FEV
Target
Predicted Value
START
Take 2 puffs (BLUE)
2 Pu ffs of preventer this morning due to wheezing.
EDIT
Wait 28:33 min
How are you feeling?
536 EDIT
Asthma action plan / Peak flow results / Risk & symptom checker / Lung age calculator / Settings
FLO Junior Gamification & Personalisation
03 PROJ ECT
PERCH Client: Newcastle city council Material: Stainless steel + Oak Date: 2013
Brief: Develop a product and/or service to encourage and engage people to take up cycling in the Newcastle city centre area. Constructed from cast stainless steel and CNC machined oak, Perch is a simple reinterpretation of a bike rack which tackles unmet user needs. An integrated shelf provides a space for users to place belongings while the bike is being secured, reducing the overlooked stresses of the locking process.
User-centred research/ User Interviews Basing ourselves at various cycle hub locations around Newcastle, we gathered vital insights and issues of a cyclists journey around the city centre.
One big issue for me is the road maintenance such as the prevalence of potholes, protruding drain covers and glass on the road.
I use a different bike for commuting because I don’t feel safe leaving it in the city centre whilst I’m at work.
I use the company bike shed for my expensive bike at the hospital which stops me worrying. I also feel there needs to be more cycle routes and better roads.
Lugging around my heavy bike lock can be a nuisance. I always seem to misplace my keys.
locking analysis/
Securing the back wheel only leaves the front wheel and frame at risk of theft
Securing the front wheel only leaves the back wheel and frame at risk of theft
Both front and back wheels are secured to frame minimising the risk of theft dramatically
Securing the frame only leaves both wheels at risk of theft
Back wheel and frame secured however front wheel is still at risk of theft
Front wheel and frame secured however back wheel is still at risk of theft
Video Journals_ 1 week long exercise, documenting the various user scenarios cyclists experience cycling around Newcastle city centre.
INSIGHT: THE LOCKING PROCESS
From the early morning commute to an early evening ride, our video diaries over the 1 week period discovered a reoccurring issue that was not being addressed.
INITIAL IDEATION
INTERSECTION + CONTRAST
SOLUTION Constructed from cast stainless steel and CNC machined oak, Perch is a simple reinterpretation of a bike rack which tackles unmet user needs. An integrated shelf provides a space for users to place belongings while the bike is being secured, reducing the overlooked minor stresses of the locking process and cyclists overall experience.
04 PROJ ECT
Brief: Develop a product, service and/or campaign to help spread awareness of correct drain behaviour included as part of the LOVE YOUR DRAIN campaign.
Client: Northumbrian Water Strategic Design Date: 2015
Looflet is an alternative platform to display and distribute Northumbrian Water information right at the source of the problem. Looflet allows Northumbrian water to grab peoples attention for a longer period of time while educating and reinforcing good habits.
LOOFLET
PROBLEM The distribution and effectiveness of information given out to the public. Currently, Northumbrian Water distributes information about sewer flooding issues on poster campaigns, leaflets and their website which can all be easily ignored by the public. How can we tackle these issues right at the source of the problem?
SOLUTION
LOOFLET A simple, long-term and direct way of educating and reinforcing good habits.
INTRODUCING NEW HABITS LEARNING THROUGH REPETITION.
18-254 days “The time it took participants to reach 95% of their adoption ranged from 18 to 254 days” (European Journal of Social Psychology)
66 days
Average person takes 66 days to adapt a new habit.
(European Journal of Social Psychology)
TOILET ROLL STATS
8-9 sheets
On average, consumers use 8 - 9 sheets per trip – a total of 57 sheets per day.
1hr 42min
The average Brit spends one hour and 42 minutes a week on the toilet, or almost 92 days over a lifetime.
5 days
According to studies, the number of days a standard toilet rolls usually lasts in the most-used bathrooms in the house is five.
WHO ARE WE TARGETING? Looflet would initially be given out as a free promotional item at student fairs, school visits and temporary pop-up stands. Further Looflets could then be included as part of the water bill if the user wishes to do so.
01 Schools apart of the Dwaine pipe scheme.
02 Students. There are over 42,000 students in Newcastle.
03 Northumbrian Water first responders.
LOOFLET More mature content Targeted at students and adults
LOOFLET JUNIOR Mature content removed Includes Dwaine pipe Bigger text Child-friendly icons Handed out in Schools
Other potential avenues
Bars & Nightclubs
Council housing residents
NHS clinics & Hospitals
The kitchen sink issues
05 PROJ ECT
KAOLIN Client: Personal Material: Bone China Date: WIP
Learning from the experience and mistakes of Lumiere’s exploration, I developed an additional bone china lamp that further explored traditional pottery languages whilst highlighting the materiality of the ceramic. When cast finely, the unique translucent qualities of bone china produce a comforting warm ambient light.
INITIAL IDEATION
FLUID TENSION
INITIAL Sketchwork
The proposed manufacturing method for the body and shade would be slip cast bone china which would be bisque fired at 1250C on a setter and then glost fired with glaze at 1050C.
THANK YOU For any more information about me and my work, please contact me at: brad_edwards123@hotmail.co.uk