Portfolio 2020
Chitrupi C.
Product Designer & Design Researcher
Graduation projects
College projects
Exchange projects
Fixperts Design Project 1 Scrap Innovation: Cat Litter Service Design: Railway ticket system Interface Design: Digital re-design of The Hindu Packaging & Visual Identity 1: Roller Skates
Contents
The portfolio is a cumulation of projects done by me as an individual and collaborating across teams both academically and in the industry.
Packaging & Visual Identity 2: Hair-clips Craft Cluster Project: Chennapatna Nakashima Workshop Ceramics Cork Kitchenware Range Understanding Scopes of Learning Systems Within a Mountain Community: https://issuu.com/chitrupieaswaran/ docs/cc_doc_pages__compressed_
Hello / नमस्ते / வணக்கம் I am a student completing my post graduation in Furniture Design from National Institute of Design, Paldi. I have done my Bachelors in 2015 from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore specializing in Accessory Design. The resilience of the human mind intrigues me. I feel inspired by the way it works to solve some of the most challenging issues. I believe in neat and effective designs that can create a memorable experience. As a designer, I am determined and thoughtful and have a knack for observing and finding patterns, that help me design effectively. My training as a dancer has helped me understand space and human proportions. My curiosity about the human mind has instilled in me a fervent love for reading and travelling. These interests have therefore shaped me both as a designer and as a person. My portfolio covers varied design fields from Product Design, Furniture Design, Service & Systems Design, Experience & Interface Design and Packaging.
Contact Information Phone : +91 9538282352 E-mail : chitrupi@gmail.com
1. Fixperts
Product Design, User-Centeric Design, Industrial Design
Fixperts is a learning programme that challenges young people to use their imagination and skills to create ingenious solutions to everyday problems for a real person. In the process, they develop a host of valuable transferable skills from prototyping to collaboration.
This project was done during my exchange semester at Holon Institute of Technology, Israel.
Design Brief
To design a product that can help your User/ Fix-partner take care of both his autistic children while walking short distances with them.
About the user
Eli Lubitch is a teacher at the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Israel. He has a slight disability in his right arm, making it weaker than usual and tough to grip objects. His sons, Sagi and Uri (6yrs and 4yrs) have been diagnosed with autism. For the most part, hyperactive behaviour of both children becomes a problem while walking from one destination to another. More so, it is difficult to single-handedly manage both children together.
Eli’s Challenges that we were tackling Help Eli single handedly manage his children while walking with them.
Help Eli ensure the safety of his children while outside their home.
The Process to solve the problem
Interviews with Eli helped us understand his needs and limitations. We could set a reasonable boundary within which we could create a product that would help the children as well as Eli.
Prototypes as we progressed Prototype 1
Based on the interviews, quick prototypes were made and tested. Pros and cons of each prototype were noted and taken into account while making the next model. Slowly, we were able to design something that really helped Eli and his kids!
Interviews
Quick Prototyping
Feedback
A simple mock up, made using flat nylon straps. This was made to try and understand pressure points while wearing a vest. The closure was inspired from a bra (back closing), making sure that the children will need an adult to undo the vest.
Prototype 2
Insight from Feedback
The second prototype was a more durable version made after a few more trials. This mock up is made using cotton fabric filled with a layer of EVA foam. The nylon straps are used wherever adjustments are required.
Eli, being predominantly single handed, was unable to make the children wear these vests without causing them distress. The complicated nature of the prototype was unsuitable and so, pushed us to come up with a more elegant and smart solution. The structure however, was a success considering the softness and support provided on the chest and shoulders.
The Final Prototype The wow aspect Seeing as the children were used to being dressed in t-shirts, we tried making the vests in such a way that dressing them in the vests would mimic the feeling of dressing them in t-shirts. Built & Material The nylon straps on the sides and shoulders allow the vests to be adjusted for a proper fit. Soft cotton knitted fabric with an inner lining of microfibre (Dri-FIT) cloth absorbs sweat and is easy to wash. The filling of EVA foam cushions possible sharp tugs.
Functionality The father’s belt has nylon straps on either side of the waist. Each strap has a lockable carabiner at its end, which can be hooked onto the loops on the vests’ back. This can be unhooked when children reach a safe place or desired destination. This way, when the parent is attending to one child, he/she is assured that the other child is always close and will not get lost.
The Final Prototype being used by Eli and his children.
2. Design Project: 1
Product Design, Furniture Design, Object Stylization
Design a furniture (surface and seating), by stylizing a two dimensional form that can be used to work for short durations in the college campus. Duration specified: 15-45 minutes
Space of work
The place for which I chose to create the surface and seating was the college cafe. This space has ample plug points to charge laptops and other devices. I felt that the space becomes a good spot to have a short term (break time, post classes) seating and surface for laptop usage. A person can work while grabbing a bite to eat.
NID logo
Selection a form
The 2D form chosen to stylize into 3D was the NID logo. Considering the flat and polygonal nature of the logo, the challenge I gave myself was to make the logo form 3D in such a way that it does not look like a simple parallel extrusion. The other challenge was to make sure that balance and structure was somehow maintained in spite of the very edgy nature of the form.
Selection a form
The 'D' of the logo is stylized to form the top of the table.
The dot of the 'I' of the logo is stylized to form the seat of the stool.
Materials used Mild Steel Sheets
Mild Steel Oval Sections
Mild Steel Tube The 'N' of the logo is stylized to form the body of the table. There are two of these shapes which balance the entire table out
MDF
The Final Prototype
The final prototype was made using surface developed Mild Steel sheet, Mild Steel oval sections, Mild steel tube and MDF.
The table surface is a 19mm thick plywood top, shaped as the ‘D’ in the logo (half circle). The table bottom is 2mm thick mild steel sheets, bent and welded to form the right angle triangular ‘N’ as seen in the logo.
The base is a load bearing element made using oval section pipes. This balances the edgy structure and adds to the geometric nature of the furniture, without overpowering the negative spaces. The stool seat is MDF, turned and shaped manually on the lathe. The circular form represents the dot of the ‘I’ in the logo
The stool pole shows the negative space between the triangle and half circle in the logo. Overall, the form is a result of putting the elements of the logo together in a non-extruded manner. This resulted in the logo being seen and recognised from different angles of viewing the furniture piece.
My Learnings
The project gave me a better understanding of metal and metal processes (welding, grinding, non-welded joineries, bracing) It opened my mind to non-parallel forms and geometry without the extreme heaviness.
Front View
Top View
Making this prototype required using the wood and metal workshop of the institute. Therefore, using the various machines provided me with the practice and experience to use them appropriately in the future. It also made me explore the versatility of each tool and machine.
Back View
Current Usage
The piece of furniture is now being used in the campus as a casual seating unit to get some quick work done. The ideal duration of seating for the furniture is 15-45 minutes.
3. Scrap Innovation: Cat Litter Product Design, Sustainable Design, Design for Animals
The Scrap Innovation course gave us the freedom and choice of using any and all available waste/scrap materials in order to create a useful and innovative product.
Why Design for Animals?
Core Ideologies to Design
My users
Circular Economy
Sustainability
Recycle/ Reuse
Usage of sustainable and natural materials was encouraged. Recycling to reduce waste and using the same to design and make products helped us understand the need to maintain a circular economy.
I would like to be left alone now. Thanks!
I have always loved animals and working on user centric projects is one of my core design interests. I thought of looking at animals as the user, as they are a really big part of the ecosystem we live in. As we thrive to create more sustainable and eco-friendly avenues through design, we should consciously consider other living organisms and design suitably for their needs too.
My users are domestic cats (Felis Catus). Cats averages about 46 cm (18") in head-to-body length and 23–25 cm (9.1–9.8") in height, with about 30 cm (12 ") long tails. Cats are shy creatures who like to mostly be on their own. Their primary activities include, Grooming, Kneading, Panting, Hunting, etc. Cats are comfortable with both outdoor and indoor environments
Selected Item to work with: Cardboard drum with metal closure/clamps The item chosen by me was a cardboard drum that is sealed from the bottom and has a lid with Aluminium closure/clamp. Cats usually litter in a discrete manner in public spaces. Domestic cats find it difficult to recreate the natural process of defecation in a home environment. Therefore, its necessary to provide them with an alternative that feels similar to the natural process. Cats are usually attracted to closed spaces where they can hide. Interaction with the Cat litter
Domestic cats natural littering
Cats get attracted to the space. The nature of the litter box works as an ideal place for a nature call
After relieving itself, the cat cleans up and moves away , thereby making the product a natural alternative.
Functionality of the prototype Cat exits from the top after
Prototyping Paper Shreds & newspaper balls for cat litter
Cat enters from here
The cat litter box really helps in the urban scenario of animal defecation. It is a close alternative for a domestic cat to use the enclosure without any hesitation.
The cat litter box really helps in the urban scenario of animal defecation. It is a close alternative as an environment for a domestic cat to use the enclosure without any hesitance
4. Service Design: Platform Ticket Purchase Service Design, System Design
Design a service/system to improve the process of purchasing platform tickets and increase the efficiency. How the project started I am an avid user of the Indian Railways and have visited multiple railway stations while travelling. During my visits to the railway stations, I have used and observed the platform ticketing service. From what I understood, the service had a few issues, which made the users skip the purchase or defect the system for various reasons. While studying in Bangalore, this experience became an inspiration for one of my projects. Therefore, I visited a local railway station to observe if the same issue existed .
Site Visit Krishnarajapuram Railway Station, Outer Ring Road, Jyothi Puram, Krishnarajapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560016, India The gap exists
On doing the site visit and observing the platform ticketing service, I could identify similar gaps and problems in the system. The gap got validated while talking to the station officials and people who frequent the railway station.
Initial Conversations about the system People in the station were asked to express their thoughts on the Platform Ticketing Service and how effective it is. These were a few responses.
I find the service very redundant. Why would one need to buy a ticket to enter a platform?
I know why we should use platform tickets, but everyone is always in a hurry. Nobody really bothers...
Nobody checks, plus there are so many ways to skip the purchase without getting noticed.
What is a platform ticket and why is it important? A Platform Ticket is a type of rail ticket issued by Major Railway Stations, permitting the bearer to access the platforms of a railway station, but not to board and use any train services. It allows people to walk with their friends and loved ones all the way to the passenger car at stations where the general public is not admitted to platforms. In a country like India, where ~25 million people commute by trains, it is necessary to keep check by using some monetary methods like Platform tickets to restrict unnecessary gathering and in return provide better experience to all railway passengers. It also allows the authorities to keep a check on the number of people on a platform. With services like free Wi-Fi in many stations, a constant method to regulate or stop the misuse is very necessary.
A minimum fine of â‚š 250/- will be charged by railway ticket checking staff if you are caught without a Platform Ticket of â‚š 10/- .
Stakeholders
Companions of travelers
Travelers
People working at the counters
Problem Categorization & Affinity Mapping
Police/ officials
Different problems with the service/system were identified and categorised to clearly list out the prime problems.
Observed flaws in the system Who needs to purchase a platform ticket and who does not?
Time Consuming Process
A
Mr. A
People are unaware of the importance of buying it
Keeping a track of who comes and goes
Not all the counters always functional
$ ?
People are unaware of how the collected revenue is put to use
Lack of Awareness
No proper directions to the ticket counters
No standardized method of buying platform tickets
No Proper Check to see if the ticket is bought or not
In case of a delay, the escorts continue waiting with the travelers
People do not like standing in queues for long durations
Bad placement of counters
People forget to buy the platform tickets when in a hurry
Process is not efficient in case of an emergency
The Change in the system
The Solution and its usage Two way ticketing booth
Travelers
General people
General entry points
Travelers entry points
The two way ticketing booth is a part of the solution that tries to make the purchasing of a platform ticket more efficient and easy. It brings a clear demarcation in the entry points, thereby helping the officials keep a check on the footfall of people on the platforms.
5. UI/UX : Re-designing 'The Hindu' Online Interface Design, Information Design, Experience Design
Redesign the website and the portable device application of an Indian daily newspaper of my choice.
Why this project? Most people in India, read at least one newspaper everyday. People who have been reading a newspaper over months or years are accustomed to the pattern and contents of the newspaper. Each person has a unique way of interacting with the newspaper; eg. an impatient reader does not want to spend much time reading the paper. It is a very personal activity that one enjoys daily. This uniqueness creates a sort of an emotional connection between the newspaper and the reader. Choosing the newspaper
This project was done during my 6 month graduation project at Tata Elxsi, Bengaluru
The national daily newspaper I chose is “THE HINDU.� It is the 3rd most read newspaper in India. Its readers range from the young to the elderly with varied interests.
Who reads the Hindu? User Study A study conducted in 2012 by V. Yogalakshmi shows that people who read The Hindu are of the age group 20-60 years and above. Of these, 38% of the people prefer The Hindu newspaper over others. This includes students, senior citizens, businessmen, house wives etc.
Suresh Mehrotra Age: 52 Industrialist
Arundhati Roy Age: 42 Author
The Hindu has been an intricate part of my life, it brings me closer to everything that is going on around me.
I love the articles that the Hindu features, they are handpicked literary delicacies.
Problems with the present design HOME PAGE
1
3
Drop Down menu
• The drop-down for all tabs appears on the left edge. This causes confusion. • The layout makes the stories look cluttered. • There is no proper information hierarchy.
CATEGORY PAGE
4
2 Category tabs of the website (consistent on all pages) • The categories & subcategories of the website and the newspaper do not match.
• The category page consists of the main story which takes up most of the page.
Information Architecture
Responsive UI Guidelines
Responsive web design (RWD) is an approach to web design aimed at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience, easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling across a wide range of devices (from desktop computer monitors to mobile phones).
A graphic showing responsive UI across a range of devices and device orientations (a phone, a tablet and a personal computer with their screen resolutions.
Wire-frame Sketches
1
2
4
3
5
Visual Language Typography
Colors Used
Garamond Regular Garamond Bold
The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over The Lazy Dog. #fffbee
#efe8da
#e5daca
Open Sans Regular Open Sans Italic The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over The Lazy Dog.
#999999
#0b8dce
#005da4
High Fidelity Wire-frames
Web-page Design
Homepage
Subcategory Page
Website Design
The Website when viewed in the desktop and laptop sceens
Tablet Design
The tablet application follows the same visual design as the website. It has the same tabs as the ones on the website. These can be swiped left and right in order to view the tabs which cannot be seen on the main screen. Sections which are not on the tabs can be found in the hamburger menu.
Tablet Design
The tablet application when viewed in the Nexus 9
Mobile Application Design The mobile application follows the same visual design as the website. The tabs and sections can be seen in the hamburger menu. The hamburger menu shows all the sections of the newspapers. Once an item with an arrow against it is selected, it opens out to show the sub-menu of that particular section. Both menus are scrollable.
Mobile Application Design
The mobile application when viewed in the Nexus 5
Responsive showcase of the designs
Responsive showcase of the designs on desktop, laptop, tablet and phone.
6. Packaging 1: Roller Skates Packaging Product Design, Packaging Design, Branding, Identity Design
Create a packaging and a visual identity for a hypothetical roller skates brand which would attract children of ages 6-10 years old and also their parents.
Brand name and Identity The brand is named 'Jiffy' as it shows the fast nature of roller skating. In the blink of an eye, a person on skates moves gracefully from one point to another.
Who are my Users? My users were 6-10 year old kids who are roller skating enthusiasts. They are usually active, enthusiastic and full of joy.
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Logo type & colours
The identity has the word ‘jiffy’ in a retro font on wheels to represent the roller skates. It brings out the speed and thrill that a child feels while enjoying the sport. The wheels in the logo symbolises the roller skating wheels.
Prototype Packaging Concept The packaging for the skates is made to contain a pair of roller skates.
The major element of the packaging is the interactivity of it. The packaging has the wheels of the roller skates jutting out, hence making the entire packaging act like a moving object adding the fun and interactive element to it. Packaging Objectives Storage Portability Catching the attention and interest of children as well as parents. To enable interaction with the main element of the roller skates; its wheels.
How to use the packaging
The interactive aspect of the packaging
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3 The packaging was created to accommodate the necessary safety instructions and a few trivia facts about skating, making the information interesting.
Step 4
Step 5
7. Packaging 2: Hair-clips Packaging Product Design, Packaging Design, Branding, Identity Design
Create a packaging and a visual identity for a hypothetical brand which sells tic tac hair-clips. About the Product Tic tac Clips are the black hair-clips that are universally used by women of a varied age group.
Brand name and Identity The brand is named Swept Away. It is inspired by the flow of our hair as it sweeps and glides with our movements when we are engaged in different activities. The logo has a small girl sliding down a tick tack clip. The logo promotes a joyful and care free attitude. It targets almost every girl or woman who use tick tack clips to keep their hair neatly in place, as they enjoy their freedom.
Logo type & colors
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d1d2d4
6d6e72
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Prototype Packaging Concept The packaging for the tick tack clips is made to contain 10 black clips.
The major element of the packaging is the portability and storage. It has a draw like structure which is easy to open and close. These features of the packaging make it easy to access and also prevents the misplacing of the contents. Packaging Objectives Storage Portability Standardization of quantity Standardization of pricing
How to use the packaging
Step 1
Step 2
The packaging was created to accommodate the necessary objects.
Step 3
Step 4
Projects on Material Exploration & Crafts
8. Craft Initiative: Chennapatna Products for Children Product Design, Design for Children
This project is a part of a craft cluster reformation initiative at Chennapatna. The products designed are made using the craft specialization of that cluster. Where is Chennapatna & what is it famous for? Chennapatna, also known as the ‘Toy town’ is a town situated in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka state, India. Chennaptna is famous for its wooden toys. These toys are created by turning wood in the lathe and then using lacquer to finish. These toys are famous all over the world for their simple and colourful forms. Over the years, due to bad marketing and promotion, the craft has lost its once glorified image. Our responsibility as students, was to understand the craft and come up with new kinds of products that can broaden the scope of the craft.
The artisans have to go through a lot of work to produce one toy. This is a typical set of things an artisan does to produce a toy.
The collected wood
The tools used to turn wood
The lacquer to color the wood
The Chennapatna Tortoise; a popular toy amongst kids.
The idea to design for Children
Users
Chennapatna toys are popular among children, because of they are made of natural materials. The bright naturally coloured toys attract children of a younger age. The rounded nature of the toys also reduce the chances of severe injuries. Area of design My idea was to use Chennapatna toys to help children improve their fine and gross motor skills. The user group (2-4 year old) selected is the best suited for these kinds of products as they have learnt basic hand functions like, grabbing, pulling, holding pencils, etc. Gross & Fine Motor skills enable children to have a better hand eye co-ordination.
My users were 2-4 year old kids, Kids have a natural association with Chennapatna toys. So creating products in this user segmentation would improve the positioning of the craft.
Study of existing products
These are the existing products that are made to enhance gross and fine motor skills, sensory skills for children
Prototype 1: Identify forms
This Cube has circles of 4 different diameters cut out on the top, and single circles of different radius on all 4 sides. The top of the box slides off a corner axis, enabling easy opening. Shapes to be passed through the circles are spheres, cylinders and spindles. This product helps children understand the 3 shapes' relation to a circle and also teaches them sizes.
How to use
Prototype 2: Pencil Grippers
Children of 2-4 years of age have a tendency to hold everything using all 5 fingers. Therefore, they end up adding more pressure to their fingers while holding something small or thin, leading to pain in the fingers. These grippers, with a depression on one end, guide the child to hold the pen/pencil at the right place. The depression also prevents the pen/pencil from slipping from the fingers, allowing the child to relax his/her grip.
Types of grips in children as they mature
The prototype helps children of 2-4 year olds to use their natural grips without much pain or support.
The pencil gripper and how it is to be used. The grooves in the gripper allow better friction while holding.
9. Furniture Deisgn: A George Nakashima inspiration Furniture Design, Woodworking
This project is a part of a George Nakashima tribute workshop, where we were supposed to study his work and use it as an inspiration to create a furniture piece. Who is George Nakashima?
George Katsutoshi Nakashima was a Japanese-American woodworker, architect, and furniture maker. His contribution to American Crafts and also NID (India) have led to the creation of an iconic style in woodworking and furniture design. Nakashima’s signature woodworking design could be summed up with the following terms : - Smooth tops - Natural and tapered edges - Butterfly joints - Spindle legs Importance was given to maintaining the nature of wood, rather than forcing it to become something else.
George Nakashima
Nakashima Inspired Side Table
The final product of this workshop is a side table, which was made in collaboration with a classmate. It has subtle and prominent influences of the Nakashima style.
10. Ceramics
Ceramic Design, Slip Casting, Form Studies
This project is an exploration of ceramics, by creating products using the Slip Casting method.
What is Slip Casting?
Slip casting or slip casting is a technique for the mass production of pottery and ceramics, especially for shapes not easily made on a wheel. In slip casting, a liquid clay body slip, is poured into plaster moulds and allowed to form a layer, the cast, on the inside walls of the mould.
This project was done during my semester exchange at Holon Institute of Technology, Israel.
Diagram explaining Slip Casting process
The creation of the product as it progressed After Round 2
After Round 1
First form
Second form
We were to design a vase of any desired shape and form. We casted moulds of the design using POP.
The original form was now to be manipulated into as many different forms as possible. Manipulation of the form was done by cutting, sticking or deforming the casted vases, to understand possibilities of the material.
The creation of the product as it progressed Final form Design a suitable spout and handle, to convert the vase into a pourable vessel (teapot, sauce dispenser etc.)
The Final Product, A Modern Liquid dispenser
The process & views of the product
11. Cork Kitchenware Range Product Design, Lifestyle Accessory Design, Material Exploration
Design a range of kitchen accessories using Cork, exploring its versatile properties. Cork, As a material
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber (the Cork Oak). Cork is composed of suberin, a hydrophobic substance, and because of its impermeable, buoyant, elastic, and fire retardant properties, it is used in a variety of products, the most common of which is as wine stoppers. The Cork Range
Cork & Acrylic Chopping Board Cork Coasters Cork Casserole Grippers
Cork and Acrylic Cutting Coard
A standard size chopping board with a base of sturdy acrylic and cover of cork. It has a compartment on one side which can be used to collect the cut vegetables or the waste. The cork cutting mat can be separated from the acrylic base, as both materials need to be cleaned differently. Cork was used for the cutting mat as it does not register marks easily and can handle wet products without staining.
Cork Coasters
A set of 6 cork coasters, hand painted with white acrylic paint. Cork having high grip (friction), heat resistant and water retardant properties makes a perfect material for coasters. A pair of cork grippers which can be tightly fitted on to the handles of a casserole. The high heat resistance, frictional and cushioning properties of cork make it a good material to grip handles and carry something hot and heavy without the worry of slipping.
Thank you