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T E C H N I Q U E S
FAINA IASEN HU |Â BHSAD, BA (Hons) Product Design Lvl. 5
CAST IT! LABBOOK by Faina Iasen, 2018.
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The brief was quite open to details and pretty straight forward in terms of an outcome - we had to make a light switch. Some of the requirements and restrictions for production of the outcome are listed below: No glue can be used to join the final parts. It can, however, be used in production of a master model to be moulded later. The final outcome doesn't necessarily have to be fully mad of casted parts but has to include them at least, The switch has to be designed and produced in a way that allows it to be mounted on the wall. The switch has to work - switch the lights on and off. Which means it has to be connected to a lamp. A production of the lamp is not obligatory, can be a simple light bulb.
T H E
D E F I N I T I O N In electrical wiring, a light switch is a switch most commonly used to operate electric lights, permanently connected equipment, or electrical outlets.
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IDEATION
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F I R S T T H O U G H T S A N D I D E A S O N T H E P R O J E C T During the presentation and briefing of the project I already had some initial ideas and thoughts of what I can design and produce for this project in the given period of time (1 month). I briefly wrote them down and sketched some doodly doodles. Here are some of them.
F I R S T
Customizable dimmer A personal fully customizable dimmer with a set of stickers for naming the settings . A set of manufactured pre-named ones and a set of empty ones in case a user wants to make up their own titles for the settings. Examples: 'I'm hungover', 'I need to wake up'. etc.
Bedside hub A bedside switch that would contain multiple switches, each connected to a part of the house and all signed so you can switch off the lights in the entire house for the night but without leaving your bedroom or unwrapping from under the blanket. Can also contain one big switch that just shuts down all the lights.
Epic punch button
A huge spring-mounted red button that has to be punched or otherwise brutally handled to switch on the lights. Would work great with some kind of a chain reaction like lighting strike running through the neon to the lamp and then 'powering' it.
Lots-a-buttons game switch A big switch with lots of colourful buttons and different switches that would require a user to solve some kind of game or riddle to switch on the lights. Like 'mixing' the colour from primary colours or solving a math problem. That would help save the energy as you would think twice before switching the light on.
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Questions to ask: How people interact with different types of switches? Which motions and actions are 'obvious' to most people? Which are common for all no matter of age and gender?
How can a function be communicated more clearly from the product to the user? With what design elements can the desired effect be achieved?
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Drawing machine experience Luckily, I've already had a chance to experiment with buttons before and explore all the different emotional and physical responses people give to various types of switches. I and my partner also did our best to include all basic types of switches for most entertainment and tactile enjoyment.
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Bs wA S I C itch types toggle switches rotary switches
slider switch
spring button
push buttons
I D E A T I O N
PUSH BUTTON SWITCH Push button is the easiest and most commonly used type of switch which is utilised in everything from DIYs to consumer electronics. They vary in sizes from the tiny 5mm buttons to huge emergency stop 50mm mushrooms.
TOGGLE SWITCH
Toggles are used in electronic panels and allow for a wider range of switching function. Types of toggles also vary: ON-OFF, ONOFF-ON, ON-ON. The one suitable for the light switch would be ON-OFF. I've worked with them before and I find them very tactile pleasing and engaging.
ROCKER SWITCH Rocker switches are commonly found on desktop PC computer peripheral power units and also are used in most light switches all around the world. The types are the same as for the toggles (on-on, on-off, on-off-on), they also come in different colours and an optional inbuilt LED light.
SLIDER SWITCH
Sliders are a bit more complicated - they are analogue switches which means they are capable of giving floating values instead of binary (0-1, false-true, no-yes). This allows for smooth transitions or precise settings. Which is a nice feature for a light switch if you ask me :)
ROTARY SWITCH Rotary switch is another analogue switch with the same abilities for smooth transition and so on, the only difference is that insted of a linear scale it has a polar one and from that the motion is different (rotation instead of sliding). This one's advantage is the wide variety of tops (covers, cups) that can be attached to the handle to achieve different affordances.
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SWITCHES that are the easiest to use; 'obvious' functions
toggle switches rotary switches
slider switch
spring button
push buttons
I D E A T I O N
spring button
mushroom switch
toggle
VS
lever switch
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Text description Textual manuals and descriptions are commonly used to instruct users on the usage of a particular product, especially if the said product is complex, digital or has many not quite obvious functions to it. There's one big 'BUT' to it -most users don't read the manuals or read them very briefly, often creating problems for them selves when interacting with a product so I'd prefer not to use one.
Illustrated manual A better version of an instruction that uses simple or technical illustrations step-by-step illustrations instead of long textual descriptions. These are easier to understand but require more resources such as artistic skills and visual understanding of structures. More often than not they too require some textual annotations to the pictures, although way less than standard manuals.
Exaggerated affordance Exaggerated affordance is a practice of adding 'obvious' elements to a design for better navigation. It's what is commonly called 'intuitive design' - you know what to do with the product and how to interact with it the moment you see it.
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What's an affordance? The term “affordances” came to be used in interaction design to indicate a visual cue to indicate the proper way for a user to interact with a device. That scoop under your door handle is an affordance, telling you where your fingers go in a visual language that all humans can understand. Enlarged hand holds are the most common usage, but there can also be colour, or form, or proportional cues that clue users in to the proper modes of interaction. These are incredibly powerful tools that tame the complexity of technology, especially when dealing with first-time users, people who don’t read instruction manuals, people with language barriers, or the differently-abled.
So, an exaggerated affordance is that visual clue but exaggerated to be even more obvious.
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visually physically
Bold colours
Repeated motion
Big size
Familiar motion
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Aesthetics: should fit in the environment naturally and not seem out of place should not only work but also look good - desirability
Function: should communicate it's function clearly decorative function when not in use - unlike the ordinary switches
Context: I want to put my switch in a specific context to give it a little bit more of a story. So I chose the aesthetics and style of loft copper pipes lamps, salvaged parts and old used metal. I'm also gping to make a lamp for this switch that will be of the same aesthetics to bring the context in visually and add to the picture.
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The visuals in the context As my chosen context for this switch is Loft and Industrial styles I decided to mount it on a fake brick wall which I'll have to make. The switch itself will be made to look like it's just a bunch of old salvaged metal tools and parts and a lamp for it will be a simple cube of MDF, veneered in wood and with a vintage big bulb.
D E S I G N
Switch mechanism The mechanism of the switch is very simple - it'a a lever attached to the base on a bolt through the embedded nut in the way that when the lever is pulled in one direction, it forces the cap of the toggle switch mounted under it go the other way and close the circuit. The circuit itself will be made of three such switches, all three of which have to be up for the circuit to close.
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structural construction The whole switch will consist of three such levers mounted onto the base which will be built of a mounting plate and 4 side supports that will look like old used cogs for the sake of aesthetic unity. It will also have wooden holders for ease of use and decoration.
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laser cut plywood prototype I've spent a week at home due to sickness so when I was back I already had the 3D model you saw before and all the technical drawings needed to cut out a prototype of my switch in plywood user the laser cutter. It was really sloppy and uneven due to the difference in width the laser burns out when cutting. But it showed that the mechanism I planned out worked as intended. So I let people play with the prototype, saw that people enjoyed the motions and effects of the levers, and proceeded to make the final piece.
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flat silicon mould from prototype The first and longest part of the plastic casting process in making the mould it will be casted in. I hammered in the nuts inside the parts for the mould to retain their inside structure for casts. And then attached all three parts to a piece of thick flat MDF and secured the walls from leakage with some hot glue. This way I can be sure no silicone ascapes during the process as it will destroy my mould and I'll have to start again. I used screws on the outside walls which will allow me to disassemble it easily when needed.
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pouring silicon The silicon mould in our case is the first step in the casting process. To make the said mould you need to have a master model first (which is what I am using the parts of my prototype for) and pour silicone everywhere around it. After is't been mixed properly (ours was 100:5) and vacuumed to get rid of any bubbles, poured in the encasing containing the master model, it dries for a couple days and can then be used. Usually it has to be cut in two or more parts to take out the master model, but since mine was flat the mould is also flat and in one piece.
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separating the mould After the silicon is set, the newly made mould has to be separated from the master model. Usually it has to be cut in two or more parts to take out the model, but since mine was flat the mould is also flat and in one piece. So I just removed the walls and started carefully pulling back the silicon to deatch it from MDF's 'hairs' and paper grains. After doing it successfully I cut my mould in three parts so they can be used independently and cleaned it with water and soap to be sure Igout all of the 'hairs' out. The mould turned out beautifully and retained all textures from the master.
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casting plastic After making sure the moulds were all set, nice and clean I proceeded to the plastic casting itself. Unlike the silicon we used, it has to be mixed 1:1 and can be mixed a bit less precise which means that a 5-10ml mistake won's ruin the cast. I've casted my parts several times in the same mould 4 cogs, 2 side levers and one middle lever. This plastic's working time is very short so it has to be well mixed and poured fast or it will be not liquid enough to fill all needed surface and it's especially dangerous for small details.
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carving the casts Afte casting the parts I added some extra touch and carved them to look old, chipped and warn. It took me some time to get a grip on how fast I have to go and at what moment to take them out for them to be kinda set but still flexible and workable. I figured it has to be done when the plastic is not sticky anymore but still warm from the reaction. That's when it's the easiest to carve with a precision knife but you still know that it won't bend in a way that will either damage nut inside or break the balance.
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painting the casts When it came to the colouring of the plastic I had two options: add a special pigment to the mix of plastic before casting it or paint the castings after they were set and carved. I decided that the second option fit my plans way better as I wanted to weather and carve the castings so I bought a can of silver spray paint, primed the casts and then spray painted them silver. This way I had more control over the evenness of the colour and the shade of it. And it came out beautifully, looking almost like a used piece of old metal hardware which was precisely my intention.
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the mounting plate As the switch is supposed to be mounted on the wall I've designed a mounting plate that not only allows to do said mounting but also connects all other parts including the cogs and the toggles. I lasercut the plate out of sheet plastic, arved it using band saw and added some scratches with rough sandpaper. After painting it the same metalic silver I clearcoated it to protect the paint as it's really easily scratched from the sleek surface of the sheet plastic. I then attached it to the 'brick wall' I made of MDF and fixed it using bolts.
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triple toggle circuit The circuit for this switch is similar to the one used in a Drawing Machine I've worked on last year - all three toggles are connected to the same wiring and are a part of the path of the voltage wire. Which means all three of the toggles have to be in the 'ON' position for the circuit to close and perform the action. The ground wire just goes past.
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Assembling the switch After all the parts very casted, carved and painted, the lamp and the 'brick wall' were made I started the final part of this production - assembly of the parts. I attched the already soldered in the circuit switches to the plate, the plate to the wall and then the cogs to the mounted plate. I then pulled the bolts through the nuts that were perfectly casted inside the parts and joined them in the stop-nuts in the middle lever. Everything worked, the circuit was up and running.
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base construction My plan for the lamp was precisely straight forward - a wooden square with a big old Edison bulb. I easily founs the needed bulb, the only issue was my lack of wood of such size and the fact that a lot of it would be wasted to accommodate the bulb inside. So I took some MDF, cut it, stack it, glued together and then cut on the mitter saw to even out the walls. After that I made a groove for the cord to go out and the wholes to mount the E-27 bulb socket.
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veneering with walnut To make MDF look better and give the feeling of the wood I used some of this beautiful American Walnut veneer from my collection and covered the whole base in it. being careful not to break the pattern of the wood and precisely cutting out the wholes where the cord goes out and the light bulb will go it. I then sanded it and finished it with wood wax for a nicer touch and look.
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the lamp is ready! Afther the base was ready, I've put in the Edison light bulb and hooked it up to the socket. It came out exactly like I wanted - nice clean lines, small, simple and elegant. I also added a brass plate sitting on 4 brass nails with my 'future brand' to add to the industrial aesthetics.
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One piece cast The whole construction would be way more stable if the cogs and the plate would be the same part - a one piece cast would be great. Then there would be no detachments and weak joints, it'd stabilise the switch and give more of a rigid feel..
Smaller mounting plate I feel like the mounting plate didn't have to be as big as I made it for neither aesthetic nor functional reasons. I'd make it smaller if I was to re-build this design. I would also make it thicker to match the other parts better.
Actually make the handles I didn't make the handles for the levers in this switch as I wanted to because there was too little space between the levers and a;so because of some of the restrictions of the brief. But I'd like to see this design with the handles or even with one handle common for all three levers.
CAST IT! LABBOOK by Faina Iasen, 2018.
FI, 2018