Fanwen Ji
Industrial Design
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
PROCESS
Table of contents
Air purifier internship project
Sweeproby personal project
Searies form exploration
Air purifier an air purifier design that reminds users to change filters
in cooperation with Serionix, a company that specializes in air filters
meet with the company, understand their request
form inspiration: snake plant, which helps indoor air circulation
after showing company some initial sketches and ideations, they chose these two concepts and wanted a combined design for the next iteration
Change of design direction
The company changed their mind and wanted a table top air purifier design; they also wanted to incorporate some new technology, which would link the air purifier to user’s phone
chosen concept: a modular system air purifier, which is inspired by Japanese bento box
fan air out HEPA filter QR
air in
pet ordor filter smoke filter
how it works: has layers for different filters + QR code reader inside to sense if the filter needs to be changed + the consumer has the choice to add more layers
it purifies the smoke and smell in your home
users will get notification when they need to change the filter
take the top off and see that the filter has turned yellow
replace with a new filter
top exploration different forms of top for the user to take the top off with one hand
pattern design
explored texture and pattern so that adding extra layers would not affect the aesthetic
color and material varition
white & blue evokes feelings of cleanness and freshness wood represents natural and has become a popular material for home products
CEO of Serionix (on the right) using the wooden model to explain the concept to the manufactor (on the left)
Testimony
“Fanwen is a truly thoughtful and dedicated designer, and for me it all starts with her eagerness to listen. She took the time to understand our priorities and focus, asked insightful questions, and delivered high quality work quicker than I could have anticipated. Her work has helped us develop a number of potentially high-impact concepts well beyond our original vision, and so much is due to the fresh, user-centered, perspective she brought to our interaction.� - James Langer, CEO of Serionix
Sweeproby user-centered design project for home maintenance
95%
of women feel better when their home is clean
87% of women feel that a clean home is a reflection of self. 68% of working moms feel guilty that their homes aren’t clean enough. 60% of working moms feel judged about not having a clean enough house, by society, their friends, their partners, their parents and in-laws and mostly (64%) themselves. Over 80% of women consider clean floors and vacuumed carpets among the top priority for a clean home. 72% of people would move furniture when cleaning underneath them.
price advantage
ease of use
reach of distance
cleaning effectivness
Curve comparison 6
happy
netural
frustrated
1 1.1 1.1
1.2
5
2 3 2
emotional curve
3.1
3.3 3.3
3.2
4 4.1 4.1 4.2
rational curve
4.3
5.2
6.2 5.3 6.1
4.3
5.1
design opportunities
1.1
3.3 4.1 4.2
1.2
1.2
2
3.1
4.3 5.3
6.2
sketch model
form exploration
scavenger fish cleaning function
rajiformes flat form
Product mock up
the user can also set his/her phone on the handle in case his/her other hand is occupied
silicone overmold plastic
injection molded ABS joints
injection molded ABS cover LED light camera battery ABS backplate with velcro on the bottom changeable microfiber
extruded aluminum pole
microfiber cleaning pad that attaches easily to velcro
handle covered in silicone to provide good grip
bluetooth displays battery percentage
15.5cm 62.5cm
it can also be used as a normal sweeper by locking the joints
26.5cm
opened sides to catch objects
Searies
a series of ergonomic pens inspired by sea creatures
Instruction
Comfort
Ergonomics
easier to hold writing utensil when gripping object in palm and using a short and thick pen
long time writing hand fatigue optimal grip difficult to achieve
dexterity issues skin becomes drier fingers become thicker
inspiration
seahorse: interesting form
pipefish: sleak form
octopus: texture
Appearence model material: wood with acrylic paint
User testing
Miranda: 5 yrs old + loves the seahorse form - length of the tail is too short
Hannah: 22 yrs old + likes the streamlined look - barrel of the pen is a little thick
Scott: 66 yrs old + likes the weight on bottom - form looks a little juvenile
arouse kids’ interest to write with a pen wraps around the user’s hand to reduce the length of the pen allows the kid to hold on to the tail
sleek design
textured silicon provides good friction
allows the user to write smoothly and efficiently
prompts a firmer grip by adding extra weight to fill the user’s palm
relieves hand stress and provides optimal writing experience
provides extra support if the user loses his/her strength
other works
EnterpriseWorks
a start up incubator facility
Regular meetings to incorporate feedback; developed a concept for an air purifier; currently working on packaging and branding
Worked on a team with 3 graduate students to redesign the otoscope; visited clinics and met with potential users for feedback
Collaborated with 2 graduate students to meet with the company on a regular basis and develop an app for ipad
Developed forms for their product and created an appearance model for them to show to the manufacturers
Collaborated with a classmate to develop a form for the OcuCheck; project was continued by graduate students
Internship Experience brainstorming, ideation, sketching, marker rendering, digital rendering, lo-fi prototyping, woodworking
brainstorming, ideation, sketching, foam prototyping, user feedback/testing
brainstorming, ideation, sketching, wireframe
brainstorming, ideation, sketching, form study, clay prototyping, CAD modeling, in-use rendering
brainstorming, ideation, sketching, form exploration, clay prototyping
Thank you Fanwen Ji email: fji3@illinois.edu phone: 217-819-7755