federico trevia
thinking through
making visual journey across the prototyping phase
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Design through making
thinking through
making This short booklet complements my Master Thesis report and it is meant to offer a visual resume of the main phases we went through during the prototyping of the relaxation space. The pictures gathered here, a part for the ones on your left, have been taken with a compact camera throughout the whole project. This is an attempt to bring you back in the action from the first mock up model to the detailing of the final prototype. All the prototypes have been built within Philips Design, the final one has been built and showcased in the Experience Lab.
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To Tom Bernards, Ad Spaan, Tiny Noten. Dirk Engelen & Ben Versantvoort who have been always very patient with me during these months.
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1. Brainstorming session
2. Mapping main qualities
3. Preparing the mock up
4. Shaping the mock-up Design through making
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5. 4x4 Mock-up model
7. Implementing light 6
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6. View from inside
8. Easy evaluation of the light effect
9. Adam working on the first prototype
11. First prototype in the basement
10. Building the top with stretched fabric
12. The ceiling is made with carton plume and fabric Design through making
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13. Check ing the height of the ceiling and light's brightness
15. Evaluation of the "living space" 8
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14. Philips Living Color's mounted on the top
16. Sitting in the relaxation space for the first time
17. The second prototype comes to life
19. Curtains prototyping with wooden sticks and paper
18. Designing fittings for curtains' motors
20. Fittings mounted on the frame, just motor is missing Design through making
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21. The metal frame hanging in the basement
23. Test for a light fitting 10
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22. Laser cut mdf fittings with bearings
24. Test for a paper diffuser
25. Prototyping the sensing floor with metal plate
27. Test for the floor with conductive foam and metal grid
26. Fittings with motor ready to be mounted
28. Wiring the metal grids to create a big sensing surface Design through making
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29. Designing fittings for Philips Hue lamps
31. Cap painted in white and brand new soft chord 12
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30. Replacing the original lights in the objects with Hue's
32. Testing the objects
33. The Experience Lab, house of the final prototype
35. The white panels hide the electronics. ...
34. Guys installing and hanging the frame
36. ... support the structure and many elements inside it Design through making
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37. Improvised delivery service
39. Cutting, screwing, glueing 14
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38. Preparing the frames for the light diffussers
40. Light diffuser in wood and fabric (discarded at the end)
41. Wiring of the Hue's
43. Testing Hue's wireless communication
42. The sixteen Philips Hue's of the top (four per unit)
44. The ladder, my best friend from now on Design through making
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45. Hues' are supported by metal beams fixed to the panels
47. Applying velcro for the diffuser's frame 16
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46. Me and the ladder at 3,5m from the ground
48. A beta-diffuser fixed one the structure
49. When we decided to go for ready made curtains
51. First look at the new curtains rolled down
50. Installers mounting the curtains on the structure
52. Saving space with motors embedded in the blinds' stick Design through making
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53. Thinking where to place sensors
55. Metal plates for the floor from Interfaceflor 18
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54. Another version of the sensing floor, getting closer
56. Intercell, used to raise the floor of the installation
57. Interface's installers mounting the floor
59. The metal floor weighted around 1300 kg
58. The floor has been built ad hoc on the spot
60. The floor occupied an area of 5x5 meters Design through making
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61. The floor was raised by 8 cm
63. ...a layer of carpet has been positioned underneath 20
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62. To stabilize the central part ...
64. The metal floor ready for the next step
65. Tests for light diffusers with plastic textile...
67. ...PVC sheet...
66. ...tracing paper...
68. ...and the final PMMA 30% translucency Design through making
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69. Getting the wooden plates for the floor
71. One of the central part being split in the Exp. Lab 22
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70. The pieces came in 250x100 cm and 150x150cm
72. The central part needed two different sensing areas
73. The MDF (18mm) distributed the weight on the sensors The MDF (18mm) distributed the weight on the sensors
75. The wood is kept in place with the screws of the floor
74. The floor opened to insert electric outlets
76. Holes have been made for the extension chords Design through making
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77. Prototyping the fitting for the extension chords
79. One above, one underneath the metal floor 24
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78. 3D Prinitng the fittings with a Replicator 2
80. The final version has been laser cut for stiffness
81. Preparing the rubber to protect sensors
83. On each sensor a wooden cap distributes the weight
82. Double sided tape layer
84. The sixty-four sensors ready to be sticked and wired Design through making
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85. The sensors were soldered directly on the floor
87. Wires were measured, then soldered on a PCB... 26
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86. Indeed
88. ...then back on the floor to be soldered to the sensors
89. Wires holder helped out in keep a bit of order
91. Of course massive amount of cable coming out...
90. From above they look almost like branches
92. ...and climbing up to the Phidget boards Design through making
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93. The main power outlets on the top of the installation
95. The final light diffuser in PMMA 28
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94. At 4 meters fixing the extension chords
96. Phidget boards controlling the movement of the blinds
97. Testing the reflectors, it also keeps Hues' in position
99. The dividers in position avoid the light to mix
98. Carton plume's space divider to isolate each unit
100. Wooden "shelves" with spare material from the floor Design through making
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101. Interface's guys installing the carpet. Sticker first...
103. Each tile can be lifted up and repositioned 30
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102. Carpet tiles are positioned on the sticky surface
104. Me and the ladder again, so many happy moments!
105. Connecting the curtains
107. The installation from above, dividers and electronics
106. 10 meters Usb cables to connect top with the pc
108. Connectors for Phidget boards Design through making
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109. Checking the connection of lights and floor
111. Trying the effect of the light diffuser and dividers 32
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110. Inside the space controlling Hues'
112. The installation almost ready for testing
113. The final design of the reflectors, ...
115. Testing the behaviour of the whole space
114. ...they keep in place the bulbs and reflect downwards
116. Adam in the space Design through making
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117. An overview of the space with the darkness
118. From another perspective
119. ...and during the day
120. From another perspective
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121. Preparing the case for the speakers
123. View from the bottom...
122. Four speakers have been implemented in the space
124. ...and mounted on the frame Design through making
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125. A small cabinet has been built for housing pc and items
126. It looks more clean and neat
127. Adjustable chairs and bright objects added to the space
128. Bright objects outside the Exp. Lab to show vacancies
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129. A view from outside
131. Curtains defining the space
130. The color effect on the ceiling
132. Curtains opening up Design through making
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Building
schemes To clarify the different elements which compose the final prototype, three exploded illustrations will be presented in the next pages.
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What is needed for quick and dirty prototyping This out
short the
conclusion practical
points
issues
we
encountered during the building of the prototypes. It mainly addresses Philips Design that will receive some advices on how to improve the prototyping “in house�.
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Tools and Space:
department effort to buy the basic tools
What Philips Design is currently offering is
which are a bit more expensive but enable
an electronics workshop which is provided
to work properly and with precision.
with some materials for small interactive
Inspiration can be taken by any University’s
prototypes:
workshop:
sensors,
Arduino’s,
wires,
laser cutter, column drill,
soldering stations ecc.
circular saw, sanding machine and so on.
A 3D printer has been introduced lately
These machines are not very complicated
and, since then, it is always printing out
to use (young students all over the world
new models and mock-ups, meaning that
use them), they do not require many
people within the building are actually using
maintenance and would fasten and ease
it quite a lot.
the process a lot. have
A bigger/different space is needed as well.
been bought such as the already cited
The workshop is located aside of an open
3D printer, a jigsaw, knives, wrenches,
space (atelier) in which a lot of people
Dremels. Of course these tools have been
are working. Prototyping is often noisy/
good enough for our project, but they
messy. Another space therefore is needed
are the cheap and fast solution, they can
to place noisy machinery and store some
be put on single project’s budget, but are
extra materials: the basement of the
also not professional tools and hence less
building might be a smart solution to take
accurate. “Quick & Dirty” risk to become
in consideration.
also “Sloppy & Slow” without proper tools.
The Experience lab for how it is organized
What I think is needed (if they want to
right now, offers the possibility of finalizing
keep on prototyping at this scale) is a
the prototypes and showcase them, but
During
the
project,
few
tools
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is probably not the best place to actually
traceable, if someone takes it out of the
build in. It is meant to be a space where to
workshop it has to be written or indicated
temporary exhibit prototypes and, because
somewhere. I have been working in the
of that, it is difficult to imagine it as a fixed
space for a while now and it happened
working space. Each prototypes has to be
quite often that someone walked in, took
tested, each test needs specific conditions,
a screwdriver, wrench
the control over the outer environment
away and did not bring it back. Kind of
has to be improved and the insolation
annoying.
between the three different areas has to
An
be improved.
be a simple idea to patch this problem:
or tongs, walked
“Out of workshop” board might
whoever
takes
a
tool
outside
the
Inventory:
workshop have to write it down or leave a
It is necessary to have an inventory of
symbol, a magnet, a key chain, whatever on
everything enters and exits the workshop.
the board with the name to show that he/
Keep track on what you have in house and
she got it and will bring it back.
what you need to buy is the first “must”
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in a shared workshop such as the one in
Transportation and payments:
Philips Design.
In order to prototype quickly is needed a
It may sound annoying for people that
way to get rough materials quickly. Having
uses the workshop rarely but it is ideal
the chance to get a electric output or a
for people that use it every day to avoid
bunch of wood almost immediately can
missing items or lack of rough material.
sometimes be very important to save time
Every tool needs to be labeled and
and energies.
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Considering the DIY stores as main source
be able to make a more conscious choice.
of supplies, they are located quite badly on
Each decision taken build a certain amount
the territory, taking in account the position
of knowledge that, if well preserved, might
of the HTC. This is enhanced by the lack of
be the starting point for others coming
a vehicle to book or to rent which could at
afterwards. This can be made in several
least facilitate and speed up the process of
ways for example with a material library to
purchasing.
scan through in search of solutions.
During the project the main shopping has
Philips Design and specifically the Ambient
been done with the bicycle, but one can
Experience department has a wall on
imagine that the capacity of load and its
which is displayed a collection of materials,
speed do not make it the best vehicle for
it can be consulted but it is not either
transporting material.
organized and very extensive.
In addition, paying with a corporate’s
Again,
American
is
can be taken from Universities’ material
apparently not an option. The need of
libraries such as Politeca in Politecnico
getting quick materials requires also the
of Milan, but also the new material
possibility to have a flexible method
collection at TUDelft, which shows both
of payment, handy and manageable by
materials and cases of study. Interesting
anyone, from the manager to the intern/
might also be a free subscription to
student.
internationally renowned material libraries
Express
in
local
shop
inspiration
from
improvement
like Materialconexion or material.nl. This Building knowledge: Taking fast decision requires to scan what are the most interesting options to then
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organizations even offer the service to send over many kinds of kits
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Special thanks to our project partners:
GRIP
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Design through making
This document complements my Master Thesis report: " Take your time: combine nature and technology to relieve work related stress in the office environment" which represents the final step of my MsC in Design for Interaction at Delft University of Technology. Federico Trevia Eindhoven, September 2013
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Š2013 Koninklijke Philips N.V. All rights reserved. For internal use only.