George Rowe
EXPERIENCE DESIGN PORTFOLIO EXPERIENCE DESIGN PORTFOLIO EXPERIENCE DESIGN PORTFOLIO
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Hithere. there. Hi nameisisGeorge George Rowe. Rowe. MyMy name I am an Industrial Design I am an Industrial Design and Technology Student at and Technology University. Student at Loughborough Loughborough University. I am currently in my second year of study and amsecond looking I am currently in my forof anstudy academic year andplacement am looking September 2020. forstarting an academic placement
starting September 2020.
ONTENT
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Planna
Egress
VÄ“na
V8 Toaster
PURA
About Me
PLANNA PLANNA PLANNA
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personal project 2 weeks
Never miss out on seeing the ones you love again. A personal project with UX/UI at its core. a service to share schedules with select parties, to ensure you never lose touch with the people you hold dear.
Sammy Adenuga
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User Persona Age: 23 Location: Greater Manchester Occupation: On a post-grad course in accounting Bio: Recently graduated from Leeds University Hobbies: Making music, seeing friends, cooking Pain Points: Commuting into work, losing touch with best friends “I want to see more of my friends, but we all have such busy schedules which makes organising anything near impossible!”
Research
20-24
year olds spend the most time time socialising of any age group
“People need to interact at least once a week for the inner core of five intimates and at least once a month for the next layer of 15 best friends” R.I.M. Dunbar, PhD,
40%
of our attention
gets spent on our
5 INTIMATES
The two most common causes of loss of contact between friends are
moving areas
& 60%
The majority of the remaining goes to our next
drifting apart
15 BEST FRIENDS
Affinity Diagram I next made an affinity diagram to help organise some of this data and come up with functions/ USP’s for Planna. Using this, I came up with 5 key aspects to my app. See when people are available, people to see when you’re available, settings options, personal calendar and personal privacy.
Empathy Mapping I used empathy mapping to get into the mindset of Sammy, to better understand his thoughts, feelings, what he’s doing and saying. This is done with the intention of identifying pain points to help direct the design. Some pain points found include: confusion about dates, trying to find free times for friend-groups and losing touch with friends.
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Wireframing Considering the headings from the Affinity Diagram, I moved onto prototying the application on paper. This visually displayed the pages of the app, allowing me to understand the navigation between them.
User Testing After prototyping the app using Adobe XD, I showed it to a one of my peers for user analysis and critical feedback. At first I designed it with an endless vertical scrolling function, to navigate through months; however I soon realised that a side-swiping function would be more agile, and would give the user more control month-to-month.
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Desktop Application Prototyped using Sketch, Designed using IBM’s Carbon Design Language.
10 Planna Apple Watch App The perfect companion for the 21st Century Socialite, or Commuter, or Urban Explorer, or Busy-Bee, or...
EGRESS EGRESS EGRESS
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The smart baby gate for smart parents.
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started as group project, developed as a personal project, 3 weeks
An electronics project aiming to modernise the traditional baby-gate system and improve safety and mobility around the house.
User Persona
Information : Age: 26 Occupation: Part-Time Journalist, Full-Time Mother Location: Beckenham, London Bio: Had her first child 2 years ago, Works from home, Recently moved from Sheffield
Kate Robinson “I want to be able to move freely around my home, whilst maintaining a safe evironment for my child to explore the space.”
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: Attitude Kate is a liberal woman who wants her child to have as much freedom as possible, and exlore their environment in a safe way.
: Pain Points Relationships : ·Husband: Corporate Lawyer, works in the Central Business District; often works late and on business trips ·Father: suffers from Dementia and lives on his own ·Mother: died when she was young,was raised by her father ·This means that Kate doesn’t have a solid support system, or close people to rely on
Lack of Freedom and Mobility around the home The Distraction of Ensuring her Child’s Whereabouts Complicated and Unappealing Baby Gates Lack of Immediate Suport System
Initial Sketches
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Solution Egress is an automated babygate system, which enables you to move freely around your home without the hassle of stair-gates. Egress can remain in Automatic Mode; dictated by the distance between the stairgate and transmitter on the infant, in the form of a soft scrunchie.
Transmitter in scrunchie placed on infants wrist sends signals to Egress device.
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When the two are in close proximity, Egress stairgate rises, creating a clear but safe boundary. When signals distance, Egress lowers to rest position.
fully extended gate
In Manual, it be overridden by the use of the Mobile App.
fabric baby-guard retractable door
smooth curves to reduce trip hazard
proximity sensor
safe baby & free-flowing home
Prototyping
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Low-Fidelity, Functional Model Primary Power Source Arduino Board
DC Motor 3D Printed Motor Housing/Mechanism Laser Cut Mechanism
Proximity Sensor Secondary Power Source
We made this low-fidelity prototype to demonstrate how the ‘X’-shape mechanism would work. It also allowed us to test our gear and rack-and-pinion system.
Egress model in lowered and raised positions.
The prototype showed that our gear-ratio arrangement was efficient in increasing the mechanical advantage, leading to a higher power output from the motor.
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Affinity Diagramming Post testing user scenarios and the wireframed-app prototype, I used an Affinity Diagram to categorise the collected data.
The affinity diagram highlighted the number of privacy settings that the app must feature to ensure consumer trust and safety.
This helped me to visualise trends and establish a direction to go toward.
It also confirmed that the app could be simplified to 3 destinations in the tab-bar to be as intuitive as possible.
User Testing After prototyping the app on XD, I tested it out with peers. This gave me insights into what to be tweaked for development. One thing that needed improvement was the layout of the settings page. All the banners were stacked continuously making it overwhelming and confusing. I fixed this by grouping related functions by subheadings.
Egress [ee-gress] ¡ noun
the action of going out of or leaving a place
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The Egress app is to accompany the stairgate’s automatic function. It allows the user to override the proximity detector mode to directly control the smart gate. I designed the app using techniques including wireframing and user-scenario testing, and prototyped it with Adobe XD.
VĒNA VĒNA VĒNA
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solo project, 3 weeks
Coffee machine for those with a vunerable heart. A home coffee machine which monitors and tailors caffeine content to keep the consumer’s heart safe, designed as part of a ‘Digital Touch” brief.
20 Corrina Bjerk 31
Age: Location: Job:
Corporate Account Manager
Salary: Relationsip Status:
User Persona
Helsinki, Finland 33,000 € N/A
Bio Corrina is a career driven young professional from rural Finland, who moved to Helsinki to complete her undergraduate studies. She is now a corporate account manager for the Helsinki Art Museum. She loves her job, but struggles leaving it, often working late and bringing it home. Despite her pastoral family heritage, Corrina is an indoors-person who would rather stay inside with a book, a coffee and her pet cat, than go on a hike. She owns her own flat in the city centre. It is her pride and joy; she intricately designed the interior by herself. Corrina was recently diagnosed with Heart Disease, with symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation . This means she suffers from short bursts of rapid, uncoordinated, contractions of the atria, leaving her weak and in pain. She must be careful of her caffiene consumption levels as it could lead to a stroke.
Motivations Corrina wants to excel in her career, to eventually become the Accounts Manager to the Saatchi Gallery in London. To accomplish this, she must put in the work. Continuing to put in late shifts, long hours and show more commitment than her peers. She wants to keep improving the modern and stylish interior design of her flat.
Pain Points She used to rely heavily on caffiene to keep focused during late shifts, but now she cannot exceed 200mg per day (2 cups of coffee). Corrina loves decaffinated espresso from cafe’s, but doesn’t like the taste of the decaf-instant coffee she can get from her local shops. To monitor her heart, her cardiologist recommended she buys an Apple Watch as they have an ECG function, however they cost upwards of 450€ and she has no use for all the other features.
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Brand Analysis These pieces of literature are found on the company website under ‘Brand Fundamentals’. When designing a product for an existing company, I find it crucial to analyse not only their design language, but their ethos and message.
Our Body: De’Longhi quality is: Usability We make products that are renowned for their performance, reliability and are a joy to use.
Company Values: • Intuition An intelligent approach to product innovation and commerce inspired by insights from households around the world, the De’Longhi family’s entrepreneurship and commitment to new ideas. • Strength (of character) The brand provides assurance, clarity and integrity and is committed to improving the comfort and quality of daily life. • Intalianity
De’Longhi innovation is: Special We are committed to consistently providing “something special” in our products, technologies and approach to markets.
Manufacturing domestic appliances since 1974 (with origins at the begining of the century), De’Longhi is an Italian family public company operating with a unique combination of entrepreneurial energy and understated style.
De’Longhi design is: Distinctive We design functional products with elegant lines and innovative colour combinations, finishes and materials, adapting to different cultures and household needs worldwide
· Manufacturing heritage We are born “to do” and are passionate about innovating and making high quality home appliances.
User Experience The ‘Digital Touch’ brief required us to create an innovative user experience, to get us to avoid the standard buttonstyle interaction found on most devices. Vēna has a completely buttonless UX, operated seamlessly within the two devices which comprise the system. The ECG sensor in the smart mug, the position sensor in the handle and the pressure plate beside the drip tray.
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Storyboard 1. Corrina is working late at home to try and chase a promotion. 2. She is starting to get tired and is in need of a boost. 3. Corrina reaches into the cupboard for her De’Longhi Vēna smart mug. 4. As she carries it to the Vēna machine, the handle performs an electrocardiogram test on her thumb, measuring the electrical activity in her heart. It sends this information to the machine. 5. The machine interprets this data, and examines how much caffiene she has had earlier in the day, It then calculates how much caffiene is safe for her to consume now. Corrina places the smart mug into the machine, with the handle facing in the direction of the style of coffee she wants. The sensor underneath detects the position of the handle, and starts grinding a unique ratio of caffeinateddecaffeinated beans for her personalised coffee. 6. As she sips her Latte, Corrina wakes back up, becoming energised and focused enough to finish her work for the night. 7. Corrina is able to enjoy her beverage in the knowledge that her Vēna smart mug continues to monitor her heart, ensuring she stays safe, and giving haptic feedback if her BPM exceeds a healthy limit or starts beating arrhythmically.
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vēna love coffee. safe heart.
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De’Longhi Vēna
Digital Touch
The De’Longhi Vēna is a home coffee system, consisting of the machine and smart mug. The goal of Vēna is to bring the joy of home espresso to the vunerable consumer.
The Vēna smart mug is fitted with an ECG sensor at the top of the handle. This monitors the electrical activity inside the user’s heart and sends the data to the machine. Using this, plus the accumulation of the caffeine consumed prior in the day, Vēna is able to grind a tailored ratio of caffeinated : decaffeinated coffee beans for the espresso.
Whilst caffeine is largely a harmless stimulant drank daily by over 2.2 billion people, it can pose a risk to people with pre-existing heart problems and those who are pregnant. For those vunerable, the NHS recommends a caffeine consumption of less than 200mg per day (roughly two medium coffees). Vēna is designed to help keep track of these figures, and tailor your coffee needs around them, preventing you from exceeding safe amounts.
The machine is started by placing the smart mug on the pressure sensitive plate, beside the drip tray. The type of coffee is selected by rotating the handle to point with the corresponding markings underneath. Due to the ergonomic placement of the ECG sensor, the smart mug should be able to continue monitoring the user’s heart, and is able to give haptic feedback, should their heart show irregular activity.
V8 TOASTER V8 TOASTER V8 TOASTER
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A new approach to the most important meal of the day. A project centred around re-designing the everyday toaster at its core; into a unique, conceptual product.
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solo project, 8 weeks,
Task Analysis
26 By undertaking a task analysis, I can better understand the user’s journey when making toast; from decision to actions. Each post-it note is a part of the process which could potentially taint the entire experience, however they are also an oppertunity to improve it.
Key: Goals - choices or activity boundries Physical Activities - what do I need to do to complete the activity boundries Skills and Knowledge what do I need to know to complete the activity
To gain further understanding of the market, I analysed and disassembled an existing toaster available on the market. This informed me on a large number of potential improvements for my design.
Form Analysis
Ideation
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Exploded CAD Diagram
Lid
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Upper Element Toast
Spring-Loaded lid pushes down to turn on; released when eject button is pressed
Wire Rack Lower Element Browning Dial LCD Display
Main Body
Eject Button
Internal Electronics
LCD Screen displaying current colour of toast, to eradicate burnt toast forever. Utilises Pantone CAPSURE Spectrocolourimeter technology inside Tactile Dial controls the amount of toasting distributed. Rotate clockwise for timer and anticlockwise for personalalised preset settings Pentagonal base lofted into a hexagonal top, organically creating a functional front face
Outer Shell
Storyboard
User place slices evenly on wire rack and rotate dial to desired settings
User pushes lid down until latch clicks and toasting begins.
When timer goes off or screen shows desired toasting colour, user presses eject button to release the lid up
Carefully, user removes toast from grill, resets dial to vertical and pushes the lid down again
User finishes toast with condiments and enjoys as part of a balanced diet
Project V8
start your day with some oomph
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Toasting Indicator Inside, there is a Pantone CAPSURE Spectrocolorimeter directed at the bread, which detects its exact colour and displays it on the LCD screen. This allows the user to fix the perfect breakfast, Every. Single. Day.
Product Longevity
Evocative Design
Sustainability is something which I believe must be prioritised by designers, as we carry the responsilibilty for change.
Reduced Parts
The length of life a product will have depends on a number of features; these must be considered in the design process.
·By designing the toaster to evoke an emotional attachment from the user, it will inevitably last longer ·This is achieved by the striking form and the idiosyncratic controls, creating a unique User-Experience ·Reducing the number of moving parts in a product reduces likelihood of the product going wrong and thus being thrown away ·This toaster has significantly fewer parts than the existing product I analysed, suggesting it should have a much greater lifespan
Modern Design
·One reason why people get rid of existing appliences is that they become outdated ·My toaster adheres to minimalist and sleek design trends which are very popular in kitchens, and are expected to maintain in vogue for the forseeable future
Easy Access
·The internal electronics have been designed for easy access from inside the cavity ·The tool-less entry capabilities of these componants reduces hassle to fix the toaster, meaning if something goes wrong, it’s more likely to get fixed than thrown
PURA PURA PURA
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Monitoring microplastic pollution to keep your family safe. A microplastic contamination detector as part of an Internet of Things brief.
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solo project, 6 weeks
32 Problem Microplastic particles are a category of contaminating plastic particulates <5mm in length; the majority being invisible to the human eye. Contamination by microplastics are found in 72% of UK tap water, and have been described as ‘Ubiquitous’ by the World Health Organisation. Pollutions levels are even higher in other countries. There is currently no known risk to human life, however the WHO have said that their knowledge on the subject is ‘limited’ and that ‘much more research is needed’.
Solution The brief was to design a consumer device to measure the quantity of microplastic particles in drinking water sources. The device is to connect to the Internet of Things and upload the information to a database. This will allow water companies to monitor the levels of contamination across UK drinking water, and target the areas with highest levels concentrations.
USA
India
Equador
UK
4.8 Fibres per 500ml
4.0 Fibres per 500ml
2.2 Fibres per 500ml
1.9 Fibres per 500ml
Branding After some deliberation, I decided to call the product PURA as it’s punchy and stylistic. It suits the device’s theme of water/contamination whilst evoking a positive sense of the end goal. I designed the logo in Illustrator, with a base of Poppins font. I then rounded the top left corners to make it feel more fluid and water-like. I then added a water droplet to the front to help send a clear message of PURA’s function.
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User Interface Development
34 Feeback from IoT: · The data collated by the water companies about the microplastic pollution is not to be displayed on the product screen · Feedback comes back to application on phone, to allow user to interact with data/map etc.
Alternative UIs:
Info Required on Display: · Microplastic percentage · Scale to visualise content with infographic · Battery level · Wifi signal · Graphic/imagery
Scale used as an indicator to give an easily intepretable, visual indication of the contamination. It compares your microplastic content with the national average.
Dark mode: • Will stand out against white body • Colours pop-out more • Font may need to be bolder
Light mode: • May blend into white body • Water droplet needed outerline to stand out • Looks cleaner
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Storyboard 1. Abi goes to pour a glass of water for her thirsty child
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4.
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2. She gets out her PURA device and points it at the recepticle 3. Abi half-squeezes the trigger to prime PURA, then squeezes it fully until the device beeps 4. After scanning, the device sends the data to the IoT for analysis
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5. The percentage of microplastic pollution is calculated and displayed on the device screen 6. Abi can view the nationwide statistics of microplastic pollution via the PURA mobile app 7. This data can be used by water companies to tackle the pollution levels in the highest concentrated areas
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MONITORING MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE
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Contact me!
Who am I? I am a creative and inquisitive student in the second year of my Industrial Design and Technology B(A) degree at Loughborough Design School. I thrive in team environments and am looking forward to spending a year in industry!
g.rowe-18@student.lboro.ac.uk /georgerowe-99 @overturecreative
Wider Interests: · I play Inline Hockey for Team GB and have Captained my club to the European Finals · I have a passion for film photography and am working towards self-publishing a magazine with my housemate · I am teaching myself graphic design and have made album artwork which can be found on Spotify
Thank you for your consideration. Have a great day.
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