2011 Portfolio

Gareth Roberts Industrial Designer / Mechanical Engineer www.gareth-roberts.com

Gareth I Roberts

ph: (901) 233-8845 gareth@gareth-roberts.com www.gareth-roberts.com

Profile: Industrial Designer and Mechanical Engineer, with a background in Product

Design, 3D Modeling, User Experience Design, Information Architecture, and Eye Tracking.

D.O.B: 12 December 1981 Nationality: Australian

Residency: United States of America Permanent Resident since July, 2006 (Green Card)

Qualifications: Master of Industrial Design

The University of the Arts, Philadelphia. 2010

Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering / Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) Monash University, Melbourne Australia, 2006

industrial designer Gareth I Roberts What is Industrial Design? Traditionally, it has been the development of ‘products’, namely consumer items, that feed the consumer markets of the world. For decades, designers have striven to design the next ‘must have’ item, and have rarely looked beyond the confines of the consumer market. However, as the western stronghold on design and industrial production begins to fade, we are presented with an exciting opportunity to begin a new dialog of design and evolve as a discipline .

To see more of my work, visit my website: www.gareth-roberts.com

Design has always centered around people and human interaction, and is inherently a creative process.

By looking beyond the ‘product’, Industrial design can begin to engage a variety of social, spatial, technological, and environmental problems, and bring a vibrant new perspective to the many issues facing the world today.

Industrial Design is no longer simply product design, it is a new way to engage complex problems by fostering creative dialog, in a collaborative setting, through research, concept prototyping and development.

2010 UArts MID Thesis Project

Distance Knowledge Transfer Distance Education is not a new concept, in fact it has been around in various forms dating back to the late 1770’s when Caleb Phillips was credited with developing the first correspondence educational course. However, despite amazing developments in technology that now support distance learning through digital means and that have the potential to far surpass the potentials of the current education paradigm, distance education has stagnated and is now seen as an inferior substitute for traditional studies.

My thesis investigation explored how design could help reevaluate distance education, and how digital tools could be developed to enhance the critical knowledge transfer process. This investigation lead the definition of a new period of distance education known as Adaptive, Digitally Enhanced Education (ADEE), and to the conclusion that eye tracking can be harnessed as a powerful tool that can not only help address the significant lack in feedback between stakeholders, but also help assess the learning style of a user, and thus begin to tailor information directly to their needs.

With the rapid adoption of smart devices that feature user-facing webcams, simple camerabased eye tracking is now possible without the need for additional hardware.

2010 UArts MID Thesis Project

PULSE Concept One of the major issues facing distance education today is the lack of feedback between stakeholders. While the traditional classroom setting allows the instructor to pick up on tacit feedback about student cognition of concepts such as body language and attention, distance education stakeholders rely on the submission and grading of assignments and tests to gauge student progress. Due to the time delay in this paradigm, gaps in knowledge transfer are often impossible to address/ The PULSE concept aims to address this lack in feedback by utilizing eye tracking to monitor the knowledge transfer process. Eye metrics such as saccadic movements of the eye, fixation periods and regressions give great insight into the efficiency of knowledge transfer, and thus can be captured and analyzed to gauge a students performance. this information can in turn be presented back to the instructor and the student to ensure gaps in knowledge can be addressed in real-time.

Cloud tag concept. Larger words represent concepts of greater importance, and greater opacity indicates a need for further study

PULSE GRAD 701 - MID Studio 1

Changing the nature of the task

Cognitive Load

PULSE

X

Affordances

Gibson Affordances

Cognitive Artifacts

PULSE Concept

Affordances

Affordances 101

Gibson Affordances Norman Affordances

Scaffolding

Theory of Affordances

Weak HOME

CORRIDOR

The ‘pulse’ gives the student immediate feedback about their relative comprehension of the concept in comparison to the expected level.

urban guide to philadelphia

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE COFFEE MAP We all enjoy a nice cup of coffee every now and again, and flock to local cafe’s to socialize with friends on a regular basis. But, do we ever stop to think about what our coffee habits are supporting while we are sipping our hot latte?

As we found, there is a lot more to this subject. Moreover, there is great confusion about the subject as a whole, what is “Fair Trade”, and what does it mean? To answer some of these questions and support more socially responsible coffee-drinking, a colleague and I created an urban guide of down-town Philadelphia, highlighting all of the coffee houses to allow the user to make an educated decision when the coffee-bug hits.

coffee producing countries

minor

the farmer

gross domestic product (billion $US)

major

50-100

100-200

200-500 500-1000 1000-2000 2000+

coffee consumption (kg/capita/year)

0-1

2-4

5-7

8-10

10+

the coffee world economy map the money

us

the barista gets 9.5 cents

the business gets 137 cents profit

the farmer gets non-fair trade 0.6 cents fair trade 1.26 cents

is this fair?

fair trade coffee is better than non-fair trade, but it’s not perfect......

how ‘fair’ is fair-trade?

the consumer pays 177 cents

18 19 20 21 22 23

20 19

South

did you know only 2.2% of all coffee consumed in the USA is fair trade?

Bainbridge 5th

6th

7th

21

8th

17

22

23

9th

16 1

Lombard

10th

15

Pine

11th

14

1

3

12th

13

Spruce

13th

12

Joe Coffee Shop $1.50 Cosi $1.69 Cafe Loftus $1.75 Starbucks $1.77 Dunkin Donuts $1.29 10th St Pour House $1.35 Cafe Mocha $1.70 Bonte $1.70 Chapterhouse $1.50 The Bean Cafe $1.75 Bean Exchange $1.60 La.Va $2.00 Ants Pants Cafe $1.85

Locust

16

Broad St

11

Walnut

17

Spruce St Expresso $1.75

15th

10

18

11 6

16th

regular coffee guide

8 9

Chesnut 7

17th

7

Market

City Hall

18th

6

19th

5

20th

4

21st

3

De Jour $1.50 La Citadelle $1.50 Last Drop $1.65 Starbucks $1.77 Brew HaHa $1.85 Starbucks $1.77 ING Direct $1.00 Naked Chocolate $1.65

22nd

2

Starbucks $1.77

23rd

1

Fairtrade

15

speedy

14

18

5 23

Un-Fairtrade

loud

7

1

Wireless

4

12

9

8

20

22

2 16 1

13

6

11

19 17

10

21 3

quiet

ZZZ

The Philadelphia Socially Responsible Coffee Map was created with a two-fold mission; firstly to allow the user to find a coffee shop in the down-town area, but more importantly to allow them to make an educated decision about what they are supporting with their buying habits.

Want to know more? Use the QR code to see the online Philadelphia Socially Responsible Coffee Map

comfortable

university of the arts MID

PROJECT: AMUNEAL Beginning in the Fall of 2008, a group of five University of the Arts Master of Industrial Design (MID) students, myself included, began a collaboration with an industry partner, Amuneal Manufacturing.

You could be forgiven in thinking that this collaboration involved the design of some new product, but in reality it involved the use of Industrial Design theories and practices to investigate and ‘re-design’ the company itself.

Beginning with the Customer Delivery Teams (CDT’s), we observed the environment, and then began interviewing the employees. This bottom-up approach afforded us the opportunity to uncover the roots of issues that the company was experiencing directly from the source, and gave the staff an opportunity to contribute to the process directly.

This people-centered approach is the key, as we are designing solutions with the people, for the people.

Observe Roles

Observe Organization

Observe Workspace

Observe Observe Group Dynamics Resources

Observe People

Observe Practices

Observe Production

Observe Workflow

university of the arts MID

PROJECT: AMUNEAL ROLE CARDS How can design be used to help improve group dynamics? This was one of the biggest challenges facing our design team with the Amuneal project. After a thorough human-centered research phase, we found that the group dynamics in the business meetings severely hindered collaboration, and thus we strove to address the issue with a simple design intervention.

The result of this investigation was the development of a set of role-playing cards that gave each meeting participant a limited, but vital role to play within the meeting.

By developing these artifacts, we hoped to improve the group dynamics by encouraging participation, removing the ability for strong personalities to dominate the conversation, and by removing the mental stigma involved with speaking out about issues. Each card was developed building from thorough research into cognitive science and group psychology.

Result

Method

Card

Impetus

devil’s advocate

only one side of the argument being presented

user presents the other side of the argument to spawn further dialog

Concept is better articulated, and invesitgated from all vantage points

white elephant

the group is avoiding an obvious issue in need of consideration

user identifies the avoided issue without fear of consequence

All issues are considered when forming the concept

five why’s

Concepts presented are seemingly superficial and lack detail

user asks the presenter to clarify the concept by asking ‘why?’ 5

Concepts are fully thought through

simplifyer

Complex concepts are presented that are somewhat ambiguous

user responds by voicing their interpretation of the concept

Presenter can confirm whether the concept is understood, of correct misinterpretations

documenter

Information is lost from previous meetings, and there is no reference of decisions made

user is responsible for documenting all important issues and decisions for future reference

Information from previous meetings is available for review

navigator

Meetings are often poorly structured, or do not run to schedule

user is charged with the responsibility of keeping the meeting on topic, and on time

Meetings run to schedule, reducing time wasted.

Non-Participating team member is asked politely to return to the conversation

All opinions and perspectives are considered when making key decisions

Team member is awarded the ‘gold star’ to commend their hard work

team members gain pride from contributing, and feel appreciated.

Dialog Cards

you’re invited gold star

A team member is not participating, or is distracting the dialog

A team member is seen to be doing a very good job

why x 5

N

E

W

S

You’re invited!

Facilitation Cards

Participation Cards

2009 UArts ID Charrette

Dirty Piggy With the world facing the swine-flu pandemic, UArts used it’s annual 3-day design charrette to challenge students to come up with innovative solutions to stop the spread of germs. With this in mind, my team of undergrad and graduate students tackled the task of helping to educate children about how germs are passed on, and convince them to be mindful about their habits that contribute to this spread of infection.

To achieve this, we developed a novel soap to encourage children to build good hygiene habits. Embedded in the soap is a tattoo of different germs and cells, each containing a code allowing the children to collect and explore each germ and virus in a virtual environment.

Iconic Design inspired Timepiece

Ant-Tempus Clock The Ant-Tempus Clock is a time piece playing homage to the iconic design piece, the ‘Ant Chair’ created in 1952

by Arne Jacobsen for use in the canteen of the Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk.

The piece features a hand-crafted painted plywood face with a chrome and rubber base. The triangular baseplate draws inspiration from the chairs’ 3-leg design while retaining the Ant-Tempus’s own individual identity.

southern cross packaging awards 2004 - bronze award

AUTO-CAFE The Souther-Cross Packaging Awards are hosted by the Packaging Council of Australia to recognise student achievements in design.

The Auto-Cafe was created in response to the 2004 project brief ‘Dashboard Diners’, challenging design students to create a vacuum-formed food packaging that could be used while driving a car. The concept features four individual, re-sealable sections for food items, and a clip that anchors the tray in the lap of the driver by attaching to the seat-belt.

The concept was awarded a bronze award in the 2004 Southern-Cross Packaging Awards, and was featured in issue 199 (November 2004) of Desk top: magazine

tabs allow covers to be removed without looking at the product

clip fastens lunch tray to the passenger’s lap by sliding inside lap belt

featured in issue 199 (November 2004) of Desk top: magazine, page 53

design for stroke victims

SMART-STEP ORTHOTIC Strokes are the leading cause of disabilities in adults in the USA. Following a stroke, many patients experience paralysis in one side of the body, partially or completely effecting motor function in the extremities.

Following a stroke, it is imperative to begin rehabilitation as soon as possible to increase the chance that motor function can be restored. This typically involves hours of hands-on physiotherapy, where the facilitator manually moves the limb, lets say a foot, through the typical motions of walking in the attempt to re-train the brain how to control the muscles and ligaments.

To this end, the Smart-Step Orthotic is presented as an aid to customary rehabilitation, and aims to bridge the gap between physiotherapy sessions.

Orthotic mimics the natural movement of the foot, providing active physiotherapy with every step while maintaining mobility

Electronic Pulse Unit (EPU) controls the internal tendons that operate the active orthotic

The Orthotic is custom-formed to the user

EPU stores data relating to the user input and adjusts to encourage the brain to re-learn how to walk unconsciously

In essence, it acts as an active exoskeleton, mimicking the movement of the foot, and thus reduces the noticeable limp the patient may exhibit while using a traditional foot brace. Instead of visiting the physiotherapist every two or three days, every outing becomes an active therapy session.

The orthotic is designed to be easily concealed beneath clothing, or worn in the open as medical fashion design

melbourne 2020 transportation

XT-CITY EXTENDABLE CHASSIS TRAM Melbourne, Australia has the largest light-rail network in the world. The 245 Kilometer network services the city and suburban areas, and is vital to the commuting population of the region.

The network, dating back to 1885, relies upon over-head 600V power lines, and is in desperate need of upgrading to support the expected population influx over the next decade. With this in mind, the XT-City extendable chassis tram was designed to take advantage of the current infrastructure, but also adapt to future extensions of the network through it’s duel electric / fuel-cell power-trane.

large doors provide easy access for disabled travellers

fuel-cell auxiliary power system to allow for economic expansion of tram network without the need for 700V over-head power

low floor to allow for wheelchair access

extendable chassis

Monash University 2005 End of Year Exhibition

Monash University Multi-Disciplinary Project 2005

Elfin Sports-cars In 2005, Monash University undertook a multi-disciplinary project with Elfin Sports-Cars, a small automotive manufacturer in Victoria, Australia. The project was a concept study for the re-design of their 4 cylinder kit car, the Elfin Clubman.

I was asked to join this project for both the aesthetic design and some mechanical engineering work on the re-design of the car. Shown right are the final concept sketches of the Elfin T4, and below is the widened concept of the tubular chassis.

monash university kitchen design

Kitchen Hub The kitchen isn’t just a place where food is kept, it is the hub of the home, and family life. The simple act of preparing a meal can be a bonding experience, and should be embraced in the modern kitchen. Unfortunately, modern kitchen design positions the majority of the preparation surfaces to the walls of the space, requiring the user to prepare their meal while looking at a wall, or if they are lucky, to the outside of their house.

The Kitchen Hub was designed to alter the current kitchen dynamic by bringing the food preparation activities to the center of the space. The round cutting surface rotates, allowing the users to move their prepared dish to the appropriate location, or to pass it along to the next step in the process. The circular design also promotes conversation, as users are looking towards each other, and not simply a wall.

corian surface

5 storage compartments are located underneath the preparation surface, and can be opened by pressing a knee or foot against the skin, releasing the lock.