NTUST

四工設二甲 Inspired by existing objects OOPS!

Door Handle Trun

Product

by defining a style CMF(T) , moodboard

Product Design Design Dossier for 2015-2016 Semester 1

B10310003 葉憶萱 Hillary Yap 台灣科技大學 National Taiwan university of Science & Technology

Collected from: toddler cousin

Collected from: Second hand shop

A disowned remote toy car that previously had the functions of being controlled by a controller as well as having tunes played out when moving.

A working CPU disk compartment,very old school so i was curious how the insides work.

M O V E Collected from: a toddler A spoilt toy that consist of a sound module, LED bulb and a pair of mobile legs that has the ability to propel itself forward.

M E N T

Understanding through

Fixing, Replicating & Modifying

Extracted from: Mouse toy Problem: the legs were not moving because the left side had a missing spring along with a broken gear.

Scenario: 1. Using everyday materials as replacement

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2. Took a shot to help me remember the original placement incase i screw up.

3 & 4. Done. Rubber band did a good job replacing the spring, glued down the teeth of a broken gear so that it can interlock and spin again.

5. Soldered it to a pair of batteries to test it out.

6. Sense of satisfaction upon repairing it and seeing it come back to life again.

7. The next step is to study and brain storm how this movement could translate into something else, perhaps of better value. I started simplifying the entire model with simple materials that took forms of basic geometrics.

A simple and direct replica of the existing system with a bubble wand attached.

A simple and direct replica of the existing system with a bubble wand attached.

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Close up visualization of how the wand should connect and swing.

Problem: The wand moves in a circular 360 degrees making it hard to make contact with the bubble solution. Thus a better method would be to make the model work within a 180 degrees angle frame.

Visualisation of a second prototype that swings within 180 degrees.

Planning: Making this prototype would require tested out measurements for the circular face, the power of the motor cannot be too strong else the wand would swing too fast and a good base for stability for the whole structure.

Using available materials as a quick test for measurements as well as overall outlook check.

Wand Matters The size of the ring and amount of teeth allocated around the circumference affects the outcome of this machine. According to plan, one bubble should be produced every full swing. I laser cut a few options to see which was best,in addition did a few detailings to the wand as well.

Dia. 25mm 26 teeth

Dia. 29mm 14 teeth

(winner)

Dia. 33mm 26 teeth

(runner-up)

Dia. 40mm 14 teeth

Dia. 24mm 30 teeth

Dia. 42mm 14 teeth

Can it be..

As of week 8 3rd November 2015 I was busy and too focused on coming up with a mechanism that was better then the previous. Better in terms of it producing a constant amount of bubbles, finding a motor that is available within my budget and planning the form of this new third prototype.

My goal was clear: to make a workable bubble machine.

Visualisation of a third prototype ,laser cut in acrylic , which produced a steady amount of bubbles with the help of a mini fan and a hacked step motor that spun at a slow speed.

Faultless, Steadier, Better?

So i did research on the different types of motor and found out that i can actually do some hacking to an existing step motor that does not cost a bomb. Existing slow motors are huge and bulky which comes with a heavy price tag, unworthy.

However, it was after completion of this third prototype that i realise my execution is done but, what’s next?

Why did i build a bubble machine that produces bubbles and that’s it?

I started questioning and reflecting my concept of introducing bubbles (which was purely arbituary). My new challenge was to give this entire project a value.

Perhaps i could dwell into the different kinds of formation of bubbles? Then, is the key the instrument that produces them?

Or cani focus on coming up with a set of tools that practices different techniques to form cool bubbles?

I was motivated and confused.

HACKING A STEPPER MOTOR A stepper motor is a brushless DC electric motor that divides a full rotation into a number of equal steps. The motor’s position can then be commanded to move and hold at one of these steps without any feedback sensor (an open-loop controller).

Aim: Dislodge the stopper and circuit board to make it spin 360 degrees without any obstruction.

Carefully open the module while holding it down tightly (It will pop and spill out so tape it down if needed.)

Next steps will be seperated into 2 parts: a. Unsolder the circuit board. b. Extract the rotating gear and sand off the protruding part. (workshop) Unsolder the circuit boards because it wont be needed anymore, later on replace with normal connecting wires to connect them to batteries.

The tiny board can be kept and resoldered onto for future purposes or just use it on other stuffs.

solder the remaining wire that previously connected the ic board as an “extension” to connect to your batteries.

Take note of the (+) and (-) else it won’t move.

Done.

3rd edition of bubble machine is done.

I used mainly acrylic because it would be cool to see how a neon solution or whatever alien like solution show through and then turn into bubbles.

All consideration were very visual based.I liked this machine to be a little mechanical/scientific looking.

Prior to completion, i was testing the fan size, height allocation and wand size for the new measurements

Bubbles are a significance of Freedom and kids love to pop them. It was such an intriguing sport to them that they spent hours just doing the same thing. Blowing, Chasing, Hitting, Waving , Popping. Interesting.

A cheap thrill for them.

As of week 9 11th November 2015 The mechanism is done, but the conceptualisation of the entire project is still very clouded in a sense that the concept is not solid enough to have a value.

This is because of a chaotic start which leads to a confused process so i’ve decided to take things into 3 paths.

A. Take a step back B. Looking forward C. Look into Bubbles (In depth Study) Planning my paths gives me a clearer situation of where i am right now, on the way i realised i forgot to take things deeper as well thus making things look/feel unmeaningful.Thus i incorporated real life behavioural studies to convince and take as a living proof while gaining exploratory insights!

Trying to catch a bubble on his wand after blowing it out.

This action of “capturing”, “retaining” translate the moment of him trying to return/ stop a bubble’s moment.

Inspiring.

Kiddo using his entire body to weave off those harmless bubbles having lots of fun with himself at the same time and it was fascinating to watch.

Differnet kids have different personalities.

This girl enjoyed bubbles differently, she was spinning the entire wand all around and about, so bubbles were around her.

Like some disney moment.Perhaps she was looking for a magical moment through bubbles surrounding her.

Through this session of outdoor observation, which was thoroughly impromptu, i collated insights of how others mainly (kids) would interact with bubbles.

Huge bodily actions just to wipe out an influx of bubbles, simple gestures like trying to hold on to a bubble that was just produced and spinning with a bubble wand was the most interesting of all.

Perhaps it is through motion and interaction that i can instill value into the concept of bubbles and movement. which, lead me to the idea of coming up with a set of tools that drives you to do a set of motions making bubbles a precious gift to convey the underlying meaning of cherishing the moment upon receiving.

Drawing inspiration from nature, i visualize the wands to look like plants and to mimic their way of dispersal. And then testing out as proof of concepts through filming it down. However the outcome was still lacking.

Lacking in areas of control, material substitute and others.

It was said that im perhaps still missing a point. Time is running out and so is my patience.

Reverting back.

I do not like to not know It was tough to not think of an outcome first and then go onto realising the idea. An experimental project works by going through trial and errors before sparking a result.

I guess i was too impatient under the stress of time.

I was all over the place trying to define a solution and a visual outcome that would mesmerize my audience. I thought this project should be aesthetically driven because that is what bubbles do. They captivate others when presented beautifully.

Thus perhaps the project had gone way too complicated. I’ve decided to take a step back and think of way to present bubbles through a simple story. Like how Nendo usually does.

In short, for the whole semester, i’ve been trying to create extravaganva ways to produce bubbles which is going no where.

It is until i figured out this simple diagram drawing then i had a moment of epiphany.

All these while i’ve been dwelling in concepts like trying to prolong a bubble, or making bubbles in a bubble. Even the last experiment where i try to create lots of bubbles with a circular wand. What struck me was what if the presence of bubble could stay even when we couldnt see it anymore, because that is the nature of bubbles, they burst easily. Thus i introduced the concept of delivering scents in the form of using bubbles as the vessel.

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OOOPS! is the outcome of combing scents with bubble solution. The name came from the bizarre process of a series of experimentations that was heading no where. Available in 3 scents Rose, Grass and Ocean in Pink Green and Blue respectively. Allow the vessel to sit in an open space or draw out the wand to blow and send bubbles flying into the room as it will burst eventually, helping you speed up the dispersal of scent into the interior.

Fragile but efficient.

The wand is made to work eventhough the diameter of each circle seems skeptically small.

Oops! placed together as a set

Making of TRUN

Handle Prototype

Style definition.

The second project was to design a door handle as the final, but before that we had to define a certain style that allows the handle to fit into. I started by defining how i would want a home in the future to be.

A rough idea of the style i want. Colors are defined, but the interior elements are not specific enough.

The difficulties of moodboarding is always to select the right picture, thus i sspent alot of time building my library and then relooking into the pictures again and again.

OBLIQUE This sense of style goes about exploring the contrast between light and darkness (white and black) sparking a magical element inbetween (gold).

Finding a balance between the solids (decors) and hollow (space) whilst retaining a sense of mystery amidst the entire interior.

The visual use of straight lines and geometrics conveys the directness of the livings attitude; honest and clean cut.

TRUN Initial outlook of the desired full geometrical replica of a Sun sketched out in Rhino.

It all started with this geometrical shape inspired by Max Bruckner, a German Geometer, known for his polyhedral model.

In his book titled :Vielecke und Vielflache, This particular plate that resembled a star caught my eye, made a deep impression. A star signified light and hope to me. Coincidentally, Oblique is a space that plays with Light and space, thus i’ve decided to make this concept work.

Designed for the space oblique, a space which appreciates open spaces,light and lines.Trun is inspired by the Sun, our natural light and warmth giver.Finished in high polish gold, this door handle would give the interior a luxurious touch,

Further revised, the two handle is asymmetrical at this point of time and i hoped to keep it that way. Yet it was not watertight thus, further simplications were to be made.

Final linework of Trun with nicely paced out surfaces and a little bit of erganomics considerations inside. The part where it would be mostly held is flat on the underside for better grip.

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77 measurements in mm

Final dimensions of Trun

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1. At the start. It’s been awhile since i did such vigorous modelling works. To be honest i was rather skeptical whether i could finish this on time.

5.After sanding, a most important step that would determine the pace of ur following pace would be how well you could apply putty on.

8. Black primer is used because it would be a good base coat for the gold paint to come onto afterwards.

3. 4. Eventhough it’s 3D printed, the surface was very uneven so i had to start sanding from the roughest sandpaper.

7. 水磨 a sanding process i learnt here.

By rubbing 1200 or even higher graded sandpaper in circles under water, the desired surface of the object would ultra smooth and ready for priming.

a. a layer of fully coated gold paint b. sparsely sprayed gold paint.

6. Smoothing out the putty, mending tiny holes, repeat.

2. Alot of time was spent trying to get the form right, so i was quite happy to see the 3D printed outcome but lots of after work just to complete the finishing has to be done. Dreadful.

Testing out two different kinds of finishing.

The edges or connecting points were most tricky to mend because it is not easy to define so many lines while maintaing a smooth surface. This is ultimate skill level to controlling your putty.

i went with b because it resembled a bronze like finishing unlike a, which turns out to look rather plastic-y.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT;

OOPS!

To sum it up the maker project was probably the first ever project I can ever be so confused and so immensely stressed about every single week.

I am honestly very disappointed with myself because I didn’t manage to come up with a proper outcome for this brief. I have put a lot of thought and work into it, but just didn’t seem to get it right.

Weekly consultation always felt like it pushed a reset button every time, I do understand ur suggestions which does make me reconsider my initial ideas, think a lot in other directions, but it’s just seemingly not applicable during my execution. It might be communication problems or high expectations or just incompatibility of ideas. It brings my morale to new lows when I get rejected every week, hearing the same comments again and again. I value ur words because I take you as my “client” thus, not being able to fulfill what you expect really frustrates and disappoints me. As you would understand, time is needed for progression to produce a satisfactory product so, when I cannot be fully convinced with ur suggestions it’s hard for me to completely throw my own ideas out of the window, and restart based on your ideas, as after all, I have devoted a lot of time and effort into conceiving it. After all, being a designer to me is being able to express my creativity in new and novel ways.

May I perhaps suggest for you to consider from the student’s point of view and provide constructive feedback to guide him/her instead of giving a blatant one-direction. I will greatly appreciate this and thank you endlessly. I feel that this will greatly aid my learning in this school.

Please do not take this personally and I mean absolutely no offense..

Nonetheless being in your studio allowed me numerous discoveries and gave me lots to think about; to realise my own identity and do selfreflection. I say all these with heart felt appreciation. I do enjoy and really liked your other class ( 當代設計師潮 ) it’s nice to be able to hear from other professionals.

Cheers.

Ps: highly recommend you to give out a printed or upload a soft copy of design brief stating the deadlines, requirements, and final outcome at the start of a new semester to avoid misconceptions/ miscommunication.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT;

TRUN

Prolly too messed up with the first project, the Handle problem was abit more fun to submerge into. Style definition is definitely much more then moodboarding but judging by the allocated time, it is sufficient.

Design Challenge was in creating lines that are all round necessary, therefore each face has a meaning to surface.

Had lots of fun modelling this.

Though it was a thorough process of creating, having to putty and sand repeatedly over and over just to achieve that flawless finishing stage for spray painting.

This project should come before MAKER though.