hi, i’m Jake
design affordances the parsnipship project 24 hour project ceramics: 101 the robot project interests & about
Design affordances How do we design products that people love? This project focuses on usability in design and reflects on what makes both good and bad product design.
Group project 4 Weeks
“Usability” refers to the ease of access and/or use of a product or website
The brief We were tasked with designing a music music system system that had to be created around the focus of userinteraction. interaction. Alongside that needed to be an app user app which was able to control the physical component. Both products needed to be suitable for our target market and have clear design design affordances. affordances.
THE MUSIC SYSTEM MUST: BE CAPABALE OF BEING CONTROLLED
WITHOUT THE APP
HAVE CLEAR
BE SUITABLE FOR
DESIGN AFFORDANCES
OUR TARGET
AUDIENCE
understanding user needs “I prefer soft curves over harsh edges” “I have a very minimal style” “Static speakers are my go-to!” Our group partnered up with a group of students who became our target audience. Our task was to identify their music taste and overall aesthetic style preference. The information that they gave us played a crucial part in the design process as this whole project was focused on designer a product for a great user experience.
ideation
prototype feedback “It has a distinct shape to it” “The design needs a ‘wow factor’ feature” “It lacks functionality” Initially, the users did not understand how to adjust the volume during testing - We knew that we needed to redesign this and make it easily noticeable. Two distinct models were made after the ideation stage. Our group created a range of questionnaires that we were able to gain conclusive and helpful evidence as to which design to pursue.
Testing the design also allowed us to identify that we needed to make more use of the design’s shape and incorporate more intriguing features to increase user interest and interaction.
app progress
The user is able to rename and create their own lightshow using the colour swatch selector while being able to add music from third party apps to play along with the lightshow. ‘Flash’ and ‘Pulse’ lighting options are available for the user to switch between.
A final prototype was produced after weeks of continuous feedback. The idea of the app was to allow the user to control and save their LED colour gradients while browsing publicly shared colour gradients. These colours would then be shown on the speaker itself for a lightshow.
Users who have the app can share their unique lightshows publicly. The most popular lightshow will be showcased on the section named ‘Show of the Day’. Here, other users can use that lightshow and have it light up with the recommended music to play along with it.
Users can search up named lightshows that have been created by the community as well as connecting to the speaker with ease using the main menu. The menu of the app incorporates a scrolling design where the user would scroll up and down through the list of circled options.
speaker development “The volume buttons don’t suit the overall style of the design” “It would be cool to interact with the side of the device”
Our group was narrowing down on a final design. Initially, our group thought that by placing all the features on the front of the design it would make it the product efficient and easy to use. However different users naturally looked for features elsewhere and were surprised not to find any.
final speaker design
Have complete control over the mood and create your own personalised lightshow Watch as the light illuminates from the ring in a gorgeous display of colour
Browse community lightshows along with song recommendations Change lighting options from Flash’ and ‘Pulse’ to create a unique lighting experience.
The Parsnipship Project Design for Manufacture Understanding production methods, material selection, client relations and usability.
Group project 6 Weeks
“Design for Sustainability has the potential to improve efficiencies, product quality and market opportunities”
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM We were tasked with designing a new packaging solution that meets the needs and desires of The Parsnipship Ltd. The design process must demonstrate application of user centered evaluation techniques and a clear understanding of the impact of ergonomics and interaction design of their usability. The company needed a packaging solution that could easily be mass produced while wasting little to no material. It must also contain as little plastic as possible.
IN 2014 10%
OF ALL PACKAGING WASTE IS CAUSED BY COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRY SECTORS
64.1% OF PACKAGING WAS RECYCLED, A REDUCTION FROM 72.7% IN 2013
A RECORD BREAKING
2503 MILLION
TONNES OF HOUSE WASTE WAS RECORDED IN THE EU
CUSTOMER PROFILE Situation Arthur is a University graduate who has started his full time job as an Industrial designer. He has a strong passion for food and is new to the vegan lifestyle. Arthur wants a vegan food that is packaged securely so that he can travel short distances with it after purchase. Arthur would also like to be able to heat the product up in the microwave after being kept in the fridge.
Style Arthur lives a very minimalistic and modern life - he has a two bedroom apartment with many wooden features.
Environment and Strategy
Meet Arthur Andrews Age 25 Cardiff. UK Industrial Designer
Arthur is conscious for the safety of the environment, so naturally he is looking to purchase food from eco-friendly companies who strive to waste little to no material when producing their packaging. He is also looking for food that uses environmentally safe materials in the packaging when possible.
IDEATION
The nature of this project was very form oriented, especially at the start. The initial stage of quick ideation is a powerful tool. I aimed to explore a broad spectrum of possible solutions while taking into account the user interaction of the design while ensuring I kept an innovative style throughout my sketches
Our group branched off to make our own prototypes. We knew that adding a fun interactive element to the design would increase the user’s attentiveness and set our design apart from other designs. We began experimenting with ways the user can open the packaging - one of these techniques was through squeezing the sides for the lid to pop open.
prototyping
“I quite like how you can see the product through the top window”
“The simplicity of the design is really catchy and definitely suggests being a sustainable product”
“The packaging’s shape needs adjusting slightly so that it fits better in my hand”
user FEEDBACK
DEVELOPMENT
After the completion of many sessions of user testing, a final concept emerged. This concept involved the design of a hinge which enabled the lid to open with ease once the lid tab was removed. On occasion, the user could squeeze the sides of the packaging and the lid would pop open. From research, nothing like this currently exists with retail packaging.
graphic design
Pio n Veg eerin eta g Pro rian duc e
Best befor e: 03/02/19
Our Promis e: To deliver pl ant based fo ods that are healthier, hearty, convinient , and ethica l
final solution
24 hour project Spark Lighter Design Competition Groups in all years competed to create the best possible solution for the problem. Group project 24 Hours
understanding the brief A Survival Scenario A wild country walker has become lost and isolated from assistance. The environment is hostile, cold and wet, and the person is also injured and has lost the use of one of their hands or has limited use of the hand. The person has passed through deep water and clothing and all supplies are wet. The person must light a fire for warmth and signalling or die. Fortunately the person has in their pocket a small Ferrocerium device designed by you.
THE DESIGN MUST BE: ROBUST AND CAN
OPERATED USING
WITHSTAND ROUGH TREATMENT
ONE HAND
RE-USABLE
100% RELIABLE,
MANY TIMES WITHOUT SHARPENING
UN-AFFECTED BY WATER
PRODUCING SPARKS EACH TIME LESS THAN 30G
ideation
development
models
A prototype was made using the 3D printer to further communicate our design concept. All three uses of the product were tested by a potential buyer.
final design
ceramics: 101 Second Field Module This module focused on the experimentation of a variety of processes used within ceramics.
Individual project 4 Weeks
ideation
banding wheel With reference from my ideation sketches, I began to sculpt mini vases using the banding wheel tool, all of which took a Grecian form. I learned many skills throughout this process, one of which was the pinching technique. This involved placing a finger on the outside of the object and a thumb on the inside and lightly pinching together to form the shape.
slip casting
One other process I learned involved pouring wet clay into a prepared plaster mould which is then left to set to form a layer on the inside of the walls of the mould. My final slip casting piece consisted of two cats and a furnace which were slip casted. I cut the cats at appropriate places and stuck them on the side of the furnace using slip. This gave the illusion that the cats were trying to escape from the furnace.
slab construction This method involved manipulating a flat piece of material by hand to achieve a desired form. As the module progressed, I found that I had taken a liking to a particular abstract style within ceramics. I created a representation of this style in the pieces photographed below. Once I had cut and moulded the slabs, I applied slip to my hands and softened the edges to give it a more organic and natural look.
glazing
The final stage of most ceramic pieces is the glazing stage. I went with a technique of dipping one end of the product in to the white glaze, waiting for that to dry and then dipping the other end of the piece in to the green glaze. This would give the piece an abstract look with an art-deco and modern feel.
final pieces
the robot project Final Project Companies are always looking to save costs, the aim of this project was to work in a way that minimises waste and reduces material consumption whilst retaining a level of innovation.
Group project 6 Weeks
A robot can be described as “a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive tasks”
understanding the brief We were tasked with designing and building a working prototype of a ‘robot’ intended for mass manufacture. The robot must perform a task with personality. Our group must show a developed understanding of design for manufacturing techniques, materials selection and electronics and/or mechanical design.
THE ROBOT MUST: PERFORM A
HAVE A
REPETITIVE TASK
PERSONALITY
DEMONSTRATE AN AWARENESS OF
HAVE A DEGREE OF
BE DESIGNED FOR
AUTOMATION
MASS MANUFACTURE
MATERIAL CONSTRAINTS
DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF
SUSTAINABILITY
inspiration We wanted to create a robot that has a fun and childish personality. There’s no better place to start with than Disney Pixar’s ‘Wall-e’.
After some basic ideation, we narrowed down to a final design concept. Our group decided to create a robot that playfully chases people while squirting water at them.
Analysing Wall-e’s design enabled us to get a simple understanding of the characterists of the robot and why he is such a design icon in the animation industry.
ideation
the process
The parts for our robot were either laser cut, CNC’d or 3D printed. Each part requiring a different degree of sanding. We went through various stages of applying primer and body filler to make edges and surfaces of certain parts smoother and more refined. A few coats of spray paint would then be applied to the parts.
To make sure the prototype would perform well, I created a range of development sketches of the robot’s tracks. Each form functioning differently with how they would interact with the environment. Research was done alongside this stage to ensure that the sketches were accurate and realistic. A final render was done once the favourites were chosen among the group.
development
final design details
Interests
NOT MY DESIGNS
I am an enthusiastic, well rounded designer, driven by my love and passion for the subject. I am fascinated to explore everyday problems that humans face, solved using creative designs that innovate in functionality and excel in form. Being a BA student, my creativity comes from the music I listen to and the photos that I take, inspiring design decisions such as colour, form and texture.
about EXPERIENCE Welsh Government - Graphic Design June 2014, Work Experience Placement
Outside of designing, I enjoy getting involved with my surroundings. I love to travel, ski, and scuba dive. I am hugely interested in photography, as well as videography and film production. I also have a keen interest in everything to do with technology.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
EDUCATION 2017 - Present Cardiff Metropolitan University BA Product Design and Technology Achieved 70% in first year 2010 - 2017 Bishop of Llandaff CIW High School A-Levels : ACC (Design & Technology, IT, Photography respectively)
CONTACT INFORMATION jakesround@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/jakeround.design/
thank you.