ACCUA_project

1

AC CU

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

2

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

3

index

Genesis Base idea Objectives Project Development Name Logo Website Packaging Brochure Business Plan

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

4

genesis

As of the start of the project there was one main concern: to make an easy to use, economic and self managed food producing unit. Why? Demographic studies regarding populational growth and food production demand indicate one very specific consequence to the 21st century: overstressed food production. In fact it will be necessary to double current days production in order to maintain the same food distribution on the planet. In the mean time as industrialy grown food tries to acompany market needs arable soil is depleting and the quality of food droping.

The veredic: a possible solution can come out of the decentralization of food industry. Just like in all other sectors of industry (specially in nowadays manufacturing, i.e. rapid prototyping) generating food at your own home can be the beggining to remove our dependance from mass produced meal. However there already exists an exploding number of solutions that participate in this so-called “urban-farming� movement. Then how to diferenciate?

This is the main concern on this project and it is the source of the very concept it has created.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

5

objectives

To create not only a self sustained product but a whole system of relationships between companies in urban areas in order to create jobs, and use the craftmans ability to generate objects of great quality.

The main aim of this project is to do all this considering all the aspects of reality that are needed to generate a functioning and valuable product and also a service system . To do so contact this project aims to enter in contact the real people from real working businesses on industrial and commercial areas that are needed to create and maintain the project.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

6

project development

The project was divided into 4 diferent fases: - Conceptualization; - Selection and analisis of one concept; - Refinement (mechanical and sytem requirenments); - Prototyping; As of the beggining the goal was to create a product/service that would use the benefits the a self driven company can have, where the founder is the actual designer who works out an idea and tries to find a way to make it into profit.

During conceptualization it was adressed how a system could generate food automatically and with new kinds of technologies. Hydroponics and aeroponics are two long time used solutions for this kind of problems. But usually they imply using artificial aditives and complex filters

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

7

However an alternative way to use hydroponics is to use an aquarium as an organic filter.

This has also a side effect: it creates a closed ecosystem where the user can take feeding advantages on both sides (fauna and flora).

Growing herbs and vegetables can this way become very fast (up to 6 times the normal rate) giving way to densly nutritional plants and vegetables as well as fish.

However there is a minimum volume of water considered by most users in order to produce edible fish wich corresponds to about 60 litters.

This kind of volume is to high to exist in regular households, especially inside big cities. This way the final idea was one that considers not actual edible fish but more like an aquarium that has an extra use: to create food for the user.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

8

concepts

Inicial concepts adressed a more sculptural form of engaging the aquaponical solution. Bellow it is possible to see some primordial ideas of how this solution would in fact look like. One of the main problem was a solution that could make the hydraulica system executionable.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

9

concept refinement

A final solution started to emerge when the main idea of doing a hexagonal shape was considered. Also it is observable the original idea of using the air-pot technology as a structural member of the system. Later contact with the company showed that this kind of disposition was unefficient and filled with problems.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

10

ACCUA *norm manual

With the intent to create a style ambient for the product, a brand was created.

ACCUA, being red the same way as acqua in italian, meaning water the source of Earths ecossystem.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

11

elements

The brand consists of a revision to the Neutra Typeface in its Bold form. The drop feature to use the same weight and the general geometry of the character.

ACCU Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

12

signature

horizontal

There are three different types of possible signature of the brand. Rectangular, square and rectangular vertical. It is an option of use of the brand, as the logos main use is the rectangular version.

ACCU

square

AC CU

vertical

A C C U

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

13

grid

Since Neutra is based on a square geometry and the distance between letters is equal to the thickness of the bold shape. In this way, the logo simply use this square in a way to create modularity.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

14

scale

The logo works well in many different sizes as it has little detail and is based on a very readable font. In smaller scale only the end “a� is signed in other to retain visual information.

ACCU

ACCU

ACCU laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

15

color

The brand is split into two main colors and contrasting with black.

Green and orange gives dynamism and differentiates the brand from other water or aquarium related homologous. printed C 0 M 74 Y 98 K 0 screen R 242 G 103 B 36

printed C 81 M 1,5 Y 98 K 0 screen R 6 G 174 B 77

printed C 0 M 0Y 0 K 0 screen R0G0B0

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

16

application

The main idea is for the brand to be modular.

The application can vary with the intention and the signature version.

AC CU A C C U laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

17

envelope/letter

Corporate application of the brand is simple and discrete.

The identity being preserved with the last “a” of the logo.

João Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

18

website

Starting from a simple square centered design the main goal of the project is to become user centered (instead of product centered).

The use of the site is a simple scroll-down in a continuum page.

This platform allows for users to download instructions, update their plans and discuss best ways of improving their experiences and buy consumables: growing bed, fishes, components.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

19

mobile

With large square press areas, the website is prepared for mobile consultation reducing the need of designing a specific application.

The main website architecture can be found in the appendix.

With large square press areas, the website is prepared for mobile consultation reducing the need of designing a specific application.

The main website architecture can be found in the appendix.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

20

ACCUA 1

Transplanting aquaponics towards a versatile but stilish product the ACCUA is a brute and senuous contrast of shapes.

The wooden hexagons are the modular caracterisitc of this automatic ecossistem making it possible to have a larger piece of machinery for big scale food/plant production.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

21

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

22

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

23

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

24

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

25

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

26

refined brute

An excelently wellcrafted machine that truns its users atention into its practical side at the same time it shows a smooth and satin finish surface.

The components are all worked by hand by craftsmen and artigians of the city of Milan.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

27

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

28

dimensions

The ACCUA has roughly 70 cm up to the second module. In its basic configuration it weighs 5 kg only counting strucutre and 20 kg with every aditional component, growing bed of coconut coir and water.

This is the first sellable planned model, future versions will be bigger and more sofisticated.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

29

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

30

wood source

finishing

The wooden structure, a plate of Plywood 20mm thick, is made of an Italian supply, cutted and transformed in Milan. With this purpose SILA snc, an Italian wood processing business, was contacted. Each supporting structure of the unexpanded version consumes an entire board of 1120 x 320 mm with little lost material.

The final look of the materials is preserved in the base edition of ACCUA. In the expansion packs there will be a large variety of textures and colors applicable. However in order to preserve identity the product will be visualized almost every time as without paint, this gives it a simple and rough look.

Since most of the form is achieved only with cutting and polishing this makes it a fast and efficient process with less man/hour expenditure.

The outer coat of every piece is environment resistant and able to sustain permanence in outdoor spaces.

This is achieved with an outdoor varnish.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

31

1120

320 Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

32

compacting

The angle of 30ยบ that every peace of wood makes gives it compactability.

Although the larger and unchangeable acrylic containers are difficult to carry they resume 50% of the whole products mass.

Also with all of the other components like the pump/sensor system and the rigid fixing parts (bolts and washers)

contracted parts

The main structure is assembled in a standardized way.

There are only two different bolts. The main connectors also only exist in one form (a plate of treated steel angulated 30ยบ).

the disassembled ACCUA weighs about 2,25 kg.

This makes the empty product with a 5 kg weight. Perfectly transportable by hand (preferably before being assembled).

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

33

x4 x32 x64 x6

x6

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

34

modularity

The ability to expand this structure is surely its main differentiating factor with the rest of the market. Since it’s main use is exterior household places, the ACCUA can be perfectly adapted to the living room, balcony or garden. With other expansion packs the ACCUA is able to become self sufficient.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

35

arduino

This is possible with the integration of an arduino controller.

Being powered by the same input as the water pump, the smart system can control interactively water levels, temperature and illumination within the fish tank and the growing bed.

One possible improvement is the one depicted bellow, a water level controling display that warns the user via twitter when to rewater the aquarium module. This kind of application could exist in future versions of the product making it trully interactive.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

36

package

The packaging is again economically directed, as so many other parts of the product.

It is made of recicled cardboard printed on the back and with a sticker of the logo on the front. In the front area there is also a QR-code in order for the user to view the instructions online directly. This ismade to reduce costs.

It comes in a PDF formatthat he can download later.

This main concern with economical questions is directed towards the benefits of sectioning the target market. It is always possible for the customer to order a premium version of the product that comes with a complete package and the arduino circuit.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

37

D.Y.I. kit

questo caso contiene

D.Y.I. kit

250mm

125mm

300mm Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

38

usability

By choosing their own package the user is able to do two basci diferent kinds of investments: - inicially small with the possibility of expand.

- full investment to trully use the system with its full potential from the beggining.

Aquaponic solutions on the market today already have difficulty to give the same kind of experience to all the clients, ACCUA simply uses the system’s unpredictability to divide its target consumer.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

39

AC CU 1 Align the mounting of the structure is progressive, with every component being intertwined.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

40

usability

Usually in aquaponics there are two main modules in the system, one is a so called “growing bed�, from which the plants absorve the water and nutrition and the other the aquarium, the water source and fish habitat. The ACCUA 1’s principal is simple maintaining

this coexistance in a effortless and efficient way. What the user needs to do is only a regular feeding of the fishes and rewatering of the growing bed.

Information on system maintenance and aquaponics related questions is accessible online in the ACCUA website.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

41

ACCUA is easiely expandable. The main way of working with the system is to create a relationship of 1:1 volumes of water and growing bed. With a larger volume of water, plant growth is acelerated and nutritional values increase (wich is a great advantage for eadible vegetation).

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

42

automatic hidraulics

The management of the hidraulic system is a very simple circuit controled by a floating sensor. The main system has basically two main components: - an electric water pump.

- a floating level sensor.

The floating sensor works as a switch to the power supply of the pump. When the water level is high enough it keeps the pump working.

During most of the time the circuit keeps working as water falls back to the lower container.

But because of evaporation and plant absorvance it is recomended to insert water in the aquarium every week.

The pump has a passive filter that keeps solid objects from passing to the growing bed.

positive short

V1 Power supply

water pump negative short

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

43

on mode

off mode

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

44

business model The main goal is to

On the online store it is possible to order not only extra parts and expansible modules but also consumables like growing bed material, arduino components and fish food.

ACCUA is basically a service/product distribution center with good market visibility.

The customer also assembles the product reducing costs.

location

This originally centers the business activity in the area of Milan, however with increasing expansion of the company it is also possible to create this virtual centers in other cities. Creating a physical space is not the main goal of the company, but creating sinergy between local potential supplyers wherever this virtual stores take place.

create a company able to manage itself with little resource consumption. A small business with no physical existance, thus existing only throught an online platform.

This is directed towards an increasingly virtualized public target.

The main drive of the system is the DYI consumer.

All of the components are fabricated on nearby locations of the city of Milan, making it possible to distribute and manage product very easily. Not having a local store makes it complicated to have visibility to the target market. The solution ACCUA provides is to have a virtual location, not a real store but a centralized area that considers cost of distribution.

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

45

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

46

business plan sinergies

During the first year it is expeted to create and promote the website and develop the relationship between the following local producers: - Amazonas Acquari, in Viale Monte Grappa Milano. Provides material for aquarium, like the water pump, sensor.

- Plasting SrL, acrylic provider in Via degli Alpini, Segrate.

- SILA Snc, wood processing in v. liberazione 26 - san giuliano milanese.

Provides all the wooden pieces of the central structure.

- Futurplex Di D’urso Giuseppe, in Via Petrara, Sesto San Giovani, local plexiglass processing.

Provides the acrylic containers and domes and finishes the work.

- J. Riva Eletricitta Idraulica Casalinghi, in Viale Monte Grappa, Milano, provides final water pump/sensor circuit.

The main objective of this fase is the sinergy creation between these local business, that where before unconected.

Local small businesses

Local factories

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

47

business plan website, brand and product

The greatest lone investment is the creating of the website and establishing a system for product / customer management.

The website can have a maintenance cost domani price+web hosting renewal charges of €150/year.

This is considerably the lowest part of the investment. However there is the need to contract human resources that maintain and reuse the forums and customer contacts.

For the later ACCUA would begin operation with 3 people (including the founder).This starts the build up of the costs.

The selling price of the product is 150 € (including the autonomous hydraulic system and inicial consumables).

If in the first year of activy the company would sell about 50 products per month and profit from services with 80% of the product revenue it would be possible to earn enought money to sustain an Italian medium wage for the project team as well as pay component supplyers as well as production and product transportation companies.

João Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

48

other contacts

Besides the final companies thta where sellected a few other contacts where established including the following: - IKEA Components, IKEA’s department of component distribution and customer service.

They publicized a service of new project assistance, which doesn’t actually exist; - The Caledonian Tree Co. Ltd, Air-pot provider;

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

49

atachments

The following pages contain atachments that complete the current project report.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

50

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

51

technical drawings

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

52

0

14

5

251

767

20

SECTION A-A SCALE 1 : 5

posi

399 laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

A

53

A

800

ition of arduino

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS SURFACE FINISH: TOLERANCES: LINEAR: ANGULAR: NAME

DEBUR AND BREAK SHARP EDGES

FINISH:

SIGNATURE

DATE

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

REVISION

TITLE:

DRAWN CHK'D APPV'D MFG Q.A

MATERIAL:

WEIGHT:

DWG NO.

SCALE:1:1

ACCUA

A3

SHEET 1 OF 1 Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

54

9

290

SECTION A-A SCALE 1 : 3

5

60

185

A

125

20

110

20

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

600

2 spessura soldatura plastica

medio circulo

0 20

cilindro

55

A

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS SURFACE FINISH: TOLERANCES: LINEAR: ANGULAR: NAME

DEBUR AND BREAK SHARP EDGES

FINISH:

SIGNATURE

DATE

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

REVISION

TITLE:

DRAWN CHK'D APPV'D MFG Q.A

MATERIAL:

WEIGHT:

DWG NO.

Cilinder_piate

SCALE:1:10 SHEET 1 OF 1 Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

A3

14

5

56

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

57

251,15

100

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS SURFACE FINISH: TOLERANCES: LINEAR: ANGULAR: NAME

DEBUR AND BREAK SHARP EDGES

FINISH:

SIGNATURE

DATE

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

REVISION

TITLE:

DRAWN CHK'D APPV'D MFG Q.A

MATERIAL:

A2 Module_hexagon_only_v3 DWG NO.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

WEIGHT:

SCALE:1:2

SHEET 1 OF 2

58

85

4

6

72,50

B

10

20

60

째

B

SECTION B-B SCALE 1 : 1

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

59

20

A

A SECTION A-A SCALE 1 : 1

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS SURFACE FINISH: TOLERANCES: LINEAR: ANGULAR: NAME

DEBUR AND BREAK SHARP EDGES

FINISH:

SIGNATURE

DATE

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

REVISION

TITLE:

DRAWN CHK'D APPV'D MFG Q.A

MATERIAL:

Module Hexagon

DWG NO.

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

WEIGHT:

SCALE:1:1

SHEET 2 OF 2

A2

60

pezzo tipo 1

10

145

6

20

100

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

61 1115,44 100 69

tutti i pezzi sono separati 2mm.

Questo dipende da quanto sottile si può fare il taglio.

99

300

145

4 99 pezzo tipo 2

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS SURFACE FINISH: TOLERANCES: LINEAR: ANGULAR: NAME

DEBUR AND BREAK SHARP EDGES

FINISH:

SIGNATURE

pezzo tipo 3

DATE

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

REVISION

TITLE:

DRAWN CHK'D APPV'D MFG Q.A

MATERIAL:

WEIGHT:

DWG NO.

SCALE:1:3

pianta di taglio

A3

SHEET 1 OF 4 João Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

A

62

5

M5 L60 x2

M4 L12 x16

A

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

20

63

0

30

100

20

60째

9,8

4

60째

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS SURFACE FINISH: TOLERANCES: LINEAR: ANGULAR: NAME

DEBUR AND BREAK SHARP EDGES

FINISH:

SIGNATURE

DATE

2

SECTION A-A SCALE 1 : 2

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

REVISION

TITLE:

DRAWN CHK'D APPV'D MFG Q.A

MATERIAL:

WEIGHT:

DWG NO.

SCALE:1:2

LEG_ass_V3

A3

SHEET 1 OF 1 Jo찾o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

64

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

65

website

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

66

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

67

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

68

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

69

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

70

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione

71

Jo達o Montenegro - Disegno Di Prodotto

72

laboratorio di sintesi finale design del prodotto per l'innovazione