PORTFOLIO PRODUCT DESIGN 2022 MARIA D’SOUZA
PORTFOLIO
ABOUT ME A BRIEF INTRO Hello! As a designer, I have an undeterred curiosity about people and what makes them tick. Being someone who is introspective with an ardor towards self-improvement, over the years I have developed a distinct passion for all topics around wellbeing and emotional growth.
MARIA D’SOUZA
These topics are the fundamental driving force behind many of my projects. Emotional design that connects to people on a profound level is what I aspire to create.
Mariatdsouza@outlook.com Mariatdfsd_id 07578748766
Oxfam Volunteer Selling, Pricing, Repair 2015 - 2016
EDUCATION St.Peters Collegiate Church Of England School A Level Product Design, Art, English Lit and Lang 2013 - 2020
National Citizen Service Teamwork, Campaigning 2017
F-Factor Regional Semi Finalist Product/Service Design, Entrepeneurship
Nottingham Trent Uni BA Product Design (SW) 2020 - Present
2018
The Photo Alchemist Photoshop, Working to a Specification 2019
Independent Etsy Vendor Marketing, Product Design, Manufacturing, Brand Creation
INTERESTS - Drawing - Jewellery - Painting Making - Photography - Podcasting
SOFTWARE
ABOUT ME
EXPERIENCE
PORTFOLIO
CONTENTS PROJECT SNIPPETS
“I make emotional things with a function. To me, there’s still artistic expression and the function is part of it.”
MARIA D’SOUZA
INI ARCHIBONG
CONTENTS
NARRATE
PROCARTON
HYBRID HOME
DESIGN FOR PRODUCTION
DESIGN LANGUAGE
PORTFOLIO
NARRATE CONNECTABLE
MARIA D’SOUZA
STRESS TOY
NARRATE
To design a product tailored towards young people who have difficulty with anxious feelings, and are looking for accessible temporary relief. How can I create something that is sensory, likeable and discreet so that my user won’t feel embarassed about self soothing.
MARIA D’SOUZA
TACTILE AUDITORY
PORTFOLIO
PROBLEMS
INSIGHTS
Symptoms of anxiety / overwhelm are prevalent amongst a large percentage of young people, and there is a constant search for quick relief.
It is estimated that 31.9% of adolescents experience some kind of anxiety disorder. Of these, over a third of teens say stress negatively impacts their ability to perform necessary daily tasks such as eating and sleeping.
The stress relief market is saturated with many similar portable products that offer a single kind of sensory stimuation, but few encapsulate several. There is some lack of personalisation.
Sensory stimulation is the primary factor behind the success of stress toys.
END GOAL BREATHE
VISUAL
To create a small scale form of anxiety relief that provides multiple types of sensory stimulation. The product should be likeable and have qualities that create an emotional bond with the user. The design needs to be discreet and offer temporary soothing for those struggling with bouts of nervousness, without drawing attention to them or exacerbating existing symptoms. Every element of the product is to be considerate of a delicate consumer.
NARRATE
RESEARCH SENSORY FOCUS
PORTFOLIO
IDEATION SKETCH & MODEL SKETCHES Sketchwork was primarily centred around athropomorphic forms due to their ability to incite trust in a user. Considerations around varying minor details such as facial expressions and ears were also important to let consumers choose a doll that resonates the most with them.
MODELS The purpose of the models was to assess ergonomics within the hands and also ‘pocketablility’. If a product is to be discreet and portable, a pocket is a common transportation choice. Silk clay was used to simulate bendability and softness to the touch.
MARIA D’SOUZA
INITIAL MODEL - AWK
NARRATE
KWARD TO HOLD
SKETCHWORK
DEVELOPMENT - TOO LARGE
FINAL - JUST RIGHT
PORTFOLIO
MEDIDOLL
THERMOCHROMIC PIGMENT LATEX RUBBER DISC MAGNETS POLY BEADS GELLED CORN SYRUP
MARIA D’SOUZA
COLOUR CHANGES WITH TOUCH
GA DRAWING
MAGNETIC CONNECTABLE HANDS
VARIED EXPRES
MATERIALS
SUITABILITY
Latex rubber makes up the casing of the doll as similarly to gelled corn syrup, it is stretchy and can hold its shape when manipulated.
The slow acting colour changing element offers subtle guidance on controlled breathing which can stabilise heart rate and reduce panic.
Thermochromic pigment enables the colour changing aspect of this toy through hand warmth, whereas the poly beads stimulate the ears.
The different self contained sensory aspects mean that a wider demographic can benefit from this product. Anxiety relief is nuanced and varied.
FUNCTION CONTEXT AND FRONT VIEW
The primary purpose of the medidoll is to offer temporary relief during moments of heightened anxiety through the means of carefully selected sensory features. The malleability and varied texture offered by the corn syrup and polybeads creates a unique tactile experience alongside some weight for grounding. Polybeads and anthropomorphic aspects are loosely inspired by stuffed animals which builds a familiar rapport with the consumer., whilst also offering mild auditory stimulation. Colour changing based on handling, encourages play and focused breathing.
NARRATE
SSIONS
DETAILING FINAL OUTCOME
PORTFOLIO
PROCARTON MEASURED CAT FOOD
MARIA D’SOUZA
PACKAGING
PROCARTON
To “Design an innovative product that uses Cartonboard as its main material. Its construction must be three dimensional and possible from folding with some glue if needed.” The competition category I chose to design for was ‘creative cartonboard packaging: all other.’
PORTFOLIO MARIA D’SOUZA
MULTIPLE PETS
OVERCONSUMPTION
HEAL
PROBLEMS
INSIGHTS
Many owners don’t feed their pets the correct amount due to numerous factors such as inconvenience or lack of understanding.
Over 50% of pets in the UK are overweight, which is mainly due to poor portion control.
Pet packaging always has details of food measurements, but these are often overlooked. A means of measuring alongside the instructions will help to encourage measuring.
10% more cats than dogs are obese. Attributed to lack of planned exercise and overconsumption. 9 out of 10 UK pet owners unknowingly overfeed their animals / feed from the table.
END GOAL CONVENIENCE
To use cartonboard to design a product that tackles animal obesity rates from the source. Pet food packaging. Implementing some kind of a measuring system within the food source will aid in the convenience and accuracy of pet feeding without requiring owners to fiddle with added equipment.
PROCARTON
LTH RISKS
RESEARCH PET FOOD
PORTFOLIO
IDEATION SKETCH & MODEL SKETCHES Sketches predominantly focused on the functional aspect of the packaging as it was imperative for the product to have an inbuilt measuring system and how it could be integrated succinctly and effectively to fit within the dimensions of a commercial cat food box.
MODELS
MARIA D’SOUZA
The purpose of the prototype was to ensure that my product was feasible in terms of construction as well as function. Cartonboard was used to get a more accurate representation of how the design would perform when using the assigned material.
PROCARTON SKETCHWORK
HANDS FOR SCALE COMPARISON
STOPPER SECTIONS THE PORTIONS
CAT GETS HER MEASURED SERVING PROMPTLY
PORTFOLIO
PROCARTON
CARTONBOARD POLYETHYLENE
MARIA D’SOUZA
PRINTED GRAPHICS
PRODUCT NET
INTERNAL PANEL
MARKED D
MATERIALS
SUITABILITY
Cartonboard (200mg+ thickness card} is the predominant manufacturing material for the box. A small quantity of glue is used to adhere different parts of the product net.
Cartonboard is a non toxic material that folds easily and prints graphics well, making it suitable for commercial pet food packaging.
A thin window of PET is used to display remaining food content on the back of the box.
PET is versatile and transparent allowing for easy viewing of the internal contents. It is also widely recycled similar to cartonboard.
FUNCTION FRONT AND BACK VIEW
The fluted style form of the drawer allows for easy pouring after portions have been measured with the side markings. The drop down stopper allows for customisable portion sizes instead of having fixed drawer sections. It also prevents extra food falling out of the box when pouring. There is an internal panel within the box that prevents food from falling behind the drawer so it can slide back in without obstacle. The box is also refillable for those who invest in larger bags of cat food.
PROCARTON
DRAWER
DETAILING FINAL OUTCOME
PORTFOLIO
HYBRID HOME JOINT STAMP JOURNAL
MARIA D’SOUZA
CAD MODEL BY LUCY MILHAM
BRIEF ASSIGNED BY BATH BASED CONSULTANCY
HYBRID HOME
To design a product that accomodates the growing hybrid working style for contemporary mothers balancing parenting and a career. How can we create something that allows for the mother to work efficiently at home, whilst also making time to unwind and spend quality time with her child?
PORTFOLIO MARIA D’SOUZA
EMOTIONAL PROCESSING
PHYSICAL AFFIRMATION
MU
PROBLEMS
INSIGHTS
Due to the ongoing pandemic, hybrid working has become much more common across the UK. Because of this, many parents; notably mothers, have found it difficult to manage the balance between work and childcare within the home.
80% of UK workers feel working from home has had a negative impact on their mental health
There are several products designed to distract children but this can poorly impact quality time.
30% of parents with young children said their work had been negatively affected by lockdown.
56% of workers find it difficult to distinguish between life and work since working from home.
END GOAL QUALITY TIME
Creating a product that allowed a busy working mother to still spend quality time with her child despite a changeable schedule was of utmost importance. It can be difficult to navigate the stress of a busy schedule alongside the mutable nature of a growing childs emotions. We wanted to design something that can relieve some of this pressure whilst creating a space for parent and child to mutually unwind and bond.
HYBRID HOME
ULTITASKING
RESEARCH CHILDCARE
PORTFOLIO
IDEATION SKETCH & MODEL SKETCHES My sketchwork focused on sensory features in order to enhance quality of play and cognition. Key elements to explore, were collaborative features that would bring mother and child together; strengthening their bond within the changeable routine of a hybrid working home.
MODELS Modelling was necessary to ensure that the stamping board was of an appropriate size to accomodate mother and child sitting together. The reclining element was also explored as well as the packing of the product for storage. MARIA D’SOUZA
STOR
HYBRID HOME
RAGE MODE
SKETCHWORK
RECLINES TO STAMPING MODE
MODELS BY SEAN GUYETT
SELF CONTAINED STAMPS
PORTFOLIO
BOUND PAPER
SILICONE
WOVEN NYLON
SATIN PINE
MARIA D’SOUZA
HINGING
GA DRAWING
JOURNAL STORAGE / EXTENDED BOARD
EXPRESSION STAMPS AND
MATERIALS
SUITABILITY
Pine is affordable, lightweight and durable, making it optimal for the stamps and board as they can take some damage which is common when in the presence of younger children.
Using expressions on the stamps aids in a childs ability to recognise social cues and to create links between tangible and intangible concepts.
Silicone and nylon are easy to clean and are secure enough to keep smaller elements safe.
Colours and materials are muted and limited to maintain the positive, calming energy this product is intended to emenate. This builds trust.
FUNCTION CONTEXT AND TOP VIEW
The collaborative visual journal serves as a healthy means of communication between mother and child throughout the day, to allow for open reflection centred around feelings. Joint journalling creates a bonding and unwinding activity for the participating parties, as they learn to understand each other better through the medium of prompted coversation which is facilitated by the expression stamps. Self reflection and discussion is conducive to a comfortable, productive work and home environment for both mother and child to perform well with minimal distraction and distinct unwind time.
HYBRID HOME
D INK TRAY
DETAILING FINAL OUTCOME
PORTFOLIO MARIA D’SOUZA
DESIGN FOR PRODUCTION SUNCATCHER
DESIGN FOR PRODUCTION
To design a product using a set dimension of sheet metal that encapsulates multiple contrasting design styles whilst also acting as a medium of light dispersal.
MARIA D’SOUZA
KITSCH MODERNISM P
PORTFOLIO
PROBLEMS
INSIGHTS
The homeware market is saturated with sheet metal products, but most of them adopt an industrial and robust aesthetic. Delicate forms and pieces that add warmth to a space, are sparse.
Sunlight from the window can reflect against a mirror or lustrous surface, casting more brightness between four walls.
Homeware has the power to change a rooms ambience and sheet metal also has that potential.
Vitamin D from sunlight can promote better health in several ways, such as fighting depression, diabetes, and chronic pain.
END GOAL LIGHT / SHADOW
To design a product centred around light and shadow that adds ambience to a room through the combination of simple and complex shapes. Limited to sheet metal, the product shape must accomodate the limitations in manufacturing by minimising excessive ornamentation. Targeted towards the homeware market, the outcome should consider current homeware trends whilst maintaining the integrity and core vision of the design route.
DESIGN FOR PRODUCTION
PATTERN
RESEARCH DESIGN MOVEMENTS
PORTFOLIO
IDEATION SKETCH & MODEL SKETCHES Sketches centred around modernist and kitsch forms and how they can be balanced out. An emphasis on modernist shapes being combined to create more elaborate pieces was explored. Creating stories in shadows, using cutouts was an important factor.
MODELS
MARIA D’SOUZA
The primary purpose of these models was to see how they diffuse light and cast shadows within themselves. although paper is not reflective like metal, it gave me an idea of the direction of light and what shapes the details made as they obstructed the light.
DESIGN FOR PRODUCTION SKETCHWORK
LAYERED ELEMENTS
INTERLOCKING SHAPES
BIRD LIKE APPEARANCCE FROM BELOW
PORTFOLIO
SUNCATCHER
STAINLESS STEEL
MARIA D’SOUZA
NYLON THREAD
GA DRAWING
NATURE INSPIRED CUTOUTS
DOMED SUN TO
MATERIALS Sheet metal is lustrous in making it ideal for a intended to reflect light. It’s creates dense shadows with
SUITABILITY quality product opacity weight.
The cutouts on the suncatcher are kitsch in nature, whilst being contained within a modernist outer layer. The juxtaposition is well balanced.
Clear nylon thread is tough but virtually invisible which creates a delicate hanging of the patterned piece of the suncatcher.
The gentle swaying of the piece refracts lighs softly onto surrounding areas whilst casting shadows that create stories with the light.
FUNCTION ISOMETRIC
The purpose of this product is to explore the delicate nature of natural light and how it can improve wellbeing within the home through a comforting glow with playful shadows intertwined. Combining styles to create this piece whilst taking inspiration from more abstract mediums such as ancient literature, adds meaning to the product which can be interpreted by those who use it.
DESIGN FOR PRODUCTION
OP PIECE
DETAILING FINAL OUTCOME
PORTFOLIO
DESIGN LANGUAGE UTILITARIAN STYLE
MARIA D’SOUZA
HAIRDRYER
DESIGN LANGUAGE
To design a hairdryer based on CMF boards created with the cohort that represent two word groups. ‘Utilitarian, Functional, Practical’, and ‘Sophisticated, Elegant, Refined.’ One word group was to be chosen to develop to a final design. I chose Utilitarian, Functional and Practical.
PORTFOLIO MARIA D’SOUZA
VARIED RADII
DIALS AND SWITCHES
BOLD G
PROBLEMS
INSIGHTS
Hairdryer designs have been fairly repetitive in form for quite some time. There is room for further innovation and creativity here.
Hairdryer purchasing rates are to increase by 3% between 2022 - 2025 as lower cost options are becoming more readily available.
Due to different hair textures and styles as well as personal mobility, there isn’t a singular way to dry hair. There is a lack of products that reflect and cater to this variety.
Unknown to the consumer, many hairdryers surpass the max recommended temperature for blow drying of 180 degrees C. This can lead to hair damage and loss over a period of time.
END GOAL COLOUR ACCENTING
Design a hairdryer that reflects the common qualities of chosen word group ‘Utilitarian, Functional, Practical’. The product should be easy to use and tastefully intergrate selected elements of this design language. This hairdryer should be accessible by many for an inclusive experience. It should also allow the user to control and understand the heat that is being applied to their hair.
DESIGN LANGUAGE
GRAPHICS
RESEARCH FORM
PORTFOLIO
IDEATION SKETCH & MODEL SKETCHES Sketches focused on intergrating common features from the former moodboard into the form of a functional piece of equipment. Details such as varied radii and changeable angling as well as functional knobs were all considered.
MODELS
MARIA D’SOUZA
The main purpose of the models was to experiment with ball jointing and it’s construction in order to better understand its movement limitations.
DESIGN LANGUAGE SKETCHWORK
TAIL JOINT
BALL JOINTING
30 DEGREE ANGLE
PORTFOLIO
HAIRDRYER
POLYPROPYLENE
THERMOMETER
COPPER COIL STEEL SCREWS
MARIA D’SOUZA
WIRE INSULATION
BALL JOINTING
THERMOMETER DISPLAY
TEMEPRATURE DIAL AND ON
MATERIALS
SUITABILITY
Polypropylene shell is heat resistant and a good electrical insulator for the housed components.
The colourway of the dryer is in line with the assigned moodboards as is the form detailing.
Coloured ethanol coated in glass and plastic acts as a thermometer as heat in the hairdryer increases / decreases using the dial located on the back vent. Plastic coating protects the glass.
Although the form has a specific aesthetic direction in mind, the functionality is not lost, with decisions made to ensure and encourage healthy heat use and ease of function
FUNCTION EXPLODED VIEW
The ball bearing connection at the base of the barrel and fingerbend of the handle allows for easy poseability to angle the dryer head to the most comfortable position for the users mobility and/or hairstyling needs. The tail flexibility prevents the common problem of wires getting in the way of the function due to limited movement at the point of connection. The temperature display allows for a consumer to choose the correct heat setting for their hair viscosity whilst simultaneuosly preventing unknowingly damaging their hair with extreme heats that they aren’t aware they are applying to it
SWITCH
DESIGN LANGUAGE
DETAILING FINAL OUTCOME
THANK YOU! PLEASE GET IN CONTACT Mariatdsouza@outlook.com Mariatdfsd_id 07578748766