M/B
PORT FOLIO PRODUCT DESIGN
BY MILES BENNETT
Hello, I’m Miles.
I am a second year Product Design Student at Loughborough University. I’m currently searching for a 12 month placement opportunity.
MODULES TAKEN: -
Year 2 Design Practice Further Mechanics for Design Electronics,Programming and Interfacing for design Manufacturing Technologies Design Communication Design Research in Practice
Iam a second year student at Loughborough University. Born and Raised in Horsham, West Sussex.
M/B MILES BENNETT AGE 20
RO-TOASTER
REDESIGNING THE TOASTER
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DESK BUDDY INTERNET OF THINGS
CRATE TABLE
PERSONAL PROJECT
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02
INTERESTS
CANTO
DESIGN WEEK
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FIGHTING ROBOTS,PHOTOGRAPHY and UX app design
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01
RO-TOASTER REDESIGNING THE TOASTER - 8 WEEKS The brief required me to have to de-construct and reimagine the toaster to produce a new and exciting toasting experience.
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STALE MARKET
The market for toasters has lost all innovation and character, all of the toasters available follow the exact same process guidelines, while sharing very similar styles and designs, without any unique ideas.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM The way toasters work has been the same for a very long time, too many identical toasters keep on popping up in a very stale market leading to a limited toasting choice with no variety. The entire toast making process needed to be looked at in a new light, and a brand new method of toasting needed to be developed to bring some life back into the toasting market to give users a new and exciting experience.
concept generation product de-construction sketch ideation product innovation
USER EXPERIENCE
Through Task and Toaster analysis, I found glaring problems and issues throughout the toasting process that was common in many different toasters, these problems had significant impact on my user experience.
SUSTAINABILITY
Toasters have many sustainability issues due to the materials and processes they are made with, after deconstructing a toaster, it was found to be overly complicated to deconstruct to be recycled.
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PRODUCT DE-CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS | PROCESSES | SUSTAINABILITY
USER ANALYSIS
RESEARCH | TESTING | DATA
Research conducted with 10 course and flat mates.
9/10 people believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet only 5/10 people eat it on a regular basis, often skipping it all together.
75%
of people struggle to consistently set their toaster to the same intensity each time. no
Is the process of making toast memorable at all? yes
Before product ideation and creation, I wanted to fully understand the internals and manufacturing details of an example toaster. To do this, I undertook a product de-construction to analyse the materials used, manufacturing processes and overall sustainability of each part.
“It’s not something I enjoy doing, I don’t really think about it much” “More like a chore in the mornings most of the time” “Just can’t be bothered”
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SKETCHES / PRODUCT IDEATION PERSPECTIVE | HAND DRAWN | THUMBNAIL
The first stage of coming up with any design is product ideation. I start with a range of thumbnail sketches, progressing into larger perspective sketches, finishing with detailed sketched images of the final design concept.
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USE / STORYBOARD
INSTRUCTIONS | HOW IT WORKS
HANDLES - Provides a secure grip to tilt back the toaster
1.
GUARD RAILS - Catches the toast to prevent it falling out
The toaster starts in it’s downwards position. Rotate the toaster slightly untill it clicks into it’s resting position.
DOUBLE TOASTING SLOT - Allows for two peices of toast
GUARDS - Protects user from touching hot elements
2.
Once in the rest position, load the toaster with one or two peices of toast.
3.
Tilt the toaster back, depending on how toasted you want your bread. The more toasted you want it, the further back you push it.
4.
Wait for the toaster to tilt back forward untill it’s done.
5.
Once at the bottom, the toast will have been released from the toaster, remove the toast from the guards and eat.
BASE SUPPORT - Counters the toaster falling back when pushed GRIPPED SUPPORT - A comfortable hold position for the user when pushing back the toaster
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CAD / FINAL RENDERS VISUALISATION | CONTEXT |
The final CAD model was rendered in Solidworks Visualise. The model contained all of the seperate components, aswell as internals and joining mechanisms. All the joining methods and their housing was included in the CAD model.
BEARING HOUSING
OUTER CLIP
EGG TIMER
NICHROME ELEMENTS
PCB
STEEL CASING
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CRATE TABLE PERSONAL PROJECT - 1 MONTH A neighbour’s living area needed a rustic “upcycled” table which fit the theme of the room and fireplace. After creating a profile, I designed and hand-built them a crate table to fill this space.
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Name: Mr and Mrs Cox Age: Both 34 Occupation - Mr Cox: Research and Development Occupation - Mrs Cox: Surveyor
“It has to fit the rest of the room, wooden preferably with a Nordic influence would be ideal.”
Situation: Mr and Mrs Cox have recently moved into their first house together, due to moving in from their parents house, they weren’t able to bring much furniture, this meant they had to purchase a large amount of furniture, but due to higher moving costs, they spent most of their budget on the more important items. This produced a situation where they were severely lacking furniture in certain rooms but could not afford to buy more. Goals: Due to their situation, the couple were seeking a table to be made to go in their sitting area by the fireplace. They were fans of the “rustic/upcycled” aesthetic and wanted this style for their table, neither had time to make a table themselves, but liked the idea of a handmade one.
“We’d love a rustic table for the space by the fireplace, it feels too empty currently, we could also do with the storage!”
Table Requirements: The couple had several requirements they wanted the table to fulfill. - Rustic/Upcycled Aesthetic. - Only material used is wood, no glass. - Storage space for books, magazines etc is essential. - Must fit the theme of the room.
The real couple have asked for their picture to not be used, all other details are kept the same.
PERSONA / PROJECT BRIEF BESPOKE | HAND MADE | COMMISSIONED
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Starting with a large wall of post-it notes, I ran through all the possibilities with the client and some course-mates to brainstorm and review.
Once the design was narrowed down, I produced some sketches of the potential designs to help visualise them for the client.
Now that the design was choosen and finalised and the clients were happy, I hand made the design using pine wood and the tools I had at home.
MIND MAP IDEATION
SKETCHING VISUALISATION
MAKING CREATION
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SKETCHES / RENDERS SKETCHBOOK | DIGITAL | CAD
These images were shown to the client as the final design to get their feedback and opinion on it, they loved the design and thought it would look great.
“Looks great! It’s pretty much exactly what we were imagining, it nails the rustic upcycled theme we wanted!” Client feedback was essential to ensure they were happy with the design and would be pleased with the outcome, the above statement was said when presented with the following renders in context.
“It has the functionality we are after, the small shelf in the middle is wonderful!” Listening to the clients initial demands and their repeated feedback helped narrow down the important issues that the design had to solve.
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HANDMADE / FINAL PRODUCT WOODEN| RUSTIC | CRAFTED
The final table I built is shown here in the environment it was designed to be used in. Both of the clients were very happy with the final result and use it almost daily.
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03
canto DESIGN WEEK - 1 WEEK
The brief required me to design a homeware product for student accommodation, the product had to have a series of hinges/live hinges as a USP. I had only one week to design and model a product.
3
SKETCHING 2 DAYS
1 WEEK TO MAKE. MODELMAKING 1-2 DAYS
CAD 2 DAYS
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PRODUCT IDEATION SKETCHING | THUMBNAILS | IDEAS
The brief specified that the homeware product had to be made of PP (polypropylene) only, and had to have a minimum of 1 live hinge. I started the process with some quick thumbnail sketches, progressing onto larger and more detailed sketches.
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The model was made using Foam Board and cardboard, and cut out using a series of tools such as scalpels and stanley knives.
FINAL MODEL
FOAM BOARD | FUNCTIONALITY A low fidelity model was produced to help show the functionality of the product, it was also made to test the sizing and proportions of the final design, aswell as testing it’s folding functionality.
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c a n t o tt hh ee uu ss ee ff uu ll cc oo rr nn ee rr .. 1.
canto folds up to under half of it’s original size using 18 live hinges, making storage easy.
bi-stable hinge
2.
canto has two forms, one for straight edges, and one for corners, with the ability to easily transform between the two.
The final design is shown left. canto is a desk tidy that sits and hangs on the corner of a desk/table, having the ability to hold wires, post it’s, coins, keys and stationary, while not taking up any desk space like many desk tidies do. It has two forms, one for corners, and one for straight edges, and can easily transform between the two in 4 simple folds. It can also fold up to take up a very small floor plan, to be stored away easily.
double hinge
double hinge
fl a t h i n g e
3.
canto holds wires, post it notes, coins, keys... and anything that can hang!
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DESK BUDDY INTERNET OF THINGS - 12 WEEKS A project which set the challenge of having to design a product which uses internet connectivity and cross-device communication to solve a problem.
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LONG TIME PERIODS
Many people spend extrememly long periods of time sitting at a desk without taking breaks. They may sit for hours and hours on end without getting up or simply moving away from their desk. Staring at a screen for this long can cause headaches and eye strain.
THE PROBLEM
OPPORTUNITY| IDENTIFICATION | SOLUTION
BAD POSTURE
While sat at a desk, users can become lazy and sit with bad posture, such as being hunched over. This causes back pain, shoulder pain and neck strain which can have long lasting effects.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
When some users work late into the night, they are exposed to bright white light from the screen and room when their natural circadian rhythm says they should be experiencing little to no light. This causes large amounts of problems with sleeping and tiredness.
EFFICIENCY
It has been found that all of the above problems largely impacts one’s efficiency negatively, they take longer to produce lower quality items of work, impacting their efficiency.
With these problems identified, it was possible to build a short statement that defines the products purpose. “A device that tracks and monitors the working environment for users who spend extended periods of time at a computer to help improve their comfort and wellbeing.”
concept generation product de-construction sketch ideation product innovation
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Mood boarding and setting aesthetic guidelines helped guide the design.
Name: Ben Howard Ben needs a device which:
SKETCHES / PRODUCT IDEATION SKETCHING | THUMBNAILS | IDEAS
Once the problem had been defined, I started some quick sketches while sticking within the set parameters and constraints that the problem definition had given me.
- Is passive once set up so doesn’t distract him with setting up - Blends in to his modern work environment - Will help his bad posture at work - Has an obvious way of communication so he can notice it - Has a technological look to it
Occupation: Website developer Age: 28
Persona - Ben Howard
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TESTING / USER RESEARCH SKETCHING | THUMBNAILS | IDEAS
Several low fidelity models were made out of blue foam to help test the different designs on their form and handling. With each design, large amounts of feedback was taken on board and developments were made to improve.
“Looks slightly like it’s watching you with a giant eye!”
The large circle item at the top of the device looks too much like a human eye, and some users reported back it might make you uncomfortable as it feels like you’re being watched. To improve this, the circle was decreased in size, and moved from being so prominent.
“The way it bends inwards and outwards looks really nice.”
“Takes up too much work space which I really need.“
Users stated that the general form of the body was aesthetically pleasing and the general flowing shape was attractive to them. I then decided to take forward this form.
As the main location the product would be used are desks and work spaces, and they reported that it took up too much desk space proportionally, it was important that the final floor plan was decreased.
“I really like the curved look with the high contrast!”
The final design was modelled in low fidelity and then tested and reviewed. The design aesthetic was taken very well and all of the developments made were successful.
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1
- REMINDERS AND ALERTS CAN BE SET, ASWELL AS AMBIENT SOUNDS PRODUCED. TRENDS AND ANALYTICS ARE USED TO PRODUCE THE MOST EFFICIENT RESULTS.
- EYE STRAIN CAUSED BY BRIGHT SCREENS AND BACK PAIN CAUSED BY HAVING A BAD POSTURE WHILE SITTING AT A DESK ARE BOTH VERY COMMON.
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2 3 - PLACE THE DEVICE ON YOUR DESK, NEAR WHERE YOU WORK, AND PLUG INTO THE COMPUTER VIA USB OR CONNECT VIA BLUETOOTH.
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- IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST LIGHTING IN THE ROOM AND MONITOR BRIGHTNESS, ASWELL AS SENDING YOU ON SCREEN ALERTS AND WARNINGS.
- TURN ON USING THE FRONT BUTTON, AND LET IT MONITOR YOU WHILE YOU WORK.
STORY BOARD
STORY BOARD DEFINITION | USE
A scenario of use helps users and potential clients understand how the product works.
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FINAL MODEL
PROTOTYPE | FINISHED | HIGH FIDELITY
The final model I hand made is shown left. It’s a 1:1 scale of the product.
I produced a CAD model alongside the real life model, to help produce templates and engineering drawings to assist making.
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IPHOTOGRAPHY NTERESTS AND ROBOTS The following section shows of my personal skills and interests, which are photography and building fighting robots as a member of the fighting robot society’s committee.
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Photography has always been a huge hobby of mine, starting with a DSLR, but more recently experimenting with 35mm film and double exposure. The next pages showcase some of my favourite photos. Photography is a useful skill to have for Product Design, having a wide range of uses, such as taking product shots of final models, creating presentation pages and creating advertisement. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some stunning destinations to capture their beauty through photography.
I have more recently picked up analogue photography, shooting with 35mm film. It provides another layer to photography which isn’t found with digital photos and makes me think and concentrate on my shots alot more, so has become one of my favourite hobbies.
VIDEOGRAPHY
As well as photography, i’ve taken a large interest in video making and videography. This started with making short movies, creating holiday videos, to entering some small local competitions with set briefs. I’ve also tried 2D Flat animation and logo creation. Below i’ve linked some videos I created in the past. They are split over two youtube channels. https://youtu.be/73nCH-y7FWM - ”Creativity” Video Competition https://youtu.be/H85VeQCsHdk - ”Inspiration” Video Competition https://youtu.be/EubbOamK0-c - 2D Flat Animation Intro
https://youtu.be/130M74zy1r0 - Comic Book Logo Creation https://youtu.be/vgSCx_sDCB4 - Holiday Video
FIGHTING ROBOTS PERSONAL PROJECT Me and a few friends decided to band together and we created a brand new society at Loughborough University. We’ve gained over 30 members this year, and have started to build several fighting robots together!
To see what we’re up to as a society, check out our instagram below @fightingrobotsoc_lboro
I’m the Media representitive of the founding committee, which means I’m in charge of running all of the social media platforms, advertisement and creating any graphics the society wants. For the society I’ve designed logos, posters and stash.
Creating the robot is a team project that is currently a work in progress. We haven’t finished the designs yet and are still prototyping a range of ideas. We often spend large amounts of time on lathes, milling machines and pillar drills, as a member of the societies founding committee, we often must teach and instruct members how to use these machines safely, and help them when they are unsure with both the machinery and the basics of building robots. A large part of the robots are the electronic components inside. These must be wired together and soldered with precision, and some require some “hacking�. Some of the components we use include Motors, Electronic Speed Controllers, Controllers and Receivers and Servos. Helping to run the society helps me build my leadership and my organisational skills while building the robot helps me practice and improve my electronics and work shop skills.
UX APP DESIGN PERSONAL PROJECT UX and app design has always interested me, and i’ve always enjoyed creating some basic app mockups. Below is an example of an archery tracking app which I set myself the challenge to design and create within 24 hours.
“I don’t like the pen and paper system and struggle with the maths, an easier digital system would be ideal”
Talking to fellow archers in the designing stage allowed me to make the decisions I did by using their feedback and wishes.
THANKS. FEEL FREE TO GET IN CONTACT!
@ LINKEDIN: /miles-bennett-428476160/
INSTAGRAM: @m_bennett_design
CONTACT: milesbennett90@yahoo.co.uk 07887392590