RITA HULL Industrial Design Portfolio
RITA HULL (847) 830 4054 rmhull@iastate.edu
EDUCATION IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Ames, Iowa Industrial Design 3.6 GPA
ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENT ALPHA CHI OMEGA, DELTA NU Active Member Fall 2014- Current
KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Stockholm, Sweden Industrial Design Engineering and Sustainability Fall semester 2016 EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE PLATO’S CLOSET Libertyville, Illinois Sales Associate and Social Media Administrator Fall 2010- Summer 2016 Provided excellent customer service and honed professional business skills leading to promotion to Social Media Administrator in charge of the store’s Instagram and Snapchat accounts ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Tutor Spring semester 2015 Assisted students in learning class material, leading discussions and creating supplemental lessons for difficult subjects
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN SENIOR SHOWCASE Studio Representative Planner Spring 2017 DEAN’S LIST 5 Semesters AWARD FOR COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE 4 Year Recipient CREATIVE SKILLS Adobe Creative Suite Solidworks Keyshot Microsoft Office Woodworking Rapid prototyping Visual communication Holistic design thinking User research
PROJECTS
JAKOB
BUBBLER
AERO DRYER
SOMNIA
TAIMI
JAKOB Flat-pack furniture piece using wood joinery Individual Project 5 Weeks
PROJECT BRIEF Design a furniture piece for people living in small homes or apartments with limited space. The piece should be easily disassembled and flat-packed. No adhesives such as glue or screws may be used to put it together.
INSPIRATION Clean, minimal joinery methods
FORM EXPLORATION
PROTOTYPING Developing connections without using nails, screws, glue, or adhesives was a defining element of the process.
FINISHED JOINERY Each piece of poplar wood locks in place using angled slot joints.
ASSEMBLY The design uses nine separate pieces. Instructions are absent of words in order to convey the assembly steps in a universal form.
FINAL DESIGN The final design, titled the Jakob Ascending Shelf, is a flat-pack, multipurpose storage statement piece. Different heights of the shelves create different levels of adaptability; the top for quick reach items, the middle for display pieces, and the bottom for storage
THE BUBBLER Upcycled lighting fixture Team Project 1 Day
THE GOAL Design and build a lighting fixture using discarded material. Create a beautiful form by using repetition of the material. We were given one light bulb and six hours to complete the challenge
THE BUBBLER The design formed around using air-filled, plastic packaging cushions. Each piece was twisted and tied together, creating chains that wrapped together and hung around the light. The Bubbler was chosen to be displayed in a Design Expo featuring Upcycling.
AERO DRYER Digitally developed hairdryer modeled in Solidworks and rendered in Keyshot Individual Project 3 Weeks
INSPIRATION Aerodynamic, sporty, sleek
Aerodynamic
Sleek
Graceful curves
Angeled front
ABS Plastic Body
Polypropylene Button
Synthetic Rubber Handle grip
MATERIALS
PVC Plastic Cord
Vent Allows for airflow
Power Button Decisive mechanism
Grill Energetic airflow
Handle Grip Ergonomic and stable
SOMNIA HOOD Travel wearable to aid in sleeping for busy, nomadic lifestyles Individual Project 8 Weeks
THE PROBLEM Millennials are suffering from chronic sleep deprivation due to busy and demanding lifestyles, causing lack of energy, inability to focus, depression, and declining health.
USER RESEARCH
22%
22% of individuals in their 20s and 30s say they are getting enough sleep regularly
40%
40% of Millennials report that their stress has increased in the last year
29%
Only 29% of Millennials say they are doing a good job reducing stress
DESIGN GOALS Encourage busy millennials to achieve more sleep through napping during breaks or sleeping while traveling. Create a portable product that adapts easily into fast paced, nomadic lifestyles and provides a comfortable, convenient experience in order to improve the energy levels and health of the users.
FABRICATION
13 17.50
4.50
7.50
Heather gray knit cotton
Black jersey knit cotton
White elastic
All dimensions in inches
USER SCENARIO Place the hood on and pull the elastic to gently contour around face to block undesired noise and light. Sleep comfortably on the go: at a desk, on the train, or on the bus.
TAIMI Aeroponic sprouting machine Team Project 15 Weeks
THE PROBLEM Demand from a growing population will require 35% more food, which will affect how and what we eat Some of the nutrients in food are lost due to long distance transport and stressed soils Most of the world’s population lives in or near a large city
THE GOAL To contribute to a self-sustaining urban environment. Design and develop a smart, convenient, and effective product based on modern home perspective with the user in focus. The product should provide a large audience with healthy, nutrition-packed sprouts through beautiful, smart, and valuable experience
RESEARCH
BENEFITS OF SPROUTING
What is sprouting? Sprouting is a method of germinating seeds, including grains, nuts, beans, or other kinds of seeds, to make them easier to digest allowing your body to access their full nutritional profile
How to sprout
Increases nutrient absorption
Sprouting begins with soaking the seeds, which activates them. After the required soaking time, the seeds need to be rinsed 2 to 3 times each day. This process does not require soil, only simple supplies Easy to digest
Water
Seeds
3 to 8 days
Full of fiber and nutrients User Experience Sprouts are easy to grow and highly rewarding both in nutrition and convenience
Contain antioxidants
More densely nutritious than mature plants
BRANDING We focused on fitting the project into the product line of iittala, an iconic Scandinavian housewares brand
Aeroponics
Hydroponics
Manual
IDEATION Integration of service design
USER EXPERIENCE
Encounter
Purchase
Interest
Set up
Reward point
Reward point
Order more
Make dinner
Share with others
Sparks interest in more people
FINAL PRODUCT We chose the Finnish word “taimi� to name the product, meaning seedling or sapling. This word characterizes the function of the product as well as the user experience; users are introduced to a new awareness of sustainable living which grows with the use of the product.
Plant Lights Aids plant growth
Multifunctional Pods Allows for overlapping cycles
Dishwasher-safe Materials Convenient cleaning
AEROPONIC SYSTEM The water tank uses a spring loaded cap that acts as a valve; when in place, the weight of the tank pushes the cap and releases the water into the small reservoir located between the tank and the pump. The pump distributes the water to the nozzles, which provide each sprouting pod with moist air.
MATERIALS The design emphasizes wood and glass to further connect to the iittala brand. However, the structure requires steel to provide adequate support to the entire structure. Instead of welding or adhesives, the construction utilizes geometrical lockings and four screws.
Treated wood
Clear glass lid
Metal mesh
Steel structure
Frosted glass base
Steel screws
RITA HULL Iowa State University Ames, IA
(847) 830 4054 rmhull@iastate.edu