Vinh Pho pho.vinh@gmail.com vinhpho.com
Skate follows...
FUN TION Answering the unmet needs of the 3rd largest sport nation wide, the design strategy was to create a helmet that was not only portable, but held true to skate culture.
Types of skating Street Skating + Use of anything around to perform tricks + Free skating around and performing board flips (example: Kick flips, allies, nose grabs & heel flips) 90
+ Skating style that interacts most with law enforcement
Pool / Vert Skating + Use of drained pool of half pipe + Very Skating is highly dangerous + Usually more veteran skaters perform skating
Transitional Skating + Tricks are performed off mini ramps or rails + Skaters tend to perform small aerial manoeuvres + Grind Rails + Mostly done at skate parks
Facts + 3rd
largest sport in the nation
+ 800 skate parks world wide + California has 200 skate parks with 20,622
users per park
+ Skater life, live vigorously and never spare a moment + Pushing the Envelope, trend setters that lead by example, pushing ends to no bounds
Design Strategies
+ With holding the Essence of street skating - creating legit designs that the users want + Comfort and portability at the highest focal points - Allowing the skaters to transport with the maximum ease + Design Inspiration that our skaters demand and want Needs - Comfort - Portability a. Helmet needs to ďŹ t into a storage device for ease of carry - Heat Resistance Wants - A sense of personal style “individualism - Legitimacy - Slim Fit, Proportions of helmet are too large - Design of Hole Ventilation redesigned + Use of materials and design that everyday skaters want - Trends of material within the design of the helmet that give a better response to skaters - Allowing skaters to have a sense of proud individualism and ownership
David The Skater
+ Target age group is 13-18 - Largest amount of skaters range from this group - Stage of life that make independent decision + Focus group on Transitional and Street Skating - These 2 groups of skating normally do not have as much aerial manoeuvres therefore allowing for a lighter, less impactors helmet + Design unmeet need of lighter, more ventilated helmet - From every skater interviewed, the main issue was the heat + Issues of transporting the helmet - When not in use, the helmet is clunky and inconvenient for storage + Aesthetic design language - Taking key information from the interviews and applying into design a. Skate fashion culture b. Basic Graphic elements c. Primary colors d. GrafďŹ ti Urban art
Gonzalez
Skate Interviews Skate Profile Kevin Nguyen Age: 15 Occupation: high school Years Skating: 3 Speciality: Street
Current Helmet Designs - Helmets aren’t portable, hard to Carry from place to place - Back pads fall out all the time
Fashion and Culture - Hates Posers (people that wear skate attire but do not skate) - Plain white Tees - Beginners wear whack helmets (observation) - GrafďŹ ti Art
Kevin Nguyen “Helmets Helmets aren’t aren t portable” portable
Skate Interviews Skate Profile Tony Young Age: 17 Occupation: College student Years Skating: 5 Speciality: Trans
Current Helmet Designs - Helmets are too large, hard to see corners - Hard to carry helmet inside backpack with other books - Vent design for helmets are “whack”
Fashion and Culture - “People don’t wear helmets because they think they are hard asses - Likes Primary colors B&W
Tony Young
“Vent design g for helmets are whack”
Skate Interviews Skate Profile Arron Johnson Age: 15 Occupation: high school Years Skating: 3 Speciality: Vert and Trans
Current Helmet Designs - Doesn’t like vent design - Feels that helmet interior is too hot
Fashion and Culture - Fashion: Levis and Krew Jeans - Enjoys artist work from RVCA Brand - Wants a helmet he can make his own
Arron Johnson “Make Make it my own” own
Skate Interviews Skate Profile Jon “Micro” Age: 13 Occupation: Middle School Years Skating: 4 Speciality: Street
Current Helmet Designs - Would wear helmet if there was a better fit - Did not like the thickness of Current Helmets
Fashion and Culture - Helmet should be designed as if one wasn’t “trying” to hard - Likes minimalistic graphics
Jon “Micro”
“Don’t try to hard”
Addressing Needs
Increase Ventilation Create a more compact design Increase Portability Materials that better suite heat resistance
Breath
Support
Elasticity
Function
Heritage
+ Styles and elements in skate shoes are vase and always evolving + Graphics and design in skate shoes house interesting key ďŹ ndings that’s can be transferred to helmets
Portability
+ The idea of portability in design + Holding its ridged strength and function
Design
+ Elements of Skate culture + Fashion Trend ideology of Design
The pores in the GORE-TEX® membrane are 700 times bigger than a water vapour molecule, so perspiration can easily evaporate through and you can stay dry from the inside out. Breathability is an important component of comfort when you are active. SKYDEX will not crack on impact, will not break down over a few uses and isn’t meant to be disposable. Developed from rugged polymers in spring-like shapes, SKYDEX materials flex and dissipate shock on impact every time.
SKYDEX offers improved airflow and comfort - a plus in a hot and sweaty helmet. Moreover; SKYDEX repels moisture, leaving the helmet light and wearable over the toughest ramps and skate tricks. SKYDEX won’t decompose after long use, and is hygienic choice because it resists bacteria and mildew. A bun gee cord is an elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, covered in a woven sheath usually of nylon or cotton. More recently, specialized bun gee jumping cords are made entirely of elastic strands. Also known as octopus, or “occy”, straps in Australia.
Materials
120
Proof of Design
6 lbs. foam was used to carve the helmet, with the clay model of the male head from a solidworks ďŹ gure.
Loosen lacing on the backside of helmet Lift the back panel while pivoting the front to angle the top of helmet down.
Tuck top surface into the crown of the helmet
Side panels then fold atop of the surface into the crown.
Size reduction for a more portable solution for users to transport.
Dimensions Model designed in Solidworks 2010
Portability 132
Material
5mm Bun gee cable
SKYDEX protection padding lined under all shelled pieces
ABS plastic shell
Ballistic Nylon Aluminium strap placement
GORE-TEC fabric for interior lining ABS chin strap
Final Design
portable skat )81 7,21