Sketches & Model-Making

April 11, 2018April 12, 2018

Soft Goods Prototype

For the second assignment, we are task to do a soft goods prototype using paper. So the first thing that I thought of is a make-up bag. Reasons why I decided to go with this:

My sister make up bag

My current make up bag does not have lots of compartment
My sister has a huge pile of make up, but she only carries her lipstick wherever she goes

Above are existing make up bag/pouches. There are variations type of make up bags, hence I decided to go for something that is more personalize, something that I need in a make up bag.

Functions/some things to take note while sketching:

Divider
Zipped
Compartments
Small & light weight
A mirror, maybe.

Sketches

From previous assignment, I find it quite easy and fast to draw the details in orthographic view. Hence, did the same way for this assignment.

Most of my sketches are in rectangular shape. I explore variation of compartments, wether to have it in portrait or landscape. At the start of my sketches, I explore mostly on 1 and 2 tiers of the bag. Then, when ideas started to strike me, I started sketching 3 tiers of the bag, which allows more things to be put inside it.

Process

I start by doing the base (image at the top). I had 2 different sizes of the base so that I can work between those 2 and roughly know what is the size that I want to achieve. Then I did the brush compartment (image at bottom left and bottom center). While doing, the compartment, I use my stationary as a guide for my brushes and other make-up items. Then I did the last compartment (image on the bottom right), with my stationary in it to see wether the size fits. Lastly, I combine all the different parts together.

However, I felt that it was too bulky and I decided to cut down its size.

The focus of this process is to get the correct size. Hence, while I was doing this, I kept going back and forth from the box to my hand. Other then depending on my hand size, I also put in some of my makeup.

After finalising my prototype using paper, I move to art card and development my prototype. There are differences when using art card. One of it is the increase in size. Hence I had to change the steps of making my prototype. Previously, I started with the base. But now, I start with the brush compartment, then the base and the zipped compartment. Another difficulty I face was, I kept using tapes to combine all the parts together. However, some parts did not stick together and glue gun is the solution to this problem.

February 28, 2018February 28, 2018

Mobile phone dock with speakers: Part 2

Hello! In my previous post, I mention about my findings about existing mobile phone dock with speaker. And here are some of my detailed ideation sketches.

ideation sketches

And from my drawing process above, I realised that I drawing the detailed parts is easier to draw on orthographic view than perspective view. Hence throughout my sketches, I drew the detailed parts on orthographic view.

In my previous post, I also mention about the process of creating the form and the difficult part was making the form stand on a certain angle. Hence, I tried doing it again.

Process

Sand it to make it smooth, however it is still not at the angle that I wanted

So I kept sanding the tip bit by bit to create the angle

Guidelines to help me not to over sand it

So I had two design that I wanted (image below). And I decided to go for design 1 as it is easier for user to interact with the buttons (the circles). Another reason why I did not choose design 2 is because, if i were make a concave at the outline of the speaker, the tip of the speaker might broke easily as it is thin.

Outcome

After a few failures at creating the form and let it stand at a certain angle, I manage to create it as close as what i visualise in my mind!

Take-away from this assignment:

Once I have the orthographic view correct, it is much easier to fill in the details.
A faster way to sand the foam, but I need more hand-on practice.
There is no shortcut to create the outcome, as I had to keep on trying and trying to get what I visualise for.

February 21, 2018February 28, 2018

Mobile phone dock with speakers: Part 1

Hello! Here’s my part 1 process of the mobile phone dock with speaker assignment.

Before I started sketching my ideation , I recap on week 3 lectures where we learnt different method of ideation sketching. Out of all the methods, I decided to go with focusing on the aesthetic qualities. Hence I decided to focus on polygon shapes to create the visual of the mobile phone dock.

Ideation

One of the difficulties I face during sketching was drawing the orthographic view, as I can visualise in my mind how I wanted it to be but I could not draw it. Hence I did variations of perspective drawing on the selected sketch.

Foam Model-making

I forgot to take process photos as I was too focus on creating it and to make it stand in itself. Hence, above images are the outcome photos.

Steps:

Firstly, it started form a cuboid foam. Then I cut out the front view which was the diamond shape, using the foam cutter. Then I cut the sides. This was the difficult part as it is supposed to be at an angle for both side. Hence I kept cutting using the foam cutter, and everything gets destroyed and I had to redo it.

I also forgotten about how the back of my foam suppose to be like. Hence, it lead me to being unable to make the foam stand on itself. To create the back part, I started shaving bit by bit using the foam cutter, not pen knife. Then when the foam looks like it was roughly there, I start sanding it. At first I used a small 5cm by 5cm sandpaper to sand it. Then Parimala suggested that I lay a big sandpaper on the table and put the foam on it and start sanding, which makes things much easier and faster too.

TADAAA! My foam was able to stand on itself

Tip of the foam gets cut off when sanding

When I was sanding the edges, using the a small sandpaper, the tip of the foam always get cut off. This was one of the issues that I was not able to resolve during class. Hence I did some research, by watching youtube videos, to solve the issue. And the answer was to try other tools sand or cut it.

For next lesson, we are suppose to do more detail sketches, such as where the phone sits, the material and more. So before I start sketching, I did more research of a phone deck and speaker. And here are my findings:

That’s all for today’s post! Hopefully the next post will be a more refine version of my mobile phone deck with speaker!