Technology & Realization
Industrial designers should be able to create prototypes to communicate their concept to others. The prototypes are tailored to the audience. Different prototypes are made to present or test other functionalities of the concept.
Activities
In year 1, I got familiar with Processing and Arduino software during the course ‘Creative Programming’. After that, I experimented more with Arduino software and electronics in the course ‘Creative Electronics’. I was able to implement this new knowledge in project 1 ‘Open up’. During ‘Engineering Design’, I could share my prototyping and programming skills with the team.
Project 1 ‘Open up’, Project 2 ‘The Interactive Museum’, Project 3 ‘DOUBT’ and my final bachelor project ‘LILO’ were iterative design
processes where multiple prototypes with interactive qualities were made. During those projects, I followed workshops on digital craftsmanship, material characteristics and prototyping methods.
Next to the ‘big’ projects, I also made more low-fidelity prototypes for other courses. E.g From Idea to Design, User-centered Design, Aesthetics of Interaction, Engineering Design and the USE Human In Technology projects.
Examples
At the beginning of my studies, I was inexperienced with software and electrical engineering. My development in this expertise area might be the biggest development of all the expertise areas. I had to learn everything from scratch. After all my experience with software and electronics, I and am now able to design interactive systems.
During my studies, I’ve developed multiple interactive demonstrators. The demonstrator of project 3 ‘DOUBT’ had the most working functionalities. We designed a smart clothing hanger that reacts to the user actions with movement, sound and light. The software for the electronics was made with Arduino. The electrical and mechanical engineering included an Arduino UNO, stepper motor, LED’s, battery, microcontroller, accelerometer and real-time clock. The demonstrator had all the
functionalities to function as a research object which could be used for multiple days. During the project, I learned to work Arduino on a higher level, and I was introduced to laser cut technology.
The final demonstrator of the LILO project is a realistic representation of how the concept would be work in a real-life setting which makes it highly feasible. I’ve calculated what the production costs are of the demonstrator and how high it would be with a potential supplier. Moreover, I learned how to work with sublimation technology. I’ve experimented with multiple materials to find the perfect material for the final design. Because of the high quality and feasibility of the concept, I could critically evaluate room for improvement. For example, there is more work to be done for sustainability, production strategy, technology and material choice.
Conclusion
I enjoy the process of creation. It has been challenging to work with software, electrical and mechanical engineering. The DOUBT project was the ideal project to apply my knowledge from the course in a project. I am experienced with Arduino software, but if I would develop an interactive project with the software now, I would need time to dive into the theorem again.
With the LILO project, I presented my skills with working with materials, and with working out detailed demonstrators which present multiple functionalities.