Project Two: Postal Presents - Model Maker's Spray Can Rack

Imagine you were a model maker; you continuously make figurine models day after day, and you have several dozens of spray cans of every colour of the rainbow in your cupboard. Rainbow… don’t you sometimes just wish you could display your rainbow of colours of spray cans, just as proudly as you display your figurine models?

With this easily flat packed and simple spray can rack, you can quite simply, display your vast array of spray can colours in a rainbow form, as both an aesthetically pleasing industrial design piece and also a simple form of organisation of the many spray cans that model makers have available at their fingertips.

The spray can rack is made of Acrylic perspex because it is a cheap and cost effective material that is also readily available. The cutting diagram for this product is very simple, five identical rectangular pieces which slot into two larger semi-circle pieces. This make for a cheap and cost effective laser cutting process because it is very simple and does not require much time at all to cut, even with a laser cutter.

If there were no size limitations to this project, the amount of slots for spray cans can easily increase, as all that needs to be added is more semi-circles of the same size, and readjusting the rectangular pieces' lengths so that they all slot into each semi-circle correctly. The limits to this spray can rack can be endless as every extra semi-circle piece adds another four slots to the rack, and can be continued indefinately.

This design could have been improved by making better use of the negative space around the ends of the semi-circle just before it hits the surface, as there is enough space to fit two more slots so that two more spray cans can sit in the rack, making a total of 6 spray cans, as shown in the last two pictures before the poster, however this design is limited to only fitting 4 spray cans, because of the lack of the use of negative space in the design.

Ross Lovegrove: Organic design

Organic design seems to be the only thing on Ross Lovegrove’s mind. He is quite literally as he said it, ‘Captain Organic’. He believes in form and the philosophical aspects hidden behind form. Through watching this video it was clear to me that the message he was sending out to me, and most probably to other industrial designers, was to take risks when designing. Don’t always follow the market trend in order to just earn money.

He believes in the driving notion to be different, and create designs which will benefit lifestyle in the future, in a natural and organic way, not just in its form, but in its entirety, that is, construction, materials, interaction, affordances, design elements, the whole lot. This idea was exacerbated in the final example he gave of his ideal car design. Although most companies ignored it, his philosophical reasoning behind it was, to me, perfection at its best. I agree that the shape of the car did not look as aerodynamic and sexy as todays concept cars, but what it does for you, your surroundings and your environment was amazing.

For me, this video meant a lot. It showed me that designing is not just about making products which are similar to todays market, but to design products which are different, in ways which benefit the users, physically, emotionally and philosophically. Although risky, designers must be risk takers in order to change the world we live in and our natural perceptions of what is right and what we prefer in our products.

Bad Design: Service Button at Fujiya Restaurant

Experience Enrichment - Peer Assesment

Project One: Experience Enrichment - Peer Assesments

1. Nicholas Walker

2. Fiona Lee

3. Julian Chow

4. Charmaine Chen

5. Glenaldy Janto

Project 1: Experience Enrichment - BC Clip

What the design is about:

Businessmen are always meeting new people and clients, and the need to constantly give out contact details is a must in order to keep in contact with clients, co-workers and friends.

The ability to quickly and easily give out one’s business card is essential, especially when there could be a big opportunity in business success if the person you just met is well known and successful. Not every businessman carries several business cards when they’re out of the office, so this design caters for the need to always have access to a supply of business cards at any time.

My design is a fashionable accessory for businessmen which also works as a business card holder. It was designed to look like a very simplistic accessory that could be worn by all businessmen in the breast pocket of their blazer, whilst also having the ability to store their personal business cards wherever they go.

The breast pocket is usually an untouched pocket for most businessmen who wear blazers, and this clip-on styled card holder makes this opportunity, allowing the user to conveniently store their business cards hidden behind their breast pocket, whilst also looking smart, fashion-forward and professional whenever they wear their blazer’s.

What the BC clip does:

The BC clip is a clip which hangs on the breast pocket of a blazer, whilst also being able to store business cards. The aluminium strip is held together by magnets which acts as a support to hold the clip in place whilst also being the cover for the slot to fill more business cards with.

What the final production model should be made of:

In the final production product, the choice of materials would have been slightly different. The aluminium strip would be replaced by stainless steel, as it removes the need for the zinc washer that I attached onto the aluminium so that the magnetic force being exerted from the magnets could draw the aluminium towards the magnet. A smaller hinge, the size of the aluminium strip (20mm) would be used, so as to compliment the minimalistic design. The main body would be made from either an aluminium or steel sheet, which could also be encased in black leather to enhance the luxurious look of the fashionable card holder.

Justifying design decisions and approach:

The model was made in MDF as making the entire body out of a single or several sheets of aluminium or steel was out of reach. Each MDF part was put together with superglue to reduce waiting time for drying, and then sprayed with several thin layers of black acrylic paint and then with a few layers of dull cote spray. I chose to have a ‘matt black’ look as I thought it would look more luxurious than a glossy black card holder, as the glossy black could be considered a cheap ‘plastic’ look.

The aluminium strip was used instead of steel because I couldn’t get any access to steel sheets as thin as the aluminium strip. I experimented with a thicker 3mm aluminium strip, but the bending process kept creating errors and mistakes and it would have taken too long to perfect. A brass hinge was used to allow the ‘L’ shaped aluminium piece to be lifted whilst still being connected to the body of the card holder. ‘Two part Epoxy’ was used to join the aluminum strip to the brass hinge. Brass was used for the hinge as it was the only material available for hinges of that size.

I decided to use magnets as a form of connection between the aluminium strip and the body of the card holder because I figured that it was the cleanest, and most simplest way of connecting the two parts even through the blazer breast pocket. However, because aluminium is not affected by the magnets, I attached a zinc washer on the aluminium strip, because zinc is affected by magnets. In the final product, steel would have been the better option as it is affected by magnets, and also eliminates the need for the zinc washer.

BC Clip Pleasure Analysis:

Physio-Pleasure:

• Magnetic connections between the aluminium clip and the card holder body for ease of use and convenience.
• Slots for fingers to glide through with ease
• Angled body for a comfortable grip on the hands
• Leather encased body for a luxurious and elegant feel.
• Placed in the breast pocket so it does not obstruct space in the trouser pockets.

Psych-Pleasure:

• Knowing that you will stand out
• Convenience of always having a business card handy
• Never worrying
• Looks like no other product on the market
• Nothing too technical or difficult

Ideo-Pleasure:

• Makes use of the hardly ever used breast pocket in blazers.
• Never need to worry about connection parts breaking because the design uses magnets.

Socio-Pleasure:

• Talking point for other people as they have never seen anything similar before.
• Makes the user look professional and fashion forward.
• Exclusivity
• Improves relationships with potential business partners