Bethan O'Brien | Portfolio '17

BETHAN O’BRIEN Industrial Design Portfolio 2017

Hello!

I’m Bethan O’Brien.

I am a second year designer, studying for a BA degree in Industrial Design and Technology at Loughborough University Design School.

I believe that design is a very powerful tool, one that I intend to use to benefit the environment and improve the lives of people in a highly meaningful way.

I am passionate about sustainability and thrive off attempting to solve real world problems.

I am looking for a 6 - 12 month placement, an opportunity to gain real experience. I am keen to learn and absorb as much as possible and develop my skills and potential as a designer.

I hope you enjoy my portfolio.

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CONC INDIVIDUAL PROJECT | WORK IN PROGRESS This project involved surface modelling a mobile speaker on SolidWorks CAD software. The inside detailing of the casing and internal components are still being developed “Design and construct a mobile speaker using only surface modelling techniques�

I looked to the current industrial and upycling interior design trend for design inspiration, particularly looking at the style of the lighting products. I wanted to see how I could extend the life of a product that would otherwise be quickly discarded and replaced after purchase

Meet CONC. A mobile speaker designed for longevity CONC’S unique concrete casing allows for substantial wear and tear, and the user interaction initiates an emotional connection between user and product.

CONC comes in a selection of concrete styles and accent wire colours.

Twist until ‘click’ to turn the speaker on and off

Twisting the front of the speaker clockwise and anticlockwise activates the volume control

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STAY SHARP GROUP PROJECT | 12 WEEKS This project required a complete and viable injection mould tool design and manufacture “Design and develop a functional polymer ‘widget’ that is intended to be given away to promote a particular brand or product” The widget our group selected to manufacture was a pencil sharpener designed to promote Loughborough Design School. Successfully completing this project required good team work, communication and time management throughout the process. To achieve a high quality finish on the mould tool and the injection moulded widget; a high level of accuracy and precision in the workshop was necessary

Designing the Mould Tool Models of the widget and of the mould tool were created on CAD, which was necessary for the programming of the CNC CAD software, and also allowed us to run mould flow simulations to analyse and make appropriate adjustments. When mould tool had been refined and manufacturing viability was ensured, engineering drawings of inserts and mould tool were drawn up to work off for the manufacturing stage

Mould Top Aluminium

Sharpener Top Insert Mild Steel Pin Long x2 Silver Steel H7-h6 Heavy Press Fit

Sharpener Bottom Slide Insert Block Mild Steel

Sharpener Bottom Slide Insert Shaft Mild Steel Sharpener Bottom Insert Mild Steel

Pin Short x8 Silver Steel

Mould Bottom Aluminium

Manufacturing Process After the finalisation of our mould tool design we began the manufacturing process. The first stage involved programming the EdgeCAM CAD software in order to CNC mill the cavities out of the two mould halves. Using the manual milling machines and the lathes we began constructing the inserts. When the manufacture of the mould tool was complete, the injection moulding process could begin. We trialled several different pressures and speed settings until we achieved the best quality fill and production of our final widget

Mass Production Proposal 3,00,000 widgets | 13 weeks After measuring the time taken to produce the individual widget, we calculated that we could meet this quota by making the mould tool a 4 cavity radial fill

Widget Lifecycle We aimed to make the impact of the widget lifecycle as low as possible. Polypropelene was the chosen materail due to appropriate properties and excellent recyclability credentials

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RENA INDIVIDUAL PROJECT | 1 WEEK

This project required a quick turn around of idea generation, development all the way through to an appropriate final solution, and an in depth consideration of sustainability factors. “Design a product to improve domestic household chores. This could be to add greater enjoyment to a task, convenience or functionality. The product should value to either cleaning or kitchen activities in the home�

I really wanted to focus on optimising the sustainability credentials of my product and meet a need by creating a useful product. I decided to focus on the young-student-living-away-from-home demographic

Meet Anna.

20, 2nd year Criminology Student Bristol Lives in rented student accomodation with 5 other friends and is often short of spending money For students, laundry facilities are usually provided on campus in form of launderettes, which tend to be expensive and not a place students want to spend the little money they have. Set price per washing and drying cycle regardless of how much the load weighs

“I have been known to take my clothes into the shower with me to clean them so that I can avoid spending money on a wash!”

The Problem The average washing machine consumes about

Clothing accounts for

/kg, per

15% of the

36 weeks in an academic year 1 wash | 1 tumble dry a week £3/wash and £2/tumble dry

=£180/year

Handwashing is considered by students to be time consuming and inconvenient, but in regards to cost the ideal way to get clothes clean on a budget. Its also thought that unless you have the appropriate facilities you may not get a good result

Limited space in student accomodation. Washing and drying clothes in rooms such as this is impractical and inconvenient. No facilities to accomodate hand washing or space for drying wet clothes. Typical drying racks take up a lot of room, particularly floor space

we use in

Strategy

15 litres of

The aim is to reduce the amount of unnecessary washing machine cycles used for small amounts of clothes. The result should facilitate behaviour change.

The user will save money using the solution and more importantly, save water.

The solution should be as low impact at each stage of its life cycle as possible.

It must be appealing to students and could tap into the ‘raw’, ‘earthy’, fashionably eco friendly trend cirulating on social media platforms such as Instagram that students frequent.

To remove dirt and stains the clothes are scrubbed together

Wet clothes are left on the side whilst sink and dirty water is

Clothes are rinsed through one by one

Clothes are soaked in the water and washing liquid

Clothes have to each be wrung and squeezed out again by hand to remove excess water

Wet clothes are put on the radiator to dry. Usually one radiator per room so space is limited and heating has to be on so clothes dry quicker

The process is time consuming and labour instensive and each item of clothing is individually washed, rinsed and wrung out to achieve the best result. This is ineffective, limiting, and difficult to determine when done. It also results in a lot wasted water.

Space to put the wet clothes during the process is limited, and wherever they are placed leaves a pool of water which has to be afterwards cleaned up.

Students leave their bedroom doors open -potential place to hang washing from In the absence of a drying rack the clothes are left to dry on a radiator which must be on to ensure the clothes dry quicker. This in turn wastes energy

Clothes are individually wrung out by twisting and put to one side

A compact and convenient handwashing aid that can also be folded into a drying rack.

Recycled materials should be used without compromising product performance. Styling should increase longievity of the product both functionally and aesthetically

Proposal

Standard small sink in a student room, other types of accomodation will have something similar but in a bathroom

Further Insights

The Process

Product would most likely be purchased by parents before the academic year begins and can therefore be a little more expensive than the average student could afford; ÂŁ15 -ÂŁ20. Long term investment solution; product should not encourage disposal shortly after purchase

rena.

Thumb screw removed and clip turned around to create the hook.

Can be inserted in both directions so product hangs flat against the door

Pine board and frame have been treated to protect them from the moisture

Tapered shape allows for the door to open when product is hung on it to dry clothes

Brass hinge clips the drying rack and scrubbing board togetherproduct can be neatly folded up

Product facilitates an easier, more convenient and improved performance hand washing experience for students. Encouraging them to hand wash small loads instead of putting it through a washing machine cycle at the launderettes, thereby saving money, energy and water.

Easy dissassembly allows for reconfiguration, repair and replacement of parts to encourage sustainable behaviour instead of disposal. Parts can be reused or recylced at the end of the products’ life

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Steel clip holds product neatly together and slides out to release the parts and switch into a hook

Scrubbing board is unclipped from the rest of the product

User begins hand washing clothes using the steel scrubbing board to achieve a thorough clean. This will fit into any standard sized sink

The scrubbing board can be clipped back onto the drying rack and product parts can be folded in such a way to squeeze excess water out of the washed clothes to prevent dripping

Product is folded out to create the drying rack and hung wherever the user sees fit. Clothes are hung up to dry

Packaging comes in the form of a card box made up of two halves with a handle so product can be neatly packed away, stored or transported. The inside has been sealed with wax and so can be used to catch and save any water used in the process for secondary use

SAVE WATER SHOWER WITH A FRIEND

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HEIWA INDIVIDUAL PROJECT | 12 WEEKS This project required a sensitivity to form and attention to detail, throughout the ideation, development and extensive model making process. A branding device has been designed along with the Heiwa app interface, and the user experience and interaction have been thoroughly considered “Identify an opportunity for an Internet of Things product” I decided to design a sensory toy for children with autism, that would aid ‘meltdown’ prevention and soothe the child in the event one. The toy is intended to bring the child back to a level of calmness at a faster rate, reducing the amount of stress for both the child and his/her parent or guardian. The form was largely driven by ergonomics, and trying to achieve optimum user interaction, engagement and sensory experience

Stylistic Direction

UNDERSTANDING ASD Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them Many autistic children experience meltdowns. A meltdown is an intense response to overwhelming situations- a sensory overload, and results in a temporary loss of behavioural control. This can be expressed verbally (shouting, crying) or physically (kicking, lashing out) or in both ways

“Around 700,000 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum. Together with their families, this means autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people�

Light

Sound

Touch -National Autistic Society

heiwa

heiwa

Numerous things every day can trigger a child with ASD to have a meltdown, such as small changes to a daily routine and sensory conditions. When this happens, it is very difficult for a parent or guardian to console the child and the situation can be stressful for both parties

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Parent turns on the Heiwa app to activate the Heiwa sensory toy

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Heiwa sensory toy is activated, displaying coloured lights, calming sounds and gentle vibrations

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Ben’s heart rate

75 bpm (Back to normal)

Interaction with Heiwa quickens the rate at which the child calms. By monitoring heart rate, Heiwa learns which sensory displays are the most effective at this and displays these combinations more frequently

The Heiwa app allows the parent to monitor the child’s heart rate, allowing them to discern when the child is calm again. It also allows them to keep records of their childs behaviour, meltdown triggers and override the Heiwa sensory toy display settings

Scenario of use

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BEST OF BRITISH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT, GROUP RESEARCH | 12 WEEKS This project involved extensive primary and secondary research carried out by our group. We visted a Jaguar LandRover car dealership to analyse the materials, form and design DNA of our brand’s vehicles to establish a design direction. We spent the day at a local working farm gaining invaluable insights about our user and the environment our product was to be used in. This was followed by extensive development work towards a fully feasible and resolved solution “Design an outdoor eating device that allows hot food to be eaten on location” Stylistic direction is taken from the brand LandRover and the product is designed for Agricultural Farmers to use throughout the working day

Meet Dave.

51, Agricultural Farmer Kent A husband and a father of 3. His work is seasonal, and the working day is dependent on daylight hours

“I rarely take breaks as my livlihood depends on my productivity�

Above and Beyond

The farmers always ate on site, usually a cold packed lunch. Generally they had bad John Deere tractors and pick up trucks were often used throughout the day and used for diets; eating quick unhealthy snacks storage. The work involved livestock and every farmer would be accompanied by a dog

Rugged Ideation derived from the insights gained from research

Versatile

Quality

Country Outdoors

Model making and user testing

Functional

British

High Performance In depth development and refinement

Introducing the LB 3.2

An outdoor eating device for Britain’s hungry farmers

The LB 3.2 allows hot food to be eaten on location throughout the working day. The device slow cooks the ingredients through ready for a warming, nourishing meal, keeping Britain’s hard working farmers fueled against the harsh and unpredictable great British weather

Heating Technology

FOOD BOX

INSULATION

Removable and can be washed seperately. The farmers lunch can be prepared in advance, stored in the food box and kept in the fridge ready to pack into the outer casing the next morning before heading off to work The ceramic base conducts the heat from the heating elelments below. The silicone food box ensures even heat distribution throughout the food, aiding the cooking process

Only allows the outer casing to heat up a little so that the farmer can warm their hands on it in cold weather

Ceramic Plate

Low Wattage heat coils

OUTER CASING Blanked, pressed and seam welded aluminum. A classic Land Rover lightweight and rugged material that wears well with use, increasing the longevity of the product

Battery

Chrome alloy heating element (resistor) Thermostat Electrical cord

12 v Power Source

BASE Recycled rubber

POWER SUPPLY

CUTLERY

HINGED HANDLES

LOCKING MECHANISM

As the farmer spends most of the day in his tractor, its 12 v supply has been utilised to power the device. As 13.2 Watts are required to thoroughly heat the food, variables such as high volume of food, low starting temperature and heat loss will be covered. A coiled wire attached to a plug connects the device to the power source

Stainless steel fork and spoon included

Recylced leather

A seat belt like fastening has been used as a locking mechanism for a secure seal, and to animal proof the device. The pressure of the lids when closed keeps the food box air tight

Live Projects Further projects currently in progress “Record numbers of people are being displaced by disasters or conflict.

Population increase and the impact of climate change intensify the risk of humanitarian crisis on food, water and security”

“Design a new product to sit alongside the existing Wilko DIY range that aids the customer with a home improvement task”

PACKAID

MODULAR DIY AID

Personal Project

Individual Project

I am working to create an innovative and flexible solution to the containment of disaster aid products, that delivers protection and preservation as well as security and durability

This brief was proposed by W’innovate for Wilkos, and has been a fantastic opportunity to work with industry, liaising with and presenting to clients. A user centred design process, focused on sustainability has been undertaken

About Me EXPERIENCE Canal Side Craft Centre | Lancaster, UK March 2011 - Present Waitress Kais Kids | Kompong Speu, Cambodia March 2015 - June 2015 Teaching and Child Care Volunter JMP Architects | Lancaster, UK August 2012 Intern

EDUCATION Loughborough University | Loughborough, UK BA Industrial Design and Technology Year 1 - 2:1 Ripley St Thomas Academy | Lancaster, UK Product Design B Textiles B History B

OTHER INTERESTS

SKILLS Solid modelling | Surface modelling | Producing engineering drawings | 19 months experience Producing renderings | 5 projects User research | Analysing insights | Holistic thinking | Sustainability strategies Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop | Illustrator | InDesign | 9 months experience Sketching | Rapid ideation | Model making Presenting to an audience | Group work | Giving critique and feedback

AWARDS

Technology Design and Innovation Challenge May 2014

THANK YOU I’m looking for a 6 -12 month placement I hope to hear from you soon

bethanobrien.96@gmail.com + 44 (0) 7950804894 bethan_idesign