Design Portfolio S/S 22

industrial design portfolio christian abbott

S/S 22

profile.

A recent graduate from Loughborough University with a degree in Industrial Design and Technology. As part of my university course, I studied an Integrated Product Design (MSc) at the Politecnico di Milano and spent some time working in Germany as a Product Design Intern for which I was awarded a Diploma in International Studies.

Insatiably curious and open minded with a strong passion for design. I constantly question the way things are and how things could be. A lover of the natural world; I spend my time outdoors as much as possible and believe that good design exists in harmony with nature.

contents.

1. right to breathe

2. fitness in the home

3. kikkoman

4. portable lamp

5. tether

1. RSA Student Awards: “The Right to Breathe”

hau

The clean journey revolution

An activism campaign, monitor and filtration system working together to raise awareness of, and tackle, the air pollution crisis within the London Underground.

“To tackle and raise awareness of air pollution in the highly populated London Underground, preventing overexposure to dangerous pollutants, increasing the quality of life for Passengers.”

489,200

Approximate asthma sufferers in the city who notice the effects of pollution on their health [2]

47%

of the metallic particle pollution is composed of iron oxides, which has been linked to being a cause of Alzheimer's [3]

10X

above the guidelines set by WHO in some parts of the network [5]

9000

premature deaths each year are caused by long term exposure to air pollution in London [4]

Persona: Ali, male asthma sufferer

Ali waits on the platform for his train to work. He wonders if he should have allowed more time and taken the bus.

The dirty train air exacerbates Ali’s asthma. Other passengers are unaware of the poor air quality.

As he leaves the station, Ali wishes he could get to work this fast without compromising his health.

A broad range of ideation methods culminated in the concept of a personal monitoring device that not only informs the user, but also those around them.

Surveys investigating the semantics of colour perception and extensive user experience prototyping were carried out to ensure that the product is inclusive, visually engaging, and iconic.

A consultation with Dr. Matthew Johnson, Chief Scientific Officer at AirLabs, resulted in scientifically validated short and long term solutions, with implementation of dual-inlet arrangement and electrostatic precipitator technology (ESP) respectively.

Crowdfunded Campaign

2021

Widespread Awareness

2023

Pollution Control

2025

hau Pulse Pollution Monitor

Shape-changing Fabric At the end of the day, hau Pulse is returned to it's dock. The fabric panel then morphs, transforming it's shape, creating a uniqu visualisation of the user's pollution exposure.

Dual Inlet Sensor Unlike existing personal monitors, hau Pulse monitors both PM2.5 concentration and the prevalence of metallic particles, such as iron oxide, within the surrounding air. This is done using dual sensor inlet valves, enabling a particulate size differential to be measured.

Internals The pollution monitor is unique. Its goal is to inform both the user and fellow commuters about potential health risks. A diffused LED array within the device glows and pulsates, changing from blue to red tones as the level of pollution increases.

2. fitness in the home “Create a product that can enhance fitness by blending into the home. Use a brand as inspiration for a physical product. ”

Key Insights Play-based activities are important for children of all ages but especially in kids under the age of 5. These forms of exercise can allow adults to get involved, are spontaneous and fun for kids and don’t cost a thing. [1]

Balance exercises are often neglected, when balancing, we're not only working the often-neglected stabiliser muscles; we're also improving our joint stability and internal focus. [2]

During lockdown sports activity declined whereas recreational screen time increased, a substantial increase in habitual physical activities leads to an overall increase in physical activity among children and adolescents. [3]

a.

a. b.

b.

riding a ‘wave’

weighted balance

c. popping up

dynamic balance

stabilised stretching

transparent rubber sheet

top deck (steam bent plywood)

c.

pivot ball (silicone rubber)

baby balance

stabilising feet (silicone rubber)

surf ball (silicone rubber)

jump

surf. balance. stretch.

equilibrio

Consisting of three modes, surf, balance and stretch, Equilibrio encourages exercise through play. By simply adding or removing various colourful nesting rubber volumes under the top deck, children can alter the centre of gravity of the surface allowing for a range of experiences, each with varying difficulty, allowing kids to perform various balance/flexibility exercises through the act of spontaneous play.

surf

balance

Manufactured using natural materials, equilibrio fits effortlessly into any home environment. Colourful silicone rubber and steam bent plywood elements complement each other resulting in a product that exists in harmony with it’s surroundings.

stretch

3. kikkoman “...design a functional polymer ‘widget’ (comprised of more than one part that fits together to meet a functional requirement) intended to be given away to promote a particular brand/product.”

simplification of mould tool - reducing number/complexity of inserts

Utilising the CNC simulation plugin in Solidworks, code was exported and tested using foam blocks of the same size. The simulation was adjusted accordingly and the code was used to mill out the main cavities using a 3-axis milling machine. Many of the inserts were machined by hand using various milling/grinding techniques. Once the parts met the required tolerances the mould tool was assmebled and injected on site using an injection moulding machine.

mould tool halves + inserts on work bench after sucessfully removing plastic widget

injected prototype shown in context with chopsticks

three month mass production.

4.842 secs/cycle 160 hrs/week 237,906 widgets/week 33.4 g of plastic/injection

3,092,784 widgets produced the widget will be injected using HDPE as this allows the widget to be manufactured using the single shot injection moulding process availiable to us in the machine workshop

fill 22%

open 10%

hold 14%

eject 4%

cool 40%

close 10%

4. portable lamp “Using a live hinge or hinges design a home ware product for student accommodation that must be capable of compact storage.”

quick prototype was modelled using cardboard, scorring the material allowed for the simulation of the live hinges

the lamp can be folded from a single flat piece into a freestanding object with a few simple movements

5. project

tether.

A connected bike safety device, making roads safer, happier and fundamentally changing what it means to travel across a city on people-powered transport. Tether aims to create a new form of dialogue amongst road users, improving safety for cyclists and creating a community that makes roads safer for everybody.

! !

constant sensing & detection

the bubble

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safer routing

understanding leads to emapthy...

"Our research aimed to shift transport modes by showing how happy people using different transport services are. The reality was different but equally interesting, by showing the mood of different people we didn’t shift behaviour but we increased empathy between them."

Tracy Ross, Loughborough University

problem space.

1. more people taking up cycling due to the pandemic to avoid public transport

2. limited overtaking space is responsible for the majority of serious cycling accidents

3. communication methods between cyclists and motorists are limited

4. lack of empathy and poor perception of cyclists

developing and testing early concepts.

To determine which concept to select and move forward with, a series of user tests were conducted using physical prototypes and models. Feedback from a close friend who is a cycling enthusiast allowed for critical analysis of each concept.

Interaction points within each concept were repeatedly modelled and tested, enabling an ongoing critical evaluation of each idea.

initial prototyping - testing different feedback mechanisms

The first prototype involving electronic components was the line laser handlebar grip experiment. A pair of line laser diodes were inserted into a 3D printed casing and connected to battery pack mounted to the bike. This prototype enabled the testing of the angle required in order to project a two-meter perimeter onto the ground.

The second prototype involved the calibration and testing of the proposed ultrasonic sensor component in order to trigger a simple LED diode at a specified distance. Further prototyping involved the construction of a mirror galvanometer laser projection system using two small craft mirrors and a pair of stepper motors. This method of projection allows for the projection of a more advanced dynamic image.

testing the laser diffraction projection multiple casings mounted to the bike increases risk of failure when testing and results in a complex installation process

central brain (in between two grips) is bulky and restricts use of the bike

mirror is not adjustable and is therefore hard to direct the projection in front or behind the bike

effectiveness of the laser projection is impressive and brighter than originally anticipated

testing of ultrasonic sensors, adjustment of laser projection mechanism & collection of real world proximity data to inform further development

To test the functionality of the components as soon as they arrived, I quickly rigged them up to the frame of a spare bike. This helped test whether the components were working and the data was being recorded correctly.

The assembly process wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped with a few of the features having to be trimmed away to make space for extra wiring and the addition of a battery control board.

The prototype was screwed into place and secured onto my bike. A large quantity of electrical tape was used to ensure that the device did not fall off when being used.

collection of data & testing of companion app A custom app which communicated to the Arduino board inside the prototype was used to start and stop the session and helped to regulate the monitoring and collection of data.

It was critical that the GoPro recording was started at exactly the same time as the data gathering on the phone to ensure continuity between the two streams. The test rides were carried out during the day to reduce unnecessary risk and were mostly confined to the urban areas surrounding Loughborough.

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Once the ride had taken place, the session on the phone and the GoPro recording were stopped simultaneously. The video file was transferred onto my laptop and the .csv file was extracted from my phone. The two files were closely analysed, potential patterns and anomalies were searched for and recorded for further analysis.

! ! ! !

Sensor data is recorded alongside a GPS location at regulat time intervals. This allows for postion, time and proximity data to be compared and analysed, building up a comprehensive picture of the cyclists journey, enabling me to gain a better understanding about the effectiveness of the idea.

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Exploration of form was done using quick sketching and CAD/foam modelling. The motif of the hexagon meeting a cylindrical profile was carried forward and helped inform the design language of the concept bike frame.

solar sensitive surface

tacterion pylon force + touch sensitive surface

exploded visual of possible connected handlebar

“let’s connect”

Projecting multiple colours and patterns would require further prototyping and validation as this would require multiple laser diodes/multiple diffraction lens components embedded into a compact space. Testing a variety of patterns and colours on the roads using additional prototypes would help to validate this improved language and evaluate its effectiveness.

The encouragement to cycle in tandem with other cyclists through the “let’s connect” hexagon state was explored further. The various projections were visualised as a 2D plan views to help illustrate possible interactions that could occur. When the cyclist is nearby to another cyclist who is open to ride together, haptics within the handlebar would guide the cyclists within a safe distance of each other. The projections would change from orange to white to reflect this increase in stability. Groups of cyclists riding in this way would have a greater sense of presence, therefore increasing their overall safety and awareness.

photography

thank you for taking a look, look forward to discussing the future...

christianabbott@me.com (+44) 797 9043 151