Design Products - Inspirations#1

DESIGN PRODUCTS

Inspiration Final Year Alumni Projects

De Montfort University

#1

01 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 02

Design Products Design Products

School of Design De Montfort University The Gateway Leicester LE1 9BH United Kingdom t: +44 (0)116 257 7555 e: artanddesign@dmu.ac.uk w: www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/schools-anddepartments/school-of-design Editor: Stuart Lawson First published in 2012 by Design Products, De Montfort University ISBN: 978-0-9569132-0-3

Courses: • Product Design BA (Hons) • Product Design BSc (Hons) • Product & Furniture Design BA (Hons) • Furniture Design BA (Hons)

Copyright © 2012 Design Products, De Montfort University All rights reserved

• MDes Design Products

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher.

• MA Product Design

03 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 04

Modular Wind Turbine Ben Hales

Product Design BSc (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Product Design Engineer at Manthorpe Building Products

A compact domestic wind turbine system, designed particularly for use in urban areas.

The modular design, which runs the length of a pitched roof, is a substantially smaller and more discreet installation than standard single mast-mounted units. The system is also quieter running.

It is anticipated that this microgeneration system’s features, in conjunction with its comparative small scale, will encourage consumers and developers to invest in sustainable energy for homes. Also, in comparison to

exisiting turbine solutions the MWT system would more easily comply with planning regulations and be more readliy accepted during the consultation process.

05 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 06

Firemans’ GuideLine Sam Hodgeson

Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Product Designer at Carterbench

Designed in response to an RSA Design Directions Brief, GuideLine is a reappraisal of the exisitng fire fighters guide line system which has not been changed in over 50 years of use. Rope guide line systems are used to aid navigation in dark or smoke-filled spaces and are traditionaly tied onto what ever is available. The rope and its system of knots to communicate direction is difficult to see in such conditions and difficult to feel with protective clothing on.

The existing guide line was voted the “worst piece of equipment” by firemen in a survey conducted by Hodgeson as part of his primary research.

The new GuideLine system uses ultra-violet light to achieve better visibility on the line. There are also wall-mounted (using a fixing gun) chevrons with a tab system for clearer navigation in and out of a building.

07 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 08

CPR Pad Ryan Helps

Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Minor Design Project:

Currently: Senior Product Designer at Philips Design, Hong Kong

CPR Pad is designed to help some of the 90,000 people each year who die because of heart attacks.

The device is used to combat the three main problems when performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and ensures that the correct compression force, compression rate and hand positions are all maintained whilst waiting for the emergency services.

The importance of these initial lifemaintaining techniques cannot be

overstated even though they very rarely result in recovery without intervention from the emergency services resulting.

The CPR Pad is designed to be lowcost to facilitate its widespread use.

The usability of the device was a central driver during the design and development process. During proof of principle testing, a very high rate of immediate correct usage was recorded.

09 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 10

Interactive Dashboard Zoltan Major

Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Studying for a Masters in Budapest

The Interactive Dashboard was developed in response to observations about how much smart phones and tablet devices became part of the everyday life.

This original concept explored how touch screens and interactive technology could be implemented into a dashboard so that it could serve the user better through: • Personalisation • Additional functions • Simplified layout & interface • Additional safety features The interior can be set up for several users with unique style and settings. Also each user can activate their setting just by touching a fingerprint reader that makes the whole process, quick, easy and simple. All the users have different user rights to the dashboard. Admin users can edit all their settings and set up new users. Secondary users are however only permitted to change the visual layout of their own setup. This interior can make driving more fun, but at the same time safer.

11 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 12

PET Felt Chair Andrew Cosgrove

Product & Furniture Design BA (Hons) Final Year Minor Design Project:

Currently: Deigner at Lewis Design Associates

PET Felt is a synthetic material made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. When heated, the fibres in the felt become malleable and so three-dimensional forms can be achieved through thermo-forming.

Pressing sheet felt in this way, under high pressure, condenses its fibres,

resulting in a rigidified material.

Pressed Felt Chair uses two ‘shells’ of thermo-formed felt which encapsulate a deep-drawn steel frame. Turned oak legs are inserted into the frame and felt assembly.

Various colours are available.

Suitable for indoor use only.

13 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 14

Fibre Cement Seating Dan Johnstone

Furniture Design BA (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Freelance Furniture Designer

Fibre cement is a lightweight, weatherproof and extremely strong material. This modular public seating system uses these key material properties to produce refined form and aesthetics while creating hardwearing furniture that will withstand the test of time.

The straight sections are assembled from two identical mirrored pieces that are fixed together with hard rubber divides creating a suitable draining solution down the centre

of the seat. The centre piece mimics the face of these lengths and has tab-like connections that the straight section fixes to - as do the end pieces which attach to become legs. The centre piece also has a draining feature which can be filled with an optional base for a large stretched canopy for users’ protection from the weather. When assembled the whole structure is the anchored to the ground using plate anchors to ensure it cannot be moved or stolen.

15 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 16

Anesthetists’ Laryngoscope Julien Price Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Minor Design Project:

Currently: Creative Director and Brand Strategist at 3Demon Creative

A response to an RSA Design Directions brief centred on improving communication, Price developed the laryngoscope in partnership with anesthatists after a conducting an observational research study and expert interviews in order to establish a sound premise for his design.

The aim of his brief was to simplify anesthatists’ complex workflows in order to enhance their performance, and reduce stress. A network of devices allows an anesthatist to treat and monitor several patients at the same time by communicating with other medical monitoring equipment and staff.

TravSafe Chi Shing Lo

Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Minor Design Project:

Currently: Product Designer at Estudiferrer in Hong Kong

TravSafe is designed to deter thieves by emitting water vapour, when the luggage is removed by anyone other than the user.

TravSafe recognises the particular hand-grip of its owner which deactivates a motion sensor that is built into the base of the suitcase.

This security feature can also be turned of by the user for the benefit of travelling companions and baggage handlers!

17 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 18

Waster Water Turbine Tom Broadbent

Product Design BSc (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Product Development Engineer at AESSEAL

Growing concern over the amount of CO2 that is being released into the atmosphere and the world’s reliance on finite fossil fuel resources has created a great need for an increase in the uptake of microgeneration technologies.

H2Electric is a new microgeneration technology that harnesses the power of falling waste water in a high- rise buildings’ soil pipes to create electricity. The design allows it to be fitted into current and future buildings with no planning permission, high initial investment or confusion over what benefits it offers as it produces electricity from an otherwise wasted resource.

Wrap Light

Joe Allam

Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Chief Imagineer at Magmatic

A fun and flexible ambient light - designed to slap and wrap instantly around anything handy: - door handles, rails, chair frame, a branch, your arm - the list is endless.

With its self-contained power source, take ‘Wrap-Light’ with you to light whatever you are doing; to enhance and add to the ambience of the occasion.

19 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: Alumni 20

Waste-Not Martin Skelton

Product & Furniture Design BA (Hons) Final Year Minor Design Project: Currently: Designer at Skelton Studios & Poduction Engineer at Crown Cork & Seal

Designed in reponse to an RSA Water Awareness competition brief, Waste-Not shows people how much water they have used and so enablling them to take a view on whether they are using too much.

Skelton hopes that its use will encourage people to be more frugal with water by monitoring both their own use and of those who have used the sink before them.

The system was conceived as part of a larger household feedback network which monitors ‘carbon impacting’ activities such as resource / energy use and waste disposal.

Expanding Postural Chair

Nick Rowan

Product Design BSc (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Product Design Engineer at Accordial

The PSK (Postural Support for Kids) Chair was designed to address a problem with the current postural support market. Postural support chairs help an individual maintain correct posture when they are unable to do so on their own.

This is essential to prevent the onset of serious secondary conditions.

The postural support chairs currently on the market come in a range of sizes, which means that as an individual grows out of one size of chair and into the next they may not be receiving the correct support. The PSK Chair grows with an individual so that correct postural support can be achieved for any individual at any age.

21 Inspiration

Design Products, De Montfort University: 22

Hospital Home Sam Hodgeson

Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Major Design Project:

Currently: Product Designer at Carterbench

Hospital Home is designed to reduce anxiety and depression in long-term hospital patients.

There is a proven causal link between a patients mental wellbeing and their physical wellbeing; happier patients generally require less pain killers and have a faster recovery.

Hospital Home’s singular organic appearence implements new technologies such as a micro projector, directional speaker and an interactive messaging system to enable users to communicate with friends and family and to create a hub for all that is personal to them.

Patient Safety Toby Fox

Product Design BA (Hons) Final Year Minor Design Project:

Currently: Product Designer at Mosley& , EBD, & Muted Suit

The PS System is a handheld device for doctors and nurses that helps ensure that patients receive the correct dose of injected medicines.

A touch screen allows the user to interrogate patient details and prescribe medicines. A visual indicator then allows the nurse to check the ‘5 rights’ and deliver the correct type and amount of medicines.