V.I.S.I.O.N
Aim:
"To design a salt and pepper mill that is easily used by the visually impaired"
To first start off this project, we utilised several methods in order to create a Gantt chart to help organise our time.
Brief:
Operating as a design consultancy (pairs of students) students will redesign and improve a hand-held appliance for a particular market and user group.
We first created a double diamond based off the British Design Councils (2005) model. Here we broke down the activities required in order to create a successful product. From the research phase, right up to the solution, we included brief dates and activities needed.
We then continued on to create an activity sheet, objectives for our project and precedence chart, all to help assist us with the creation of the Gantt chart.
We then finally created our Gantt Chart. Here we estimated the amount of time that it would take to complete each activity within the time limit of 12 weeks. With the assistance of the assignment deadline details given by the lecturer, we were able to base our other schedules around that time.
Second-Hand Research:
Based on our second-hand research, we found that the most common type of visual impairment is Cataracts. This is a type of impairment that causes the vision to be blurry, and give a foggy effect. As this impairment is so common across the world, we decided to work towards this target market
First-Hand Research
To gain further knowledge on cataracts. Our consultancy sanded a pair of goggles to help create the environment. We then further progressed along by utilising a salt and pepper mill with the goggles on.
Here we found that pouring the seasoning into the container and locating the batteries for the mill were the hardest actions that had to be taken place in order to use. Rather than identifying how much seasoning was being poured out, we found that instead, the listed tasks above were harder. Knowing this, we then went into the ideation phase.
The drawings above were a part of the ideation sketches that I created in the fourth week of the project. Here I focused on the container, handle and overall shapes of the design. This then helped me progress into concept generation in the fifth week of the project.
After going through a scamper process, our consultancy then went through a conceptual design phase. Here we took the most desirable features from our ideation and implemented them in a possible design.
After going through some extra processes in between, such as creating a controlled convergence matrix and further refinement, we were able to create a sketch of our final product.
After completing the concept, we then started to create our CAD model on Fusion360. Along the way, we were also able to finalise our PDS.
Along with designing the product, we also did some intense research on the type of material that we wanted to use. In order to determine which materials to use, we studied different metal and plastic materials. Using Granta to help guide us, we were able to do some detailed research to assist us with the product design specification of making it strong and cheap.
In the end we were able to select the materials stainless steel for the metal and polyethylene terephthalate for the plastic. These materials proved to be both cheap and strong, making them fit perfectly with our design specifications.
With the new knowledge of the materials that we wanted to utilise for the mill, we then did further research on the material processing techniques
In the end, we were able to create our product, V.I.S.I.O.N. This product was created with the idea to help aid those with visual impairment.
V.I.S.I.O.N has a fairly simple circuit, which follows closely to the design of the Russell Hobbs automatic mills. This mill utilises a DC motor, and has the ability to be charged on a charging station. The idea with this design is to help aid users in the area of pouring.
Here we have the storyboard of our product being in use.
Reflection:
Overall, this project was one of the most enjoyable and memorable ones that I have had so far. Both my teammate and I worked well together, even when unexpected events folded. Our abilities to understand, communicate, critique and compliment allowed us to achieve the best possible result. If there was just one major thing that I found overall with myself, it was that I tended to overestimate the amount of work that I could do. Because of this, this often resulted in me over-exerting myself. Although I do not usually like to pass my work on to other people, during this project, I found out that asking for help is okay. My teammate helped me to see this, and because of this, whenever I found myself overwhelmed with work, I could communicate with my teammate to help meet ends. Of course, this worked both ways. A major factor that had a huge impact on us was that we did not follow the project plan throughout the year. This had a huge toll on us, especially near the end of the year, however, we were both able to overcome this and work together through the hardship. On a more positive note, I believe that this project not only helped me with my CAD, drawing, design and research skills, but it also taught me patience, communication and teamwork skills, which I believe are vital skills needed in our field of work.
Skills Obtained:
- Ideation
- Conceptualising
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Organising
- CAD (Fusion360)
- Research
- Materials Knowledge
- Graphic Design
- Render
