Rapid Prototyping

Due to a canceled trip to the engineering department at KU, we learned about rapid prototyping in our classroom instead.  Rapid prototyping is a quick and easy way that uses 3D printing to make full scale models of any design.  The different methods to rapid prototyping consists of  Steriolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS),  Fused Deposition Modeling(FDM), and Laminated Object Manufacturing(LOM). SLA uses an ultraviolet laser to form and harden each layer of plastic until it forms the model you have created in just a matter of hours. SLS has almost the same process as SLA, except it uses a C02 laser that forms and hardens each layer until it creates your model. FDM uses plastic to lay down layers and can move horizontally or vertically, and the material hardens immediately after being diffused. FOM glues together adhesive-coated paper, plastic, or metal laminates, and once that is finished, the shape of your model is cut out with a laser.

Mongolian Nomads - Life of Yurt Buildings

It was really interesting seeing what my teacher May Tveit did in Mongolia this past summer.  She showed us pictures of a Mongolian family setting up there house in a new location.  The landscape was beautiful with miles and miles of green grass behind them.  It only took the family a few hours to set up their own house, which was pretty impressive.  They had a few pieces of furniture they brought with them along with the structure of their house.  They had these expanding paneled walls that they tied together with rope and formed a circular structure. They then put long sticks resting on the walls and all joined at the center to create the structure for the roof.  They then covered their home with many fabrics and tied them in place, topping it off with a plastic covering to protect from the rain.  This was very interesting to how the difference in culture played a part in how they built their structure and the kinds of living conditions.

Dimensional Innovations Field Trip

I really enjoyed the field trip to Dimensional Innovations. The stuff that they did there was so cool.  They have designed for a wide variety of companies such as restaurants, sports teams, schools, museums and plenty more.  Their Facility was very impressive and had every bit of equipment and space needed to design and make their own projects.  Dimensional Innovations had a very fun atmosphere and design team, and I can imagine as a designer working there, you would never get tired of what you do.

Video: Manufactured Landscapes

This video was about Edward Burtynsky's work and his views on how industrial landscapes are a part of who we are and how we interact with our planet. He photographed landscapes that have been transformed by man.  He photographed coal mines, and how you can see the extractions of the landscape.  He photographed China's Ewaste and how it overpowers the lives of the ones who live there.  He photographed oil workers in Bangladesh and how the workers never live to be over 30 because it is so dangerous.  He photographed much more during this video documentary, but Edward Burtynsky is trying to get across that nobody of course wants to give up what we already have, but we need to realize what we are doing to this planet, and how it is affecting the people and the atmosphere  even though we might not realize it effecting our own lives.  We need to develop a whole new way of thinking in order for this planet to change its ways of doing things.

Video: Waste = Food

Waste is food: food for growth.  This is the idea of turning all materials that don't compose into food for the earth.  The idea that every waste should be recycled into soil and offer as a nutrient. One example given in this video was Nike.  Their goal is no more waste by 2020.  They have been working on a new design called "Nike Considered." This design involves recycling old Nike shoes, and putting the materials back together as raw materials to design a new pair of shoes.  Another example given in this video is that one Architect is working to build factories for companies where their building acts like a tree, by recycling solar energy and oxygen, and uses purified waste water.  These buildings also build respect for factory workers, gives them light, and gives them the right air quality.

These are just a few of the great ideas from this video and how turning waste into food can help our earth became less polluted and how we can design to work towards having a better and cleaner earth to live in. 

Video: The Electronic Wasteland

This video was definitely an eye opener.  I was not aware of how all of the electronic waste was effecting our planet.  The electronic wasteland is located in China and is very toxic and deadly, containing electronic materials that lead to brain damage, kidney disease, and cancers. Along with that, the pollution of burning electronics make the city in China the most toxic city worldwide.  Their air, water, and their own blood is filled with toxins. Electronic waste, also known as Ewaste, is the fastest growing component that is being thrown away.  With the large expansion of technology and the new products that are continuously hitting the market, there is more and more outdated electronics being thrown away.  This video made me realize that we need to think of a way to get rid of all of the Ewaste in a harmful way, along with designing future electronic devises that cause less or no damage to our planet.

Berry Plastics

Berry Plastics is located right in Lawrence, and they distribute their products nationwide. Their high quality machines made work for their employees easy.  It was really neat to see their injection molding process, and how the plastic is melted and molded out of large sheets of plastic.  I it was also interesting how temperature, and the process of heating and cooling played a large factor in that as well. I was really impressed with the volume numbers and amount of product they produced a year.  They are open 24/7 and 363 days a year.   Their company is very efficient in what they do.

Field Trip to El Dorado

El Dorado is a small, local company that specializes in architecture, urban planting, design, residential design.  With only 23 employees, their office has a very open working environment to encourage conversation and team work.  El Dorado demands a lot of multitasking as an employee because they are such a small company.  Their great communication skills allows them to design to the best of their ability, providing their customers with the best quality work.  I really liked El Dorado because of the small, open working environment and the kind of work that they do as a company.

Field Trip to Huhtamaki

I was really excited to visit Huhtamaki because it is located off of the highway I take to get to and from KU, and I have always been curious as to what their company does.  When we went on our field trip, I found out that Huhtamaki is the leading manufacture of consumers for packaging. They manufacture packaging such as ice cream cartons, cups, to-go boxes, and more for many well-known companies in the U.S.  I was surprised at how large their factory was and the level of technology they had.  I thought their machines that put together the Ben and Jerry's ice cream cups was cool because it worked at incredibly fast speeds, and I also really liked how they tested all of their coffee cups with hot coffee to make sure they were manufactured correctly. Huhtamaki distributes their products nationwide, and it is neat to know they are located right in town.

Target: How it's Made -- Coffee Pots

For this project, we had to draw a product name out of a hat from Target and research that product to find how it is made.  My product was a coffee pot.  I went to target and walked down the coffee maker isle and had trouble finding just 'coffee pots' because every coffee pot available came with a coffee maker.  I did find coffee pot replacements sold by Mr. Coffee, so I decided to do some research on it.  It was really difficult finding how the replacement coffee pot was made, but I did find how the Automatic Drip coffee maker from Mr. Coffee was manufactured.  I could not find any videos about how Mr. Coffee makers were manufactured because they seemed to keep that confidential, but the closest video on manufacturing I found was a coffee maker by Bodum Chambord.  Here is the link to the video and my research on coffee pots. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPynpMNwsrc

Cell Phone Dissection and Materials and Processes

For this project, I dissected the Motorola A455-Rival cell phone from Verizon.  It was really interesting to see what lies on the inside of our everyday handheld device.  I was disappointed that I wasn't able to dissect the phone all the way because I didn't have the proper tools, but it was cool to see what everybody else's phones looked liked when they were dissected.  

Lite. Light. Structure. Skin.

For project three, we were to design a lighting fixture using lite, light, structure, and skin for our inspiration.  With this in mind, I got my design idea from the skin of an artichoke and the structure of a knight's helmet.  I liked the look of the leaves as they overlapped each other, along with the inside of the artichoke.  I wanted to incorporate both sides of the artichoke, and by doing so I decided to resemble the structure of a knight's helmet allowing my panels to slide creating two alternative ways the light structure can be displayed.  This project was a bit of a struggle for me because I had never experimented with metal previous to this project.  I came across a few challenges while making my final product, but tried to work through it to the best of my ability and I learned a lot along the way. 

Process Boards

Inspiration Photos

Material Experimentation

Final Work in Progress

Final Light Structure

My Design Manifesto

English 203 Research Paper

This is my english research paper titled - Bob Dylan: The Rebel Who Sang for Change.  Enjoy!

http://prezi.com/875e9nqtgav8/bob-dylan-expressions-of-youth-rebellion/?kw=view-875e9nqtgav8&rc=ref-26091349

Project Two: Tape Dispenser

For project two, I was to redesign a reusable tabletop tape dispenser for Scotch tape using monument as my concept.  Keeping in mind my concept, I wanted to use sharp angles and abstract shapes to portray the bold, mighty and powerful sense that you get when you look at a monument.

At the beginning of my process, I really liked the idea of repetitive shapes and forms with a passage way through them that the tape would be dispensed. Later on, I started to develop a different idea of two separate forms that the tape would connect.  Playing around with this idea, I developed my final dispenser.  My final tape dispenser demonstrates the bold and powerful aspect a monument displays through its extreme angles and abstract shapes.

INSPIRATION

PRESENTATION BOARDS

MODELS

FINAL TAPE DISPENSER

Lawrence Paper Company

I was fascinated that such a big facility like the Lawrence Paper Company is right here in my town.  It was interesting to view all the different equipment and all the design processes and work is put in to make cardboard and cardboard boxes.  I thought this field trip was interesting and an eye opener about how cardboard is made, because it is not something that you would think takes so much work.

Disc Golf: Grip Equipment In-Class Field Trip

I really enjoyed Justin Atwater Taylor's presentation about his business Grip Equipment.  Justin was a KU graduate, and his thesis project senior year was to redesign disc golf equipment, and then formed it into his own business. I didn't know anything about disc golf before Justin presented, but I understood how his design would better fit the sport and benefit the players.

Project 1. What is a Clock?

Our first project in INDD 284 was to design a clock that expresses the conceptual nature and form of time itself based on our inspiration.  Then we were to submit our design to an online company called Ponoko, that would cut our design out of our chosen material and send it to us to assemble together.  The concept idea that I chose to stick with for this project was "Time repeats itself."  I found this project difficult because the design idea I had originally thought out was curvy, and there was no way I could make it with flat sheets of material from Ponoko.  I overcame many obstacles on how I could continue my concept idea, but make it workable within the boundaries we were given for this assignment.  Over many changed ideas and frustrations, I finally came up with an idea that would work and that I was proud of.  I am happy with my finished product.  If there was one thing that I learned from doing this project, it would be to make models out of many different materials to see what the design works best with.  Also to never give up.  I stuck through with my concept idea, and I am very happy I did so.

Here is my final presentation:
- Inspiration
- Ideation Sketches
- Hardline Drawing (sent to Ponoko)
- Sketch Models
- Final Physical Model

Mardi Gras Bead Video

This video truly opened my eyes about what factories are really like in China.  I could not believe the workers work in such poor conditions.  I also couldn't believe that the workers are mostly women, who make 10 cents an hour, get punished if they don't meet the standards, only get two weeks of vacation, and have only Sundays off of work.  There working conditions are very dangerous.  The beads are made of polystyrene which is a plastic and narcotic that can cause cancer and is very toxic for the workers to be working with on a daily basis.
The China factory workers had no idea where there beads went after they were distributed and what kind of event there were most popular with.  The interviewers told the workers and showed them pictures from Mardi Gras and the workers were stunned and amazed at the fact that people actually liked the beads.  The factory workers thought they were ugly, and did not understand the point of the beads.
The Mardi Gras goers were interviewed throughout the video and were asked whether or not they knew where the beads came from, and if they were aware of the factory workers poor conditions and pay.  Not many of them knew, or cared about where they came from. The majority of the beads also go to waste after Mardi Gras is over, and nothing about the beads or packaging is recyclable.  I think that this video is an eye opener to all who watch it because it really shows both sides of the issue, and the cycle the product goes through and how making a product recyclable, reusable, and repairable is important.

Home Contained Field Trip

This was my favorite field trip by far.  We went to go visit Debbie Glassberg's own home, where she informed us about her company called Home Contained.  She uses containers shipped from China to build durable homes.  She has used her own house as a prototype for her company, and to get a better understanding about how a house made of containers could work and function.  Her house also saves energy with her LED lighting, electronic gas, and geothermal heating and cooling.  her house is recyclable and reusable, meaning that you can take it apart exactly the way it came and move the house to a different location or use the materials for other buildings or houses.  I loved touring her home.  I thought it was a very bright, airy and fun exciting atmosphere to be in.  I am interested to keep up to date with her company and see what it turns into in the long run with her new container designs.

Video: Sketches of Frank Gehry

I really enjoyed the video Sketches of Frank Gehry that we watched in class last Thursday.  I found it very interesting how he worked as an artists, and was in complete awe when I saw the buildings he created.  Gehry is a risk taker; using materials that don't make sense and doing what makes him happy. He has a very distinct style of work, that is sort of strange and messy, but all of his designs have some sort or structure to them.  Gehry can be described as a "contemporary cubist sculpture."  He simplifies everything, he is a modernest and does not use decoration, but only materials in his work. He makes his designs look easy and simplistic, even though it is not, and the process he goes through takes a very long time.  Something else I found interesting and inspiring was that Frank was told not to become an architect in school, and was told that he was not good enough as a designer.  But Frank didn't care, he went with it anyway and kept going forth with it, and is now one of the leading architects in the world because he followed his heart and passion.  This film inspired me with new ways of thinking and also it inspires me to challenge myself as a designer.

Zahner Field Trip

Visiting Zahner was a very cool experience.  It was very cool that such a large well-known company is works right here in Kansas City.  They worked on very large projects that artists, designers, architects, engineers, and production workers all collaborated on.  They gave very satisfying products to their customers, having the momentum that they can to do the job right that no one else can.  It was interesting to hear how many considerations comes in to play with one of their projects, such as manufacturing, cost, building and assemblage of the piece on site.  They had many different tools for shaping, cutting and forming their materials.  Some of which were very simple, and others that are very complicated and high tech such as the water jet cutter.  I also thought it was interesting how long it takes to finish one project that they work on, and the fact that they provide their customers with life-size mock-ups so that they can get a real feel for the finished product.  Over all, this field trip was very exciting and I'm glad I got to visit and see what types of things they do as a company.

Hallmark Field Trip

I really enjoyed our field trip to Hallmark.  On this field trip, we got to tour the factory where they make all the cards.  I thought it was very interesting to see how everything works and all the steps they have to go through in order to get their finished product.  The littlest details take a lot of work that I wouldn't even have realized, such as the foil used on the writings of the cards, card details such as felt and sparkles covering the cards, and embossing.  I learned that more goes into something so simple such as these cards, than you would ever realize or take time to notice.

Sophomore Year is off to a great start.  I have really pushed my creativity and ways of thinking in my beginning Industrial Design course on our first project to build a clock that expresses the conceptual nature and form of time itself based on my interpretation of how "time repeats itself."  Also I have been enjoying the few field trips we have been on in my Materials and Processes class.  We have been to The Reuter Organ Company and Star Signs; both in Lawrence, Kansas.  The two design companies are completely different in the ideas and concepts of their designs.  The Reuter Organ Company makes pipe organs for large facilities (mostly churches) and they only finish about 5-10 organs per year, because their designs are so complex and tedious. It was really interesting to go visit this site because I wasn't aware with how much work and perfection was involved with making organs.  Star Signs makes  environmental and graphic signage for companies.  There is so much precision that goes into these pieces, and it is really cool to see what the company goes through to complete the signs.  There is a lot more work that is involved than you would think, like all the wiring that goes into the signs to make the letters light up, and all of the sanding, welding, and making the pieces fit exactly together the way they are supposed to.  I have enjoyed these field trips and gotten a lot out of them, and I am looking forward to the one on Thursday to the Hallmark Cards Production Center.