Fling Machine

In class, we were given 1 balloon, 2 corks, 1 rubber band, 2 paper clips, 2 coffee stir sticks, 2 straws, 2 pipe cleaners, and a sheet of foil to create something that would fling a cotton ball as far as possible.  My partner Sonia and I created something using foil, straws, pipe cleaners, and a rubber band.  To launch, we pulled the foil one way and the rubber band the other to give it more power.  Unfortunately, we released the cotton ball wrong during the official trial and ended up with a negative distance of -0.75 inches.  

 However when we tested our machine on our own, we got:

49.5 inches, 29 inches, 12.5 inches, 22 inches, 15.5 inches, 0 inches, 3.5 inches, 8.5 inches, 0 inches, and 9 inches.  

mean:14.95 inches

median: 10.75 inches

range: 49.5 inches

sample standard deviation: 15.28833424209

From this information, we can predict that the ball will land between about -0.33 inches and 30.23 inches.

Statistical analysis results would be better for measuring performance when comparing devices than a single attempt, simply because accidents do happen.  For example, you cannot judge someones basketball ability based on one shot.  For this reason, grades for this project should be given by the average rather than the one official shot.  

If I were to do this again, I would use the coffee stir sticks instead of the straws and pipe cleaners because they are stronger and would provide more energy.  This would only use a few materials.  

As a team, Sonia and I worked very well together.  We each contributed ideas and listened to each others.

Reflecting on Unit Conversion Presentations

We were given the assignment of presenting the information on Unit Conversions in a "fun" way.  My group presented the information as a short film: "Measurement Man".  In this film, we had Measurement Man present the information to the disorganized citizens.  The film may be seen here.
This was a fun way of presenting boring things.

Kaleidoscope Project

In class, we made kaleidoscopes with cardboard lined with mirrors.  On one end, we put an eyehole and on the other end, we put an "envelope" of color.  I made mine with interchangeable lens pieces (see below).

Color Theory

Color theory is made up of the color wheel, color harmony, and how the colors are used.  Below is an example of a color wheel.  There are different types of colors: primary, secondary, and tertiary.  The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue, shown by the frog, seahorse, and butterfly, because they can't be formed by combining other colors and they make up all other colors.  Secondary colors are orange, green, and violet, shown by the goldfish, chameleon, and beta fish because they are formed by mixing two primary colors.  Finally, the tertiary colors are red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red violet, shown by the monkey, snake, bug, sea turtle, fish, and dragonfly because they are formed by mixing a primary and secondary color.

Color schemes are different arrangements of colors.  There are different types, including monochromatic, analogous, complementary, color triads, and split complementary.  Below are the different types.  Pictures taken from: http://www.worqx.com/color/combinations.htm

Monochromatic color schemes are made up of shades of the same color.  Monochromatic colors are easy to work with, always look good together, look clean and nice, and allow you to emphasize certain features, so they are often used by web designers.

Analogous color schemes are made up of colors next to each other on the wheel.  They are similar to monochromatic, but are more rich.

Complementary colors are across to each other on the color wheel.  This color scheme has the most contrast and draws a lot of attention.

Color triads are made up of three colors on the color wheel that are equally spaced.  Although there is a high contrast, there also good harmony.

Split complementary colors are made up of one color and two colors equally spaced from that one color on the wheel.  This color scheme retains a strong contrast.

Multi View Sketching

Construction lines help you construct the rest of your drawing in the very beginning.  Object lines are the heavy lines that actually outline the structure.  Hidden lines show the features of the object that are not visible from a certain view.  Center lines represent axes and axes points with cylindrical objects.  The examples are isometric drawings.  Building professionals prefer multi view drawings over pictorial be cause they are easier to understand.  They show, very simply, the view from each side.

Final Presentation: Locker Solution

The Problem: Lockers

-difficult for everyone to access their things

-not enough space

-sold as one dimensional unit

The Solution

-easier assembly

-uses less metal, therefore cheaper

-twice as many people can access at once

Meeting a Designer

When we met a designer in class on Wednesday, the main thing that stuck with me was the fact that he didn't go to college.  I learned that as a designer more important than education is experience. I also learned that a disadvantage of a start up company is that there is no guarantee of payment or success.

Revised Concept Sketch

In my concept sketch, I put lockers in blocks of 20 so that half the lockers open one way from one side and the other half open the other way from the other side.  The locker set would be sunk into the ground and attached with a chain to a metal loop.

The Problem with Lockers

In my time in school, I have noticed that the way that lockers are set up is not efficient.  There are too many people and too little space for everyone to access their things at the same time.  I have narrowed the problem down to two things: space and time.  First of all school lockers are usually found in huge clumps.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/School_lockers,_National_University_of_Singapore.jpg

This doesn't leave much area per locker for students.  It would be much easier if they were grouped in smaller clumps.
The other problem is time.  Most students use a number combination lock on their locker, which can be frustrating and time consuming to open.  This makes it more difficult for students to quickly open their locker and move out of the way. 
My solution is to group lockers in clumps that are not against a wall, for example, this group of 16.  Each set of 4 lockers faces a different direction.

Also, to save time, students should use these Master locks which use four arrows instead of numbers.

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-1500iD-Combination-Assorted/dp/B002TSN4SQSince these locks can be reset, the school could rent them out.
All of this will save time for students trying to get to class.

"Problem" Research

In my research, I have discovered a few things in the world that I consider problems.  I think that at this point in time, there should be better replacements.  First of all, most people have called a big company on the phone and have been put on hold for more than 5 minutes.  This is bad for the customer because he or she gets annoyed and may hang up.  This is bad for the company because they may lose business.  Also, lockers should be laid out differently.  Currently, many schools have about 50 lockers in one block, making it difficult for every student to access their things.  This is annoying and inconvenient.  Finally, overhead compartments in airplanes should be redesigned.  There is never enough space for everyone's carry on bag.  Also, the maximum dimensions for luggage are very specific and often hard to meet.  It is difficult to access your things, especially when you are asked to sit down.  These three things are problems in the world and should be improved.

What Emotions Do Lines Communicate?

In order to explore lines, I drew my bracelet that I found lines in.  Lines can represent different emotions.  For example, curved lines often represent nature and calmness while straight lines often represent structure and rigidness.

We investigated lines and experimented with them again October 2.  

We drew four types of drawings, outlines (top left), contour (top right), structural (bottom left), and gestural.  Outlines have no depth and are simply what you might see if it were a shadow.  Contour drawings have a few more lines and a little more information.  Structural drawings have much more detail and more lines.  We practiced a new method called cross hatching (see structural drawing).  Gestural drawings capture the movement of the object.

My partner Sonia told me that I should work on my gestural and structural drawings, working on shading and portraying movement.

Self as Designer

I drew a picture of my hand to represent myself because they are what I use to do everything.  I see myself as a very literal and serious person, so the pen drawing represents who I am as a designer now.  I drew my hand again in purple to represent who I want to be as a designer.
At the end of the class, I hope to develop skills in visual communication and learn to use different tools to do it.

Product Improvement

When brainstorming, Sonia and I thought of the problem of tangled earbuds.   We wanted a way to store them without them getting tangled or in the way, so we came up with the following design.  

It is a new case that will store earbuds by allowing you to wrap the cord around two knobs and close over the cord.  A plastic piece covers the cord and snaps shut.

When changing design, one must consider the problem, buyer, convenience, and appearance.  It is important to document your brainstorming so you don't lose your ideas.  Sketching your ideas allows you to convey your ideas to others.  It also will help you prove that you thought of the idea on a certain date in case someone else tries to say they did.  It was effective for Sonia and I to share our engineering notebooks when presenting.

Design Project 1: Bridge Design

For our first design project, we were to design a bridge to support clay blocks with two pieces of card stock and two support clay pieces.  We folded the card stock into triangle shapes to give more support.  Brainstorming is helpful when solving a problem because you are able to sort of test out ideas without physically testing them out.  It leaves your mind open to new ideas that might be better.  When building the bridge, we realized there was an issue with weight distribution in the middle of the bridge that we did not anticipate.  We tested it and had to move the bridge pieces closer together to provide more support.  A successful team must have good communication.  Team members should have open minds and be ready to listen to the other team members.  If we were to do this again, we would add a support block in the middle which would allow the bridge to be longer and support more weight.