Reverse Engineering

Visual Analysis:
a. Automoblox M9 Sportvan
Automoblox company

b, c, d:

front

side

top

isometric

e. Front: windshield, wheels, people, headlights, very balanced, emphasis on colored portions (wheels/windshield), contrast between wood/plastic, light/dark, good proportion, good unity
Side: wheels, windows, people, door shaped structure, not balanced, emphasis on colored portions, contrast between materials and colors, good proportion, good unity
Top: windshield, people, not balanced (vertical symmetry/horizontal asymmetry), emphasis on plastic

Functional Analysis:
Product Name: Automoblox M9 Sportvan
1. entertainment
2.a. We guessed that there was a cylinder that jutted our, attaching the wheel and allowing it to rotate freely.
2.b. Our hypothesis was partly right.  The ridge hollowness and slit allow the wheel to spin freely.  The slit on both sides of the rim allow, when pressure is applied, for he diameter to shrink in the wheel.  Once the wheel is in place, it is able to turn, and the rim holds the wheel in place.  The hollowness allows the diameter to contract and dilate ever so slightly.
2.c. we guess that its design is lego-like and can be connected and separated easily like one.
2.d. We were wrong, since the middle piece is what connects the pieces together.   One side of the middle piece can be easily pulled out from one side, while you must unclip the other side.
2.e. The ridges are present on the connector to indicate the presence of a clip and for better grip.

f. The grips on the wheel are made out of a rubber material that allows more traction.  The shapes on the passenger stands match the shapes on the passenger seats, which indicate where each piece goes.  The car is made out of wood rather than plastic for more durability and better aesthetics.

3. wheels-spin-moving car
connector piece-hold pieces together-one car
shapes on seats-car seats-people don't fall out
rubber tires-better grip-smooth ride
axle pin-connect the wheels-smooth ride

Structural Analysis:
Each part of the car was built with a material appropriate for its purpose: rubber tires for grip, wooden body for strength, and plastic for visibility.

Reflection:
Visual elements of design are crucial for good commercial appeal because the appearance is the first thing that someone experiences.  If a car is ugly, nobody will buy it.
The black box in a system input output model represents product function.
Reverse engineering, basically, is taking something apart and analyzing the parts and pieces, the things that make it work.  People do reverse engineering to figure out how to improve products.
In order to improve the automoblox design, I would add some kind of motor.