Parametric Product Design Final Project for MA in Strategic Communication Design at Colorado University Boulder.
Parametric Product Design
Parametric Product Design explores algorithmic modeling strategies and digital fabrication for product development.
This studio-based course explores the product development process through algorithmic modeling strategies, computational design, and digital fabrication.
Students will develop basic skills with McNeel Rhinoceros and Grasshopper--a visual programming environment for algorithmic modeling, to design parametric systems and how to translate digital objects into physical form through digital manufacturing. Students will be introduced to the emerging field of parametric product design by developing projects that explore a multitude of form-finding strategies in surface patterning and complex geometric modeling of everyday objects spanning a variety of scales and applications. Familiar examples of product categories ripe for design experimentation include common objects such as pens and speakers, household items such as furniture and lighting, and personal items such as clothing, razors, and jewelry. In addition, students will develop an understanding of how to evaluate and optimize their designs based on product constraints, use cases, materiality, form, and function of physical objects produced through iterative cycles of production.
Final Project Documentation
Documentation is to be submitted in the form of a blog post with all supporting media necessary to explain the project development and outcomes. The general criteria outlined above applies to this final post. Be sure to include links to previous blog posts that document aspects of the project and any resources used in the process.
- What problem did you set out to solve?
- What is your project all about?
- How did you accomplish your goals?
- What resources did you make use of?
- What challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
- What worked? What didn't?
- If this is a part of a larger long-term project, what milestones did you hit?
- What's next for this project? (Future Work)
- What are your major takeaways? What did you learn / discover?
Photo source https://www.surfer.com/features/bali-garbage/
There’s 3 basic things needed for surfing, waves, a wetsuit -depending on the weather, and a surfboard. Let’s leave waves for the tides to deal with, or Kelly Slater for some inland surfing. Regarding wetsuits, Patagonia’s Yulex alternative is right now an excellent solution for not wearing petroleum next to your skin. Due the parametric nature of this assignment, I decided to deal with boards.
So the question now...
And the answer is an overwhelming YES.
Source Various
In light of this revelation, I started searching for someone addressing the issue. And not surprisingly, there are quite a few examples of people experimenting with materials, building techniques, natural fibers, and other answers of trying to make surfboards friendlier with the very waves we are trying to ride. But I wanted more. I asked myself, is there something more than preventing boards turn into trash after we are done with them?
Moreover, could we even reduce trash while keeping the stoke? In order to reduce trash, I could give a second life to discarded materials.
Source Google.com
The material had to be something readily available. In abundance, and free. Cardboard! I ended up going into Craigslist, finding free moving boxes, filling the back of my truck with them, and making myself an eco-friendly surfboard.
But… How did I do it? And, can I make any shape? How long does it take? How much cardboard is needed for each board? How much does it weigh? Is it recyclable? Is it rideable? Is it hard to build it? Are there any complications?
Project Art-board In Rhino
There's still some work to be done with different tails, noses and rails, but basically any “standard” looking board can be achieved. From shortboards, up to fun boards and longboards. It’s just a matter of changing parameters such as length, width and volume, and voila!
The concept behind the ideation was to keep the design as simple as possible to allow for ease of build. Using simple household tools, and with as little cardboard as possible. The core structure is basically a "waffling" technique skeleton, and the surface was extruded into panels with a beehive pattern that allows for the cardboard to contour the core.
This first build took 2 days of work to have it ready for glassing, but further iterations with an instructions manual shouldn’t take more than just a couple of hours.
One board doesn’t take much cardboard -I had lots of extras just for prototyping, and weighs the same as regular foam blanks. It’s also fully recyclable and made 100% of upcycled cardboard moving boxes. The design is composed by around 70 different pieces, and different patterns can be used on the surface panels to achieve better contouring of the core. At this point the only thing left to do is to glass it and try out how it performs in water. So, stay tuned!
Preparing cardboard for the laser cutter.
Left: Laser cutting main structure. Right: Laser engraving beehive patter for surface flex.
Core being assembled.
Sectional view.
Assembled board ready for glassing.
