I was responsible for various tasks including the initial meeting with the client that you had, concept generation & development and CAD. I was also given the responsibility of drawing the final designs for the products and conducting the final presentation.

The group went out to conduct research on the coffee shop of the client; I also conducted research independently of this into independent coffee shops to see how they run.

Before this project, I had no experience of having worked with a client; focussing on a client’s demands and needs rather than what we anticipate they want was a new way of working. Since the last project I made a more effort to take on responsibility for example chasing people up for work and doing more organisation that I have done before. I feel  I did this well.

This project was a good opportunity for growth- I felt very involved in the group more so than in the last project. Also I was given very positive feedback about my drawing and sketching and this gave me the confidence to work much more and improve in this area.

The use of technical drawing skills to improve my drawing overall was something I have improved on.

My design work is the biggest improvement in terms of core competencies in the course.

See for example my sketching available on the blog.

This was not something that we did on this project which was mainly conceptual.

There was little technological input on this project.

Working with the client helped focus the task into a much more focused specification. For example our product was a milk dispenser- this was inspired by a genuine problem the client has in running his shop- standard milk bottles are used and this means taking them out of the fridge for use but during busy times it mean it is out for a long time and the milk is not as cold as he would have liked.  This was therefore very much a useful product.

Usability was an aim in that we designed it to be easy to use and quirky to suit the style of the shop. There was an option to have more complex features as the client was a perfectionist, however there was a trade off between complexity and simplicity and usability in the finished product. A button system was suggested  which would dispense the right amount of milk each time, alternatively a tap like system was suggested which would allow the pressure of flow to be adjusted; in the end a simpler system was employed which allowed the flow of milk to be adjusted.

This was not a focus for the group in regards to this project.

This was not a focus as stated above.

There was something of a split in the group with some people focusing on the practical side of things with others looking to design something quirky to suit the style his shop implies. In terms of the form side of things we looked at the decoration and art work of the shop and the layout and noted that it was modern and sleek, with white walls and light bulbs outside. The product was designed to compliment this, particularly in terms of it being quirky and unique. There was also the consideration that the design of the milk dispenser should be similar to the machines that were already used in the shop.

Modern and sleek were the main styles we focused on in the project and this was inspired by the space the product would be used in.

Materials used in the product mirrored those machines already in the shop for example the aluminium plating that was used on the coffee machine was integrated into the thought process behind the design of the product we designed. This was so that the upkeep and cleaning of the products could be done in a similar way.

Summary

Practicality was the main concern in regards to choosing materials for fabrication.

There were no socio-cultural issues to report.

I do not understand what this means.

 

For this project we only went to the conceptual stage and did it was modelled on CAD and through hand drawings. These can be found were on the design blog.

14. Design method & practice - Analysis and learning evidences

The part of the design method and practice that had improved for me personally is the drawing side of things. These drawings can be found on the blog.

Overall I feel this project went well. We had a clear leadership and we all had an understanding of what was required of us and when it was required. We met up regularly and discussed what we needed to do. I feel  have made more of a contribution to this project than to any of the other projects I have been part of this year not just in terms of the work but also the groups organisation, as I felt second in command and was comfortable with this. Unfortunately I was not able to meet with the client in the early stages of the project, however this did not negatively impact on my participation. In the research stage I could perhaps have done more but I feel as though I made up for that in the design work and in the discussions we had online and in person.

This was a successful project and I feel my contribution was valued- this has meant that I feel more confident and can be bolder in making suggestions. Also it means that I react better to criticism about individual suggestions and work, because overall I felt valued.