A personalized tool belt.
Unique compartments house a variety of tools, including screwdrivers, pliers, and a measuring tape.
Snap clasps allow users to remove holsters and re-attatch them to their own belt with a simple snap.
For the everyday creative enthusiast.
Process: The Client Project
I was tasked to approach an employee at the Pratt Institute and create a product that could improve his or her workday. This project began with research from shadowing my client for an eight hour workday, and uncovering my client's needs. The product would come to fruition based on the results of several rounds of user testing, in which the client would interact with various prototypes or mockups. I asked my Model Making instructor, John Medley, to be my client.
Since John was in charge of every aspect of the Industrial Design wood shop, organization and effeciency was his top priority. The scope of the wood shop, as well as the large number of students and projects under supervision made it all the more necessary for John to be able to access his essential tools quickly at all times.
Although John was hesitant about wearing a toolbelt, assuming it would get in the way, it became my task to create a compact accesory that would quietly improve his workday.
Phase 2: Ideation + Prototyping
In the second page of sketches, I discovered a geometric shape that I wanted to explore with the Medley Belt. Interlocking and folding several of the "X" shapes resulted in three dimensional forms that were suitable for securing tools, all the while providing a stream lined aesthetic lacking in traditional tool belts.
Phase 3: Client Testing
Observing the chip board prototype in action allowed me to make significant adjustments to the product. I concluded that the Medley Belt didn't have to be a literal belt per se, as removable holsters were a much better alternative to wearing a tool belt over a pre-existing belt, or having to thread the holsters through a belt, and thread the belt back through one's belt loops. Individual holsters with snappable clasps provided a simple solution.
Phase 4: Final Prototype
An Illustrator file was created so that individual shapes could be laser cut from a piece of scrap leather. The holsters were then constructed by installing rivets at each connection, resulting in a durable, long lasting build.
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