Uncharted Play Internship
June - August 2014
New York City, USA
Product Development Associates team: Dan Bish, Dan Cho, Kunsoo Yuk, and Nour Al Gharibeh
The Soccket, Uncharted Play's Flagship Product
In the Summer of 2014, I joined the Uncharted Play (UP) team as a Product Design Associate, where I was part of a multidisciplinary team of interns that worked on several design challenges in UP's flagship prodcut, the Sockket.
Design Challenge: Create a more user-friendly plugging method through redeveloping the Soccket’s channel.
The Soccket's initial plugging method used an AUX connection that connects the lamp to the core of the ball which houses the energy generator and storage. Given that the core is more then 3 inches deep, the matching between the end of the lamp and the core was difficult, especially that the channel leading to the core was much wider than the lamp's stem. Furthermore, the lamp was fixed inside the ball (as seen above) and so the light's reach was limited.
In an initial brainstorming session, we came out with the potential solutions and more questions:
- Using a retractable reel system or a cord to allow for the lamp to extend beyond the ball when plugged; but how will the lamp be supported?
- Shortening the channel; but will the lamp unplug easily then?
- Create a magnetic plugging method, where the lamp can snap into place
- Lining the channel with conductive fabric and replacing the lamp's stem with conductive material
- Adding a USB connection to enable the Soccket to power more USB compatible devices
To optimize our limited time at UP, we decided to experiment with a few options initially and chose:
- Retractable reel system/cord
- An external stand to support the reel system/cord
- An external stand to support the reel system/cord
- Magnetic plug
To really push the limits on the possible designs, my colleagues and I decided to combine the cord solution with the magnetic plug. While I led on the development of the cord prototypes, my colleague Dan worked on developing the magnetic plug.
Sketch & research on reel / cord system
Coiled Cord
Through hacking the core, removing the AUX parts, and soldering the coiled cord into place, I was able to add the cord onto the core. As shown in the images below, the initial magnetic plug was also added to the cord.
The below lamp was also made from a basic light-weight aluminum, a ready made LED casing, and a 3D printed magnetic plug casing.
Alternatively, I also explored other lamp types. The first one below utalizes the top part of UP's AUX lamp while the AUX head was replaced with the magnetic plug. In the second option, I experimented with the cord, placing it on the lamp rather than on the core.
The core with the addition of the magnetic plug
Other Experiments
While at UP, we also posed other questions that sought to improve users' experience. That included rethinking the current stopper used (to close the channel while the lamp is unplugged).
As a team, we thought of replacing the stopper with flap-like structures that are built-in the foam of the ball's cover, much like the soda cup lids that allow the straw to easily enter and hold it in place. To ensure that nothing enters channel while in play, the flaps could be fortified with plastic that locks together.
Another option we considered was replacing the orange stopper with sliding lid that is embedded in the cover. When lamp is to be plugged, lid is slid to the side to become embedded within the cover.
Further experiments
