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Final Prototype - User Interaction

  Integrating prototyping into your product development process can be transformational. It can make a richer experience, and enable the user to empathize with the product.  The point of a prototype is to have a tangible visual representation of the solutions discussed throughout the design process. Instead of repeating the information discussed in the ideation phase - a prototype acts as a model that takes into consideration everything discussed.  Having this model allows me as a designer to validate my concepts by sharing the prototype with the users. After observing the user interaction with the mockup model, I made few modifications and then finally prototype was built. The materials used in the final model were polycarbonate sheets and a wooden bench. The polycarbonate was sourced from a small-scale roofing factory where the extra polycarbonate sheets which were wrongly cut or minorly defective were available at a very reasonable price. Whereas I searched for wooden ...
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Mock Presentation

After the mock-up stage, we presented our project to our module lecturer and the guest lecturer. I prepared presentation slides that highlighted my design process from the very first stage of the design thinking process that is Empathy up till the Test stage. In addition to that, I added some more research and justifications to my design in the presentation slides. It's important to thoroughly explain as well as give a necessary explanation to your design in order to convince the customer/client. Following are some of my presentation slides. After my presentation, the lecturers and I had some discussion about my design challenge and they gave a green signal to my design and gave me the feedback that my presentation was good and they appreciated the research I presented in my slides.  Thank you for reading my blog. Do share in the comment section below- what did you think about my presentation. 

TEST- understand, observe, visualize and iterate.

  Testing, in Design Thinking, involves generating user feedback as related to the prototypes you have developed, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of your users.  Testing is the chance to get a product out into the world and test it in real-time. During this phase, you have a chance to see if you’ve framed the problem correctly.  Above is my recording and evaluation from the user testing. The user seems satisfied with the product and didn't have much to offer when it came to concluding drawbacks. Therefore I had to closely observe the user interaction to identify the points of improvement.  Thank you for reading my blog. Do share your views on the testing stage in the comment section below.

Build : Prototype -2

  After making my first prototype to understand the form and the appearance, I built my second prototype which was a scale 1:1 mockup. Building the scale 1:1 model, I tested it with my user. I took his feedback on his experience with the mockup. I didn't explain my product in-depth as I wanted the user to engage with the model to record how he interacted with it and to evaluate if he understands the product. The video above is the interaction of the user with the mockup model. I used three materials to build the mockup which were materials available at my home. Firstly, I used foam board as a substitute material for the polycarbonate panels, an existing wooden stool as the seat, and packaging tape to indicate the metal frame support. I tried to use measurements similar to the design so that the user can have a near-close experience with the mockup model.  The user was able to interact and identify the use of the product and expressed that he felt safe while using it. We discus...

Build - Prototyping Stage

Prototype improves the overall understanding of the design. A rapid prototype helps to illustrate the final product, allowing to comprehense the product's function and target audience. A slight shift in proportions can make a huge difference and completely change the look and function of a product. Every product has a target audience, and at the end of the day, the target audience is going to have the final say. Prototypes allow user testing, which improves designs with valuable feedback about the product. Below is my prototype which is built to understand the arrangement and stability of the design. I used cardboard and translucent pannels to build the prototype. Through rapid prototyping, I identified few issues with the design. The wood logs which are substituted with cardboard are not supported when they meet the polycarbonate partition. For the solution, metal joints can be attached to support and fix the logs with the partition. Thank you for reading my blog. Do share your fe...

Material Selection

The materials used in the product have a large impact on the success of the design. Selection of material is very important when it comes to finalizing the design. Select materials with properties that doesn't enable meeting the product's performance or reliability requirements and are difficult to work during manufacturing or assembly and be prepared to endure lower than expected profits. These problems can be avoided by keeping in mind the following steps: Identify the design requirements Identify the material selection criteria Consider product aesthetics Evaluate the material and manufacturing cost Prototype and test Finalize materials Polycarbonate  is considered almost unbreakable, giving it a clear advantage over glass in safety. Because it is durable, impact-resistant, and can withstand heat, it has a long lifespan, cutting down on the cost of replacement. Polycarbonate sheeting is six times lighter than standard glass panels, making installation quicker and easier than...

Iterate Stage

 Our work is meant to constantly fail every time our “solutions” are confronted with the multiple questions that reality is composed of, but it’s not a pointless effort. The iterative stage is a crucial stage. With your user research, you have identified the user’s needs and have to generate ideas according to their feedback.  Similarly, I took the feedback from my target user through an interview reviewing my sketches from the ideate stage. Through the feedback and suggestions, I further developed idea four from my sketches into a detailed concept idea.   I altered the materials of the design and added few important details like metal frames and joints to support the structure. Conducting the interview with my user helped me identify the problem and further improve the design.  Thankyou you for reading my blog. Let me known in the comment section below what you feel about my concept development.