Embodiment Design and Prototyping

A 1hr intro to the roles of prototyping in design

1. Embodiment Design
Prototyping
03.007

2. Aims
today
Roles of design models and prototypes
Prototyping strategies
Experimental / testing plans for the chosen
exhibit design
Identify appropriate procedures, variables,
performance measures, ranges of interest, and
trials

3. Concepts
Preliminary engineering drawings and
Bill of materials (BOM)
Beta prototype (scaled model +
functional model)
Cost estimate

4. 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4292854.stm

5. 2005
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Pictures

6. http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Pictures

7. http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Pictures

8. http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10012657-7.html

9. 2006
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pete/sets/72057594143224765/with/152123539/

10. http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Pictures

11. http://www.fuseproject.com/pdf/OLPC%20Case%20Study.pdf
2007

12. http://www.flickr.com/photos/knightfoundation/6771617469/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/olpc/page74/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pieter-bidia/2925665693/

15. http://www.fuseproject.com/category-1-product-65
2008

16. Embodiment
“In embodiment design, we provide form to
the selected concept(s)”
Form: geometry, components, materials,
manufacturability, economics
Strategy: to refine these factors iteratively,
from an abstract form to a concrete one

17. http://www.hcdconnect.org/toolkit/en

19. Build physical representations to learn from
your ideas and make increasingly concrete
and detailed decisions
Analytical Models (Mathematical, Physics)
Design Models (Virtual, Experimental,
Empirical)
Otto and Wood: Table 12.1.
Checklist for embodying a product concept

21. Pei, E., Campbell, R.I., and Evans, M.A., “A taxonomic classification of visual design representations used by industrial designers and engineering designers”.
Accepted for publication in The Design Journal 14.1, Spring 2011.

22. Pei, E., Campbell, R.I., and Evans, M.A., “A taxonomic classification of visual design representations used by industrial designers and engineering designers”.
Accepted for publication in The Design Journal 14.1, Spring 2011.

23. Pei, E., Campbell, R.I., and Evans, M.A., “A taxonomic classification of visual design representations used by industrial designers and engineering designers”.
Accepted for publication in The Design Journal 14.1, Spring 2011.

24. Pei, E., Campbell, R.I., and Evans, M.A., “A taxonomic classification of visual design representations used by industrial designers and engineering designers”.
Accepted for publication in The Design Journal 14.1, Spring 2011.

25. Why
prototype?
•Reduce uncertainty
•Make assumptions explicit
•Learn a specific feature or property
•Evaluate alternatives
•Gather feedback and data
•Communicate a key decision

•Explore a range of values across variables
•Safety and ergonomics
•Test manufacturing and assemblies

26. http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/input-output/14/350

27. Keurig individual serving coffee brewer 100 dpi 100 dpi
http://www.keurig.com/

28. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14
Radius of Hole (cm)
Bitterness (cm*min)
or Time (min)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Percent of Tea
Saturated
Bitterness
Time
% Saturation Tea brewer liquid
containment
electrical supply
electrical conversion
thermal energyfilter, tea
containment
ice/tea
containment
el ec tri ci ty
wate r
wate r
thermal e ne rgy
te athermal e ne rgy
ic e
te a
thermal
energy
18 in.
9 in.

29. http://www.studiotilt.com/blog/2011/02/03/the-hub-kings-cross-co-design-workshop/
http://paipr.wordpress.com/projects/rapid-low-fi-prototyping/
http://www.robives.com/blog/swinging_legs_experiment
Low-Fidelity Prototyping
(Quick and Dirty):
Immediate and sketchy
physical representations using
paper, cardboard and any
available parts

30. Twitter: @sarvidefer
1
2
3 4
5
6
7 8
9

31. Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

32. Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

33. Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

35. Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

36. Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

37. Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

38. Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

40. http://martini.mitplw.com/blog/?p=954

42. Interactive Toy: 3 day tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt4V5kojU8E

43. Key Q’s Functionality being tested?
Scales, assemblies and materials?
Structural behaviour and costs?
Physical or virtual prototype?
Decisions to build model/prototype:
materials, processes, time, modifications…
Single plan or replan?
Parallel or serial prototypes?
Simultaneous or iterative?

44. Important
Good investment: plan resources & time
Make your goals and questions explicit
Learn from your models and prototypes: test,
measure, modify them
Document, record and analyse evidence
“Fail Early, Fail Fast and Fail Often”
http://www.lunar.com/failure-is-always-an-option/
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663968/wanna-create-a-great-product-fail-early-fail-fast-fail-often

45. Exhibit Prototyping: Formative Evaluation at the Museum of Science
http://www.mos.org/exhibitdevelopment/prototyping.html
What we’ve learned about evaluating prototype exhibits
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/about_us/~/media/4EBAEF0846904248BE
A0E94F63267D1F.ashx
“Prototype Zone” at The Hong Kong Science Museum
http://hk.science.museum/epe/epz.php
Exhibit Making
http://www.exploratorium.edu/about/exhibit_making/

46. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqIcEE_sRBk
FAILURE [aka LEARNING BY DOING]

48. Youn-Kyung Lim, Erik Stolterman, and Josh Tenenberg. 2008. The anatomy of prototypes: Prototypes as filters, prototypes as
manifestations of design ideas. ACM Trans. Comput.-Hum. Interact. 15, 2, Article 7 (July 2008), 27 pages.

50. http://www.boardofinnovation.com/business-prototyping/

51. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp8Q0ZQLyBA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw4fFdgZYOY